We study human-landscape interactions in the past and how those dynamics relate to the present. Our collective research efforts are geared towards the historical ecology of forest ecosystems in settler nations and understanding the relationship between people and the inhabited landscape. To study these relationships, methodological approaches from the fields of archaeology, ethnoecology, ecology, and molecular biology are considered. Ultimately, the goal of the HER Lab is to understand the role of history in shaping the structure and function of ecosystems and to interrogate the role of colonialism and settler colonial dynamics within environmental and heritage management policy.
Dr. Armstrong is currently conducting historical-ecological research for and with northern Ts'msyen and Gitxsan title holders in what is now known as British Columbia. Current and ongoing work includes the identification and study of ancient forest gardens and orchard ecosystems, Indigenous data sovereignty, trail and landscape archaeology, and the continental range change of species of Corylus, Malus, Fritillaria, and other culturally significant plant species. The HER Lab in Indigenous Studies at Simon Fraser University is currently accepting exceptional graduate students with a desire to undertake exploratory and outdoor research.
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Research interests
Historical ecology, ethnoecology, environmental archaeology, ethnobotany, paleoethnobotany, phytogeography, heritage management, organismal botany, dendroecology, population genetics
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Funding sources
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
Library and Archives Canada
National Geographic
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