Sarah E. Cowie

Sarah E. Cowie is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Nevada, Reno, specializing in collaborative and decolonizing approaches to archaeology with Indigenous communities in the American West and Great Basin region.

Her educational background includes a B.A. in Archaeology from Mount Holyoke College (1994), M.S. in Industrial Archaeology from Michigan Technological University (1996), and Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Arizona (2008), followed by a Wenner-Gren Hunt Postdoctoral Fellowship (2008-2009).

Dr. Cowie's research integrates historical archaeology, social theory, and decolonizing practices through key focal areas:

• Industrial archaeology and company towns
• Indigenous heritages and cultural resource management
• Power relations in landscape archaeology
• Community-engaged methodologies

Her recent scholarship, including the 2022 publication on mitigating intergenerational trauma at the Stewart Indian School, demonstrates consistent focus on ethical collaboration and trauma-informed approaches in archaeological practice.

Accolades highlight exceptional contributions to the field:

• Presidential Early Career Award (PECASE, 2016)
• Society for Historical Archaeology's John L. Cotter Award (2013)
• Four National Academy of Sciences Kavli Fellowships (2016-2023)
• Mark E. Mack Community Engagement Award (2019)

She directs externally funded projects including Great Basin Tribal heritage preservation initiatives and Reno/Tahoe landscape archaeology, securing support through competitive fellowships and federal recognition. Current work develops frameworks for improved tribal-federal consultation and decolonizing archaeological methods.

Dr. Cowie leads the Collaborative Stewart Indian School Project and "Our Ancestors' Walk of Sorrow" Forced Removal Trail initiative, working directly with tribal nations to transform heritage management practices through community-centered archaeology.