Over the course of my career as archaeologist, I have developed extensive experience in managing collaboration and dialogues with local communities and stakeholders. From 2011 to 2018, I worked in several roles for the community heritage non-profit named Mobilizing Opportunity through Community Heritage Empowerment, Inc. (MOCHE, Inc.) founded by Dr. Brian Billman (UNC-CH). In addition to this work with MOCHE, Inc., I conducted disaster relief and aid work in response to the 2017 El Niño floods during my dissertation fieldwork. These experiences have given me tools and insights that I will be mobilizing as I integrate local community and collaborative work into my future archaeological projects in the Moche Valley, Carabamba Plateau, and elsewhere.
MOCHE, Inc. 2011 – 2018
I began my career with MOCHE, Inc. in 2011 as a Group Leader and Construction Foreman for a group of undergraduate students from Ohio State and Yale University as we built a Health Clinic for the Moche Valley town of Bello Horizonte. The following year, I helped found a new program – the MOCHE, Inc. Rapid Response Crew Internship (RRCI) – and served as the Program Director of this program until 2019. The objective of the RRCI was to focus more on archaeological fieldwork and training at endangered archaeological sites for undergraduates and young professionals. However, the freedom of this program allowed us to work on many of the other collaborative endeavors – from building playgrounds to helping with local health fairs – of MOCHE, Inc. These varied experiences in community collaboration have taught me many invaluable lessons: most importantly that collaborations and service are rarely easy, often vital, and always fulfilling.
El Niño Relief Work
During the 2017 El Niño floods, I froze my dissertation project for two months to personally organize and conduct on-the-ground clean water, food, and medical relief aid to help affected communities in La Libertad, Peru. This work was done with Emma Freedman (Director of Programs, MOCHE, Inc.) and members of the Emergency Brigade of the Municipality of Laredo. With the help of Dr. Alicia Boswell, we were able to raise over $7,000 that was immediately applied towards purchasing the host of vital goods that we were transporting to the varied communities of the Moche Valley that had been isolated by the destroyed bridges and roadways that resulted from the floods. Our community aid work also continued well after the rains and floods had ended, and we directed our remaining funds toward assisting the many communities that were still facing challenges in accessing potable water and basic health care.
