Speaker Series – November 26th 2024 – 7:00 to 8:00 PST – Chelsey Geralda Armstrong

November’s speaker is Chelsey Geralda Armstrong. Dr. Armstrong is assistant professor in Indigenous Studies, and associate member of the School of Resource and Environmental Management, at Simon Fraser University.

Please register for a Zoom link: here.

Note: this talk will not be shared to YouTube.

Abstract: Land-use scientists increasingly recognize that ecological and anthropogenic forces have long interacted in complex ways, forming many of the landscapes we observe today. In the Pacific Northwest, historical Indigenous land-use and management has resulted in forest gardens: ecosystems dominated by edible fruit, nut, and berry producing trees and shrubs, managed by Indigenous peoples in the past and which continue to grow today. This presentation will provide an overview of forest garden ethnoecology, archaeology, and functional ecology in Nuu-chah-nulth, Ts’msyen, and Coast Salish contexts. This research contributes to a growing body of evidence which reveals the ways in which humans can have positive effects on forested landscapes while supporting communities seeking to re-integrate land-based foodways and livelihoods in unprecedented times.

Bio: Dr. Armstrong is a historical ecologist and archaeologist specializing in ancient human land-use in the Pacific Northwest. She is assistant professor in Indigenous Studies, and associate member of the School of Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University.

Please see the 2024 Speaker Schedule here.