Lifeways of Canada Personnel

Brian (Barney) is the Founder of Lifeways, Alberta's oldest cultural resource consulting and contracting company. He has over 30 years of research and professional experience and specializes in Northern North American Archaeology, Ethnohistory, and Cultural Resource Management. He has worked on and managed numerous archaeological surveys and excavations in Alberta and across western North America in his career, both for development projects and academic research. Barney was a pioneer in the development of Traditional Use Studies with First Nations groups in Alberta, and has been actively involved in many consultation programs. Over the years he has introduced and tutored numerous students in the fields of archaeology and historical resources management, and has made important contributions to the development of the field in Alberta. His career long contributions to our understanding of culture chronologies on the Northern Plains, Rocky Mountains, and the Oilsands regions have given him an international reputation as one of North America’s best. Barney is currently coordinating Lifeways’ large oilsands projects in Alberta and Saskatchewan. He is also Professor Emeritus in Archaeology at the University of Calgary.

Academic Degrees: Ph.D. (Archaeology), University of Calgary; M.A. (Archaeology), University of Calgary; B.Sc. (Geology), University of Alberta; B.A. (Philosophy), University of Alberta (Calgary)

Memberships in Professional Associations: Canadian Archaeological Association, Association of Consulting Archaeologists, Archaeological Society of Alberta, Montana Archaeological Society, Alberta Historical Society, Montana Historical Society, Plains Anthropological Society

Claire has over 25 years of experience in archaeology across the world. Claire has been a Project Archaeologist at Lifeways since 1998, taking on the role of Office Manager in 2001. Claire’s archaeological field experience is vast, having worked on projects in the Boreal Forests of northern Alberta, in the High Arctic of the Northwest Territories, throughout the interior of British Columbia, in the American Southwest, and throughout Africa including Sudan, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon. While working in Africa Claire gained much experience in all aspects of project management, playing an integral role in excavating complex archaeological sites. Her main areas of expertise became the analyses of ceramics and Historic period artifacts. Closer to home Claire has been heavily involved in large complex project across the Province of Alberta. Her knowledge in historic artifacts transferred easily to local historic sites, and she has since gained a wide range of knowledge in lithic analysis as well. Currently Claire runs the Lifeways office and oversees the logistics of most of our projects. Claire is always happy to provide clients, new and old, with project proposals and cost estimates, project updates, or information on the Historical Resources Clearance process.

Academic Degrees: M.A. (Archaeology) University of Calgary; B.A. (Archaeology) University of Calgary

Memberships in Professional Associations: Association of Consulting Archaeologists, Archaeological Society of Alberta

Brian started working with Lifeways of Canada in 1981 and has over 25 years of experience in the field of archaeology, having participated in archaeological projects throughout southern Alberta and the Canadian Rocky Mountains in addition to projects further a field in places such as the Canadian High Arctic, the interior of British Columbia, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, California, New York, and Ghana, West Africa. Brian’s specific fields of expertise include high altitude adaptations in the Rocky Mountains and cultural change in southern Alberta as well as the emergence of the Asante Kingdom in Ghana, West Africa. Currently Brian is in charge of most projects in the Calgary Region in addition to managing the Yellowstone National Park Projects. From 1999 to 2008 he served as President of the Archaeological Society of Alberta, Calgary Centre. Brian remains active in providing public lectures and guided tours of Precontact and historic sites in the Calgary Region for the Archaeological Society and Lifeways of Canada (learn more about our tours here).

Academic Degrees: Ph.D. candidate (Archaeology), SUNY Binghamton; M.A. (Archaeology), University of Calgary; B.A. (Archaeology/Anthropology), Simon Fraser University

Memberships in Professional Associations: Archaeological Society of Alberta, Association of Consulting Archaeologists, Canadian Archaeological Association, Rocky Mountain Archaeological Society

Dr. Dan Meyer (President/Senior Project Archaeologist)

Throughout his 19-year archaeological career Dan has worked on archaeological projects in the Foothills and Rocky Mountains, Northern Plains, Boreal Forest, Yellowstone National Park, American Southwest, Mexico, and the Eastern Woodlands. More specifically, he has worked in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, Colorado, New Mexico, Vermont, and Chiapas, Mexico. Dan joined Lifeways in 2001. With his extensive knowledge of the Alberta Foothills and Eastern Slopes, he is currently managing the Historical Resources predictive modeling and management plans for Lifeways’ forestry clients, as well as directing and managing numerous other projects across the Province. These include First Nations consultation and Traditional Land Use studies, and Historical Resources Impact Assessments and mitigations for small-scale oil and gas projects, coal mines, oilsands developments, utility companies, and the Provincial government. Dan is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Archaeology at the University of Calgary, and is the past President and President- Elect of the Association of Consulting Archaeologists of Alberta.

