Michael Spears

About Michael Spears

Michael Spears is an anthropologist who conducts ethnographic, geospatial, and archaeological research in collaboration with Native American tribes primarily in the greater U.S. Southwest. Much of his current research focuses on collaborating with tribal communities to document Native American history and connections to place through place-based ethnographic and oral history research. Mr. Spears also conducts research on how U.S. environmental policies relate to and affect tribes, and has supported numerous tribes in creating federally-recognized Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPO). Mr. Spears holds an M.A. in Anthropology from the University of Arizona. He is also a Senior Researcher and GIS Analyst at Anthropological Research, LLC, a Tucson-based research firm that specializes in community-based ethnographic research.

Publications

Spears, Michael C., Kurt Dongoske, Octavius Seowtewa, Maren P. Hopkins, and T. J. Ferguson, Accepted Manuscript, Zuni Perspectives on Historic Preservation. Human Organization.

Areas of Study

Southwest US

Projects

Ethnographic Study of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, National Park Service

Traditional Cultural Landscape Study on Barry M. Goldwater Range West

Research Interests

Cultural Landscapes

Collaborative Methodologies

Environmental Policy

Settlement Patterns and Land Use

Native American Boarding Schools

Indigenous Archaeology