Lauren McMillan, assistant professor in the Department of Historic Preservation, presented at the Rappahannock Native American Day on November 17th as part of the Rappahannock Tribe of Virginia’s celebration of Native American Heritage Month. The audience included the chief and members of the Rappahannock Tribe, the Secretary of the Commonwealth, representatives from the National Park Service, and other members of the public.
McMillan presented research resulting from the Field Methods in Archaeology course taught in the summer 2018 session, in which she and students partnered with the Rappahannock Tribe and St. Mary’s College of Maryland on the Rappahannock Indigenous Cultural Landscape Project. McMillan’s specific area of research focuses on the study of clay tobacco pipes and their decorative motifs to understand trade, interaction spheres, identity formation, and consumer choice.