Academic Degrees: Ph.D. (Archaeology), University of Calgary; B.A. Cum Laude with Distinction in the Major (Anthropology), University of Pennsylvania

Memberships in Professional Associations: Archaeological Society of Alberta, Association of Consulting Archaeologists, Canadian Archaeological Association, Society for American Archaeology

Don is one of the newest old members of the Lifeways team, re-joining us in 2006 after a hiatus from being on Lifeways’ staff in the 80s. Don has extensive experience in Alberta archaeology and much of western Canada. He has been active in archaeological consulting for two decades and has participated in major archaeological projects in Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories. He has directed more than 50 development related projects in Alberta. Don maintains an ongoing interest in the prehistory of the Alberta grasslands. He is Secretary of the Association of Consulting Archaeologists of Alberta.

Academic Degrees: Ph.D. Candidate (Archaeology) University of Calgary; M.A. (Archaeology), Simon Fraser University; B.A. (Archaeology) University of Calgary

Memberships in Professional Associations: Association of Consulting Archaeologists, Archaeological Society of Alberta, Canadian Archaeological Association University of Calgary Archaeological Association

Christy joined Lifeways in 2007 bringing with her 10 years of consulting experience across Alberta and beyond. Christy has directed and been associated with archaeological investigations within a number of the varied environmental and cultural landscapes that make up Alberta, although the bulk of her experience has been on the Plains. She has applied her knowledge of stone tool technology and love of debitage to excavations in the Oilsands regions of Northern Alberta. Christy also maintains an active research interest in the archaeology of Antigua, in the Eastern Caribbean, and is Adjunct Assistant Professor in Archaeology at the University of Calgary.

Academic Degrees: Ph.D. (Archaeology), University of Calgary; M.A. (Anthropology), Trent University; B.Sc. (Archaeology), University of Calgary

Memberships in Professional Associations: Association of Consulting Archaeologists, Canadian Archaeological Association, Society for American Archaeology, International Association for Caribbean Archaeology, Museum of Antigua and Barbuda.

Janet has worked with Lifeways since 2001. In her more than 10 year career she has worked on projects across southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Chile. Janet specializes in faunal analysis, geoarchaeological applications in archaeology including soils analysis and palaeotopographic landscape modeling, as well as other computer/graphic applications in archaeology. She has also assisted in ongoing paleoenvironmental studies in the central foothills region of Alberta. Janet is currently working on completing her Master’s Thesis on topographic landscape modeling at the Stampede Site (DjOn-26), Cypress Hills, Alberta.

Academic Degrees: B.A. Honours (Anthropology), University of Winnipeg; B.Sc. (Geography), University of Winnipeg; M.A. in progress (Archaeology), University of Calgary

Memberships in Professional Associations: Association of Consulting Archaeologists, Archaeological Society of Alberta, Society for American Archaeology

Dan is originally from Perth, Western Australia. Prior to joining Lifeways of Canada in 2007, Dan was a Senior Conservation Officer with the Environmental Protection Agency of the Queensland Government. In 12 years, Dan has worked on archaeological projects throughout Australia, including in the Goldfields, the southwest, central Queensland and the Blue Mountains. In Canada, Dan has contributed to projects in northern British Columbia, the Cypress Hills in Alberta, and the Calgary area. Dan’s doctoral research involved several seasons of fieldwork at Copan, Honduras, focusing on the site’s little-known Formative period occupation. He has also participated in excavations in Chiapas, Mexico. As a result, Dan has a diverse fieldwork background ranging from Pleistocene-era rockshelters and early 20th Century gold mining sites in Australia to early village sites in Mesoamerica, to Precontact campsites in Alberta.

Academic Degrees: Ph.D. (Archaeology), University of Queensland; B.A. Honours (Archaeology), University of Western Australia

Jessica is a recent addition, having joined Lifeways in March 2008. Her field experience has included involvement in mitigations of historic sites throughout the Province with Parks Canada, and Precontact sites through consulting archaeology. Her academic interests are in the application of chemical analysis to archaeological questions, particularly stone tool raw materials. Jessica also has an active interest in public archaeology which stems from her participation in the University of Calgary’s Program for Public Archaeology and the Archaeological Society of Alberta. She is currently working on several HRIAs of housing developments in the Calgary region.

