Lifeways’ staff has over 275 years of combined experience in historical resources consulting.
Our close-knit team works together to complete all projects in a timely and cost-efficient manner. We pride ourselves on our approachable staff who have the ability to quickly and efficiently mobilize to meet all of our clients’ project needs, no matter how big or small. We employ seven Project Archaeologists and one Project Palaeontologist (with M.As. or Ph.Ds.) who are permitted to conduct archaeological or palaeontological fieldwork in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nunavut, NWT, Yukon, Montana, and Wyoming. Five Senior Archaeologists (with B.As., B.Scs., or M.As.) work as excavators, lab technicians, and researchers for the company. We provide expertise in lithic and faunal analysis, archaeological potential modelling, and GIS applications.
Claire Bourges
Managing Partner and Senior Project Archaeologist
Claire has over three decades of archaeological experience across the world and has been a Project Archaeologist at Lifeways since 1998. In 2001, Claire took on the role of Office Manager, and became an owner and partner in 2007. Claire’s archaeological field experience is vast, having worked on projects in the Boreal Forests of northern Alberta, in the High Arctic of the Northwest Territories, throughout the interior of British Columbia, in the American Southwest, and throughout Africa including Sudan, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon. While working in Africa Claire gained much experience in all aspects of project management, playing an integral role in excavating complex archaeological sites. Her main areas of expertise became the analyses of ceramics and historic period artifacts. Closer to home Claire has been heavily involved in large complex projects and historical resources potential modeling across the Province of Alberta. Her knowledge in historic artifacts transferred easily to local historic sites, and she has since gained a wide range of knowledge in lithic analysis as well. Claire is managing partner at Lifeways and oversees the logistics of most of our projects. She is always happy to provide clients (new and old) with project proposals and cost estimates, project updates, or information on the Historical Resources Act clearance process.
Academic Degrees: M.A. (Archaeology) University of Calgary, 1996; B.A.with distinction (Archaeology) University of Calgary, 1985
Memberships in Professional Associations: Association of Consulting Archaeologists, Archaeological Society of Alberta
Brian Vivian
Partner and Senior Project Archaeologist
Brian started working with Lifeways of Canada in 1981 and has over 30 years of experience in the field of archaeology, having participated in archaeological projects throughout southern Alberta and the Canadian Rocky Mountains in addition to projects further afield in places such as the Canadian High Arctic, the interior of British Columbia, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, California, New York, and Ghana. Brian’s specific fields of expertise include high altitude adaptations in the Rocky Mountains, cultural change in southern Alberta, as well as the emergence of the Asante Kingdom in Ghana, West Africa. Currently Brian is in charge of most projects in the Calgary Region and in British Columbia, but also works throughout Alberta and beyond. He is currently Past-President of the Archaeological Society of Alberta, and from 1999 to 2008 and 2010 to 2016 he served as President of the Calgary Centre of Archaeological Society of Alberta. Brian remains active in providing public lectures and guided tours of Precontact and Historic sites in the Calgary Region for the Archaeological Society and Lifeways of Canada.
Academic Degrees: Ph.D. candidate (Archaeology), SUNY Binghamton; M.A. (Archaeology), University of Calgary, 1992; B.A. (Archaeology/Anthropology), Simon Fraser University, 1981
Memberships in Professional Associations: Archaeological Society of Alberta, Association of Consulting Archaeologists, Canadian Archaeological Association, Rocky Mountain Anthropological Association
Dr. Dan Meyer
President and Senior Project Archaeologist
Throughout his 30-year archaeological career (with Lifeways since 2001) Dan has worked on archaeological projects in the Foothills and Rocky Mountains, Northern Plains, Boreal Forest, Yellowstone National Park, American Southwest, Mexico, and the Eastern Woodlands. More specifically, he has worked in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, Colorado, New Mexico, Vermont, and Chiapas, Mexico. Dan’s earliest training and dissertation research were in the Southwest U.S., where he studied the association between ethnicity and masonry styles among Ancestral Puebloans. For years he managed the historical resources predictive modeling and management plans for Lifeways' forestry clients and developed an extensive knowledge of the Alberta Foothills and Eastern Slopes. Dan continues to direct and manage numerous projects across Alberta and beyond. These include First Nations consultation and Traditional Land Use studies, and Historical Resources Impact Assessments and mitigations for small-scale oil and gas projects, coal mines, oilsands developments, utility companies, the Provincial government, and Parks Canada. Dan has directed over 90 projects that have recorded over 1,400 archaeological sites in Canada, almost 1,200 of those never before recorded. He has also served as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Archaeology at the University of Calgary, Consultant-in-Residence at the University of Calgary, numerous terms as President or Board Member of the Association of Consulting Archaeologists, and seven years as the Editor of the Alberta Archaeological Review. Academic Degrees: Ph.D. (Archaeology), University of Calgary, 1999; B.A. Cum Laude with Distinction in the Major (Anthropology), University of Pennsylvania, 1992 Memberships in Professional Associations: Archaeological Society of Alberta, Association of Consulting Archaeologists, Manitoba Archaeological Society, Canadian Archaeological Association, Society for American Archaeology, Register of Professional Archaeologists (RPA 17246)
Jason Roe
Partner, Senior Project Archaeologist
Jason has worked with Lifeways since 1998, first as a Senior Archaeologist, then as a Project Archaeologist, and finally becoming a partner in 2017. In his over 20-year career he has worked on archaeological projects throughout Alberta, Saskatchewan, and into the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia and the Yukon, and has been involved in traditional use studies with First Nations. He is currently engaged on several projects across the Eastern Slopes implementing work programs for our forestry clients, and other projects across the rest of Alberta. Jason specializes in stone tool analysis and raw material identification. He is an accomplished flintknapper, produces museum-quality reproduction projectile points and other tools, and runs workshops on stone tool making technology. He completed his Master’s thesis on stone tool technology in the Foothills of Alberta.
