Alumni

Dr. Bonnie Newsom is a citizen of the Penobscot Nation and an archaeologist whose work focuses on the past lifeways of Wabanaki peoples. She serves as an Associate Professor of Anthropology and a Faculty Associate at the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine. Her research and mentorship span Wabanaki archaeology, regional coastal shell heap stewardship, the impact of climate change on cultural heritage, community-based archaeological practices, and Indigenous ceramic technologies.

Dr. Newsom teaches courses on archaeology and historic preservation, and she also leads the prestigious UMaine MAPI archaeological field school. This experiential field program introduces students to archaeological field methods, plus introduces them to Indigenous community engagement, coastal shell heap archaeology, and the intersection of climate change with cultural heritage.

Through her scholarship, Dr. Newsom strives to honor and humanize ancestral Wabanaki peoples by illuminating their knowledge systems, values, skills, and achievements. She has authored and co-authored articles in the Journal of Field Archaeology, Advances in Archaeological Practice, Nature Communications, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Her professional experience includes serving as the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Penobscot Nation and as the Assistant Director of the University of Maine’s Wabanaki Center. She maintains a strong record of public service, having served as the Chair of the Repatriation Review Committee for the National Museum of Natural History and as a member of the Maine Indian Tribal‑State Commission.