Dr. Todd Braje on Human-Environment interactions in the Channel Islands

Growing up in Redondo Beach, California with Catalina Island offshore in the distance, the Channel Islands have been an object of fascination for as long as I can remember. As a child, we would take the ferry to Catalina, the largest of the Channel Islands, to explore, swim, hike, camp, and stargaze. The ferries were much slower than the high speed catamarans that cross the San Pedro Channel now, but the slower speed allowed passengers to spot whales, dolphins, and the occasional glide of flying fish. Adding to their magic, the Channel Islands were the home of Tongva and Chumash Indigenous people going back at least 13,000, their inhabitants leaving traces of their impact on the islands, as found in the rich archaeological evidence. 

Archaeologists have been studying the material culture of these early Channel Island inhabitants for over a 100 years. Modern anthropologist Dr. Todd Braje, formerly of San Diego State University and currently the Executive Director at the University of Oregon’s  Museum of Natural and Cultural History (I have been and highly recommend it!), has published a number of articles and books about the archaeology and human impacts found in the Channel Islands. I own and have read at least two of his books and have his newest release, Understanding Imperiled Earth: How Archaeology and Human History Can Inform Our Planet's Future, released in 2024, is on my reading list. 

​I was excited to find this YouTube video Living Room Lecture Series by the San Diego Archaeological Center featuring Dr. Braje. With a