Academic Degrees: M.Sc. (Archaeology) University of Bradford; B.Sc. (Archaeology) University of Calgary

Professional Associations: Archaeological Society of Alberta, Society for American Archaeology

Murray has been employed with Lifeways since 2000. He has worked on archaeological projects in southern Alberta, the Boreal Forest, central Alberta, the Canadian Rockies and the Canadian subarctic. In the past he has been involved with the Luscar Genesee Project, but has also contributed to the ANC Project, the Shell Waterton 3D Project, and a survey of the Peigan Reserve for El Paso Velvet. Murray specializes in GIS mapping and drafting. He is currently completing his Master’s degree at the University of Calgary.

Academic Degrees: M.A. In Progress (Archaeology), University of Calgary; B.Sc. (Archaeology), University of Calgary

Jason has worked with Lifeways since 1998. In his over 10-year career he has worked on archaeological projects throughout Alberta, in Saskatchewan, and into the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, and has been involved in Traditional Use Studies with First Nations in Alberta. He is currently involved with several projects across the Eastern Slopes and the rest of Alberta. Jason specializes in stone tool analysis and raw material identification. He is an accomplished flintknapper and produces museum-quality reproduction projectile points and other tools, as well as running workshops on stone tool making technology. He is currently finishing his Master’s Thesis on stone tool technology in the Foothills of Alberta.

Academic Degrees: M.A. Candidate (Archaeology), University of Saskatchewan; B.A. (Archaeology), University of Calgary

Memberships in Professional Associations: Association of Consulting Archaeologists, Archaeological Society of Alberta, Saskatchewan Archaeological Society

Kevin has worked for Lifeways since 1995, participating in projects throughout Alberta and in high altitude environments of Montana and Wyoming. He is currently involved with the Yellowstone National Park Archaeological Project (1996-present). He has also contributed to the Muskeg River Limestone Quarry Project (2004), Cougar Ridge Project (2000), the Glacier National Park Archaeological Project (1995-1998), the Syncrude North Aurora Mine Project (1996-1997), and the Crowsnest Pass Site Survey. Kevin specializes in GIS mapping and drafting.

John has been employed with Lifeways since 2004. He has worked on archaeological projects in the Boreal Forest, the Eastern Slopes, and on the Plains of Alberta. John has worked on a number of field reconnaissance projects and excavations of both Precontact and Historic archaeological sites. John is currently working on the detailed analysis of stone tools and debitage from a number of important archaeological sites in the Oilsands region, including the Quarry of the Ancestors.

Memberships in Professional Associations: Association of Consulting Archaeologists

Kendra is another recent addition to the Lifeways staff, having worked here since 2007. She has worked on archaeological projects in southern Alberta, the Oilsands, Malta, and Jordan. Kendra specializes in ceramic analysis and historical research. Currently Kendra is working on the analysis of lithics from the Oilsands region, and historic artifacts from Calgary’s East Village.

Academic Degrees: M.Phil. (Archaeology), Leiden University (Netherlands); B.A. (Archaeology), University of Calgary

Amber is also a 2007 addition to the Lifeways team. She has worked on several field projects in southern Alberta including bison kill sites and campsites. Amber’s speciality is the analysis of faunal remains from archaeological sites. She is currently analyzing a large assemblage from Crestmont excavated in advance of a housing development.

Academic Degrees: B.A with Distinction (Archaeology/Geography) University of Lethbridge

Candace is a recent addition to the Lifeways team, joining us in 2007. Candace has participated in projects at Tel Beth Shemesh (Israel), and Purple Springs (DlOx-6) and the Fincastle kill site (DlOx-5) in Alberta. She has recently returned from a 5-month internship in Washington DC with the Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute, specializing in x-ray diffraction analysis of archaeological materials. Candace is currently part of Lifeways’ laboratory analysis team working on lithic artifacts.

Academic Degrees: B.A with Great Distinction (Archaeology/Geography) University of Lethbridge; B.A with Great Distinction (History) University of Lethbridge

Derrick is new to Lifeways, signing on initially for the 2007 field season. He has worked exclusively with Lifeways while finishing his undergraduate degree at the University of Calgary. Derrick has participated in a wide range of projects, experiencing a variety of terrible soils and artifact concentrations. In that time he has worked on archaeological sites in the oilsands areas of Alberta and Saskatchewan, bison killsites in the Calgary area, Precontact campsites in Yellowstone National Park, and excavations at the important Stampede site in the Cypress Hills. Having extensive backcountry experience, Derrick was particularly thrilled to work on the project in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Derrick spends his winters helping to analyze the vast lithic collections from sites around the Quarry of the Ancestors in the Fort Mackay area, and moving artifact boxes, while completing his degree in Archaeology.