Jerald Ek

Jerry Ek is a faculty member in the Department of Anthropology with research specializations in landscape studies, human-environmental interactions, and political economy.  After spending the first decades of his career focusing on Mesoamerican archaeology (specifically long-term studies of sustainability and resilience in the Maya Lowlands), he has shifted focus to Indigenous-led and community-based participatory research in the Salish Sea. Dr. Ek serves as one of four co-directors of the x̌ʷiq̓ʷix̌ʷalqʷuʔ (Blue Water) Archaeological Project, a collaborative partnership between the Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians and Western Washington University. 

Western Washington University’s Archaeological Field School has been conducted as a component of the x̌ʷiq̓ʷix̌ʷalqʷuʔ (Blue Water) Project, an Indigenous-led program in partnership with the Stillaguamish Tribe Cultural Program.  This project provides students with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience working in community-based participatory archaeology, with potential opportunities for internships. 

Favorite activity to do in the Salish Sea:  Archaeology as a method for place-based studies of human-environmental relationships