November 21, 2024

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

McMillan Discusses Tribal Research on ‘With Good Reason’

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Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation Lauren McMillan

Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation Lauren McMillan

Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation Lauren McMillan appeared on a recent episode of the With Good Reason radio show titled “The Visitors’ Center.” Her segment of the show, “Virginia Indian Trail,” featured the work she and her students have been doing with tribes and the local tourism board to develop the Native American History and Culture Trail. “The two groups that my students and I have been working with for about two years now are the Rappahannock tribe and the Patawomeck people who are along the Potomac River,” McMillan said. Hear more.

McMillan Discusses Virginia Indian Trail on ‘With Good Reason’

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Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation Lauren McMillan

Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation Lauren McMillan

Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation Lauren McMillan will be featured on the With Good Reason radio show Jan. 21 to 27. On the episode, “The Visitors Center,” McMillan  discusses how she and her students are working with the Patawomeck and Rappahannock tribes to develop the Virginia Indian Trail in King George County. The broadcast will be available beginning Jan. 21 at WithGoodReasonRadio.org.

McMillan to Deliver Mary Talks Season Opener

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Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation Lauren McMillan

Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation Lauren McMillan

Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation Lauren McMillan will open the Mary Talks season with a discussion on her students’ work developing a Native American History and Culture Trail.

In partnership with nearby King George County, students worked with the Rappahannock and Patawomeck tribes to research, write, and design interpretive signage for a driving trail through the county. Using multiple lines of evidence–secondary sources, archival documents, archaeological evidence, and oral histories–the students covered the history of Rappahannock and Patawomeck peoples from 10,000 years ago to the present. Dr. McMillan will discuss this and other ongoing collaborative research focused on Virginia’s first peoples.

McMillan’s Mary Talks presentation will take place Wednesday, Sept. 21, from 7:30 to 8:30 via Zoom. Register online to receive a link.

McMillan and Students Featured in FLS Article on Native American Heritage Trail

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Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation Lauren McMillan

Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation Lauren McMillan

Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation Lauren McMillan and her students were interviewed for an article in The Free Lance-Star entitled, “UMW students work with local Native American tribes to create heritage trail in King George.”

Minor knew he didn’t have the staff or the expertise to conduct research for a Native American Heritage Trail—and he also didn’t want to move forward “without the blessing of the tribes” whose stories the trail would tell.

So he reached out to UMW assistant professor of historic preservation Lauren McMillan, who had worked closely with the local tribes in the past and was preparing to teach a course titled “Preservation in the Community.”

Juniors and seniors enrolled in the course this past fall semester conducted historical archival research, read archaeological reports, consulted oral histories and talked with tribe members to determine what stories the tribes wanted to tell about their lives in the area.

“The tribal leaders were involved from day one,” McMillan said. “A big thing was that they didn’t want to get stuck in the past. These are contemporary, vibrant communities that still exist today. Yes, they wanted to talk about 1,000 years ago and yes, they wanted to talk about 400 years ago, but they also wanted to talk about how the community still exists today.” Read more.

McMillan Interviewed by NBC-4 on Native American History & Culture Trail

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Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation Lauren McMillan was interviewed on December 7th by NBC-4 in a segment about the Native American History and Culture Trail that her class has developed for King George County’s Department of Economic Development and Tourism. Students in HISP 471: Preservation in the Community worked in partnership with the Rappahannock and Patawomeck tribes to research, write, and design heritage trail signage.

Watch here: https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/northern-virginia/virginia-trail-to-spotlight-local-native-american-tribes/2904800/

Students in HISP 471: Preservation in the Community presenting trail signs to representatives of the Patawomeck and Rappahannock tribes, King George County's Department of Economic Development and Tourism, and other stakeholders.

Students in HISP 471: Preservation in the Community presenting trail signs to representatives of the Patawomeck and Rappahannock tribes, King George County’s Department of Economic Development and Tourism, and other stakeholders.

Eagle Pipe Band Wins First at the Virginia Scottish Games

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Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation and Eagle Pipe Band Leader Lauren McMillan. Photo by Karen Pearlman Photography.

Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation and Eagle Pipe Band Leader Lauren McMillan. Photo by Karen Pearlman Photography.

The UMW Eagle Pipe Band, led by assistant professor Lauren McMillan, competed at the Virginia Scottish Games on September 4th. The band won first place in their grade. This was the first time the band has competed since 2015. Two UMW students also competed in solo contests and took prizes in their grades: AJ Gluchowski (2024), bagpiper, took 6th, and Audra Young (2023), snare drummer, took 3rd.