Academic Degrees: M.A. (Archaeology), University of Saskatchewan, 2009; B.A. (Archaeology), University of Calgary, 1998
Memberships in Professional Associations: Association of Consulting Archaeologists, Archaeological Society of Alberta, Saskatchewan Archaeological Society, Register of Professional Archaeologists (RPA 17227)
Dr. Miriam Reichel-Bodner
Senior Project Palaeontologist
Miriam joined Lifeways in early 2019 from her own palaeontological business, and brings almost 10 years of palaeontological consulting experience. She has worked on a wide variety of projects from oil and gas to urban developments, linear projects, windfarms, gravel pits, transportation, and mines throughout the northern plains and sub-arctic/northern boreal forest regions of Alberta and Saskatchewan, as well as having international palaeonto-logical experience in Brazil, Argentina, Mongolia, and Germany. Miriam received her B.Sc. and M.Sc. from the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, and her Ph.D. from the University of Alberta where she studied under Dr. Philip Currie.
Miriam’s dissertation was a study of North American and Asian theropod teeth (theropods in-clude a lot of the big meat-eating dinosaurs that your children know all about), but she also has extensive experience with deposits ranging from the Devonian to the Quaternary. In addition to vertebrates and invertebrate palaeontology, Miriam brings expertise in taphonomy (the study of how fossils are formed, and the chemistry of different types of mineralization), ichnology (footprints, burrows, and other traces), palaeobotany, and the study of eggs and coprolites (fos-silized feces). For the past eight years Miriam has assisted or led in the implementation of pal-aeontological Historical Resources Impact Assessments (pHRIA), including monitoring, State-ments of Justification (SoJ), and the submission of Historical Resources Applications for clear-ance.
Academic Degrees: Ph.D. (Biological Sciences), University of Alberta, 2012; M.Sc. (Geosciences) Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 2006; B.Sc. (Biological Sciences), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 2004.
Dr. Brian O.K. Reeves
Founder and Senior Consultant
Brian (Barney) is the Founder of Lifeways, Alberta’s original cultural resource consulting and contracting company. He has over 40 years of research and professional experience and specializes in Northern North American Archaeology, Ethnohistory, and Cultural Resource Management. He has worked on and managed numerous archaeological surveys and excavations in Alberta and across western North America in his career, both for development projects and academic research. Barney was a pioneer in the development of Traditional Use Studies with First Nations groups in Alberta, and has been actively involved in many consultation programs. Over the years he has introduced and tutored numerous students in the fields of archaeology and historical resources management, and has made important contributions to the development of the field in Alberta. His career-long contributions to our understanding of culture chronologies on the Northern Plains, Rocky Mountains, and the Oilsands regions have given him an international reputation as one of North America’s best. Barney is also Professor Emeritus in Archaeology at the University of Calgary. Barney continues to contribute and mentor as a senior advisor to Lifeways’ staff.
Academic Degrees: Ph.D. (Archaeology), University of Calgary, 1970; M.A. (Archaeology), University of Calgary, 1966; B.Sc. (Geology), University of Alberta, 1961; B.A. (Philosophy), University of Alberta (Calgary), 1963
Memberships in Professional Associations: Canadian Archaeological Association, Association of Consulting Archaeologists, Archaeological Society of Alberta, Montana Archaeological Society, Alberta Historical Society, Montana Historical Society, Plains Anthropological Society
Dr. Christy de Mille
Project Archaeologist
Christy joined Lifeways in 2007 bringing with her 10 years of consulting experience across Alberta and beyond. In her almost 20 years of consulting experience, Christy has directed and been associated with archaeological investigations within a number of the varied environmental and cultural landscapes that make up Alberta, although the bulk of her experience has been on the Plains. She has applied her knowledge of stone tool technology and love of debitage to excavations in the Oilsands regions of northern Alberta. Christy also maintains an active research interest in the archaeology of Antigua, in the Eastern Caribbean, and in the past has been an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Archaeology at the University of Calgary.
Academic Degrees: Ph.D. (Archaeology), University of Calgary, 2005; M.A. (Anthropology), Trent University, 1997; B.Sc. (Archaeology), University of Calgary
Memberships in Professional Associations: Association of Consulting Archaeologists, Canadian Archaeological Association, Society for American Archaeology, International Association for Caribbean Archaeology, Museum of Antigua and Barbuda.
Kendra Kolomyja
Project Archaeologist and Aboriginal Engagement Specialist
Kendra has been with Lifeways since 2007 and has been a Project Archaeologist since 2010. She has worked on archaeological projects across Alberta including the Eastern Slopes, the Parklands, Oilsands, and southern Alberta, particularly in the Calgary region. Outside of consulting, Kendra has worked on archaeological projects in Malta and Jordan. As an Aboriginal Engagement Specialist, Kendra has assisted clients in developing and carrying out First Nation Consultation and Aboriginal Engagement programs in Alberta and British Columbia. She specializes in historic artifacts and ceramic analysis and is Lifeways’ specialist in Historic Period sites and archival research. She has a particular interest in fostering public engagement to increase awareness of local historical resources and archaeological consulting. Kendra is also currently the Secretary/Treasurer of the Alberta Association of Consulting Archaeologists.
Academic Degrees: M.Phil. (Archaeology), Leiden University (Netherlands), 2007; B.A. (Archaeology), University of Calgary, 2003
Memberships in Professional Associations: Association of Consulting Archaeologists
Janet Blakey
Assistant Project Archaeologist
Janet has worked with Lifeways since 2001. In her more than 20-year career she has worked on projects across southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Chile. Janet specializes in faunal analysis, geoarchaeological applications in archaeology including soils analysis and palaeotopographic landscape modeling, computer/graphic applications, as well as public outreach in archaeology. She has worked on and assisted in directing several large scale excavation projects across southern Alberta. Janet is currently in her second term as President of the Calgary Centre of the Archaeological Society of Alberta.
Academic Degrees: B.A. Honours (Anthropology), University of Winnipeg, 1999; B.Sc. (Geography), University of Winnipeg, 1999
Memberships in Professional Associations: Association of Consulting Archaeologists, Archaeological Society of Alberta
Kevin Thorson
Assistant Project Archaeologist
Kevin has worked for Lifeways since 1995, being one of the most highly-skilled field archaeologists in Alberta. He has participated in projects throughout Alberta and in high altitude environments of Montana and Wyoming in Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. He has also contributed to the Muskeg River Limestone Quarry Project (2004), Cougar Ridge Project (2000), the Glacier National Park Archaeological Project (1995-1998), the Syncrude North Aurora Mine Project (1996-1997), Manitoba Hydro’s Conawapa Project (2013-2014), and excavations at the Junction Site (2015). Kevin specializes in GIS mapping and drafting.
Academic Degrees: B.Sc. (Archaeology), University of Calgary, 1992
Memberships in Professional Associations: Association of Consulting Archaeologists
Amber Allen
Senior Archaeologist and GIS Specialist
Amber joined Lifeways in 2007 and has participated in many excavation and survey projects, predominately in central and southern Alberta. She has worked on a variety of sites such as historic/mining sites, bison kill sites, and campsites, including excavation at the Junction Site by Fort McLeod and the Stampede Site in the Cypress Hills. Amber specializes in faunal analysis and works with archaeological applications of GIS, being responsible for mapping and drafting.
Academic Degrees: B.A. (Archaeology and Geography), University of Lethbridge, 2007.
Memberships in Professional Associations: Association of Consulting Archaeologists
Grace Kohut
Junior Archaeologist
Grace joined Lifeways in 2015, quickly gaining experience in excavations along Calgary’s Paskapoo Slopes and at the Junction Site in Fort McLeod. In the lab, Grace works primarily with faunal and historic artifacts. During her undergrad, she participated in an archaeological field school in the Philippines and assisted in the analysis of ceramics from Meroe (Sudan). In 2014 she won the Humphreys Student Award in Archaeology from the Calgary Centre of the Archaeological Society of Alberta.
Academic Degrees: B.A. (Anthropology), Mount Royal University, 2014
Memberships in Professional Associations: Archaeological Society of Alberta, Association of Consulting Archaeologists
Cheyanne Lepka
Junior Archaeologist
Cheyanne started working for Lifeways in 2015. She completed her field school at the Cluny Site in southern Alberta and subsequently joined the Proyecto Arqueológico Yaxnohcah in Mexico to complete her Honours Thesis. Since then she has gained experience working on archaeological surveys and excavations across Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario. Cheyanne specializes in lithic analysis and artifact illustration.
Academic Degrees: B.Sc. Honours (Archaeology), University of Calgary, 2015
Memberships in Professional Associations: Archaeological Society of Alberta, Association of Consulting Archaeologists