Dr. Gary Warrick

Over the last 30 years, I have worked in private archaeological consulting, government CRM, and academic research. In the 1990s, I was a regional archaeologist for the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, carrying out CRM field work in advance of highway construction. Since 1999, I have been a faculty member at Wilfrid Laurier University, conducting research on 19th century Six Nations and Mississauga sites in southwestern Ontario, doing oral history research on Bushmen in South Africa, and most recently investigating 17th century Huron- Wendat villages in Ontario. The overall approach of my research work has been Indigenous archaeology. I strongly believe that archaeological work, both research and CRM, must always involve the people whose ancestral sites and remains are being examined and documented. I also strongly believe that archaeological findings, provided descendant peoples give approval, should be made available to the public through popular publications, websites, films, and exhibits in public places. The best way to ensure protection of archaeological heritage is to educate people on its value.  If elected as President, I will make every effort to disseminate archaeological findings in Canada to as wide an audience as possible, such as by posting short video clips on the CAA website and public lectures at the CAA annual meeting, as well as encouraging members to suggest other ways of creating a wider appreciation for the richness of Canadian archaeology.

Dr. Susan Blair

I am pleased to offer my candidacy for the presidency of the CAA. I consider the work of the CAA to be critical to the discipline of archaeology; I have been proud to be a member, and I would be honoured to serve in this way. To give you a sense of what I would bring to the task, I have worked in a wide-range of archaeological endeavours over the last 25 years, including research, administration, and fieldwork. Although I am currently an academic working at the University of New Brunswick, I have also worked as an archaeologist for and in First Nations, in CRM archaeology and in provincial government archaeology. I value volunteerism in and service to archaeology; I was active in the New Brunswick Archaeology Society, and later, was a founding member and first president of the Association of Professional Archaeologists of New Brunswick. My work philosophy is based on respect, collaboration and collective effort. Much of my research has involved direct partnerships and long-term community-based programs with Indigenous communities and individuals, such as Metepenagiag Heritage Park, the Maliseet Advisory Committee on Archaeology, and the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs. In all of these roles, I have sought to make archaeology relevant and impactful, build public value for its approach to understanding the past, and explore how that past can be a way to a mutually respectful future. Should I have a chance to serve as CAA president, I would bring all my positive energy to the broader mandate of the CAA, and work to maintain its status as the voice for archaeological interests in Canada.