My name is Jessica Boggs and I am an undergraduate at the University of Washington majoring in Archaeological Science. I am currently in my senior year and plan to continue my education within UW’s post-graduate Anthropology program. My interests include Pacific Northwest history and prehistory, specifically the effects that climate change and coastal geomorphology has had on local landscapes and human settlement, and the relevance of past anthropogenic landscapes in relation to current and future management processes involving forests, fish, and wildlife.

In addition to archaeological research, the existing wealth of knowledge preserved through tribal oral histories passed from generation to generation since time immemorial, has proven highly beneficial in planning for various aspects of landscape management, and an array of other topics.

I chose to enroll in the FMIA because it takes place in the Pacific Northwest region, and is a collaborative community based program with and for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. This environment offers a unique opportunity to learn archaeological research methods using a collaborative model, and places us in a position to work directly with and for the CTGR Tribal Historic Preservation Office.