WHO I AM

My name is Meaghan (pronounced ‘Meg-an’ or ‘Mae-gan’) and I come from a wonderful family who centres love, support, learning, and homecooked food. My spouse Sam and I have two cats, Mimi and Bear, who are both rescues and very sweet. We are expecting another addition to our family in late 2024.

MY ACADEMIC WORK

I am an archaeologist, historical ecologist, and ecological modeler. My work focuses on human-environment relationships over deep time and transdisciplinary approaches to archaeological science. I am a queer cis-woman settler scientist with a passion for conservation, community engagement, public outreach, and education. I live, work, and study as a guest on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō, and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil- Waututh) Nations. You will see that acknowledgement all over my website and in all of my educational materials. This is because acknowledging where I am, and my status as a guest here, recognizes my role in colonial Canadian society.

MY IDENTITY & POSITIONALITY

I am a second generation Canadian, so my connection to this land is very young. My family and heritage comes from England and Ireland primarily, and Germany further back in time. I am grateful to be living in the unceded territories of Tsleil-Waututh, Musqueam, and Squamish Nations, and I spend time every day learning how to better respect the lands and waters in which I am an uninvited guest.

I benefit greatly from the systems and dominating culture in Canada, despite the challenges and discrimination I face due to my sex, sexual identity, and disability. The difficulties and challenges I face are not due to my heritage, culture, religion, language, or skin colour, and I recognize the incredible privilege that awards me. I am working to use that privilege in service to others who are not supported by, or are facing discrimination from, the systems from which I benefit.

I am invisibly disabled with a hypermobility condition that impacts my joints and connective tissues. As a queer woman in STEM research, I often am the only woman in the room, and/or am treated differently than my male colleagues.

I am learning how my sources of privilege and barriers interlock and co-exist, rather than believing that they cancel each other out. My privilege allows me access to services and care where racialized people will face barriers put up by the white supremacist system in which we live.

Let me know how I can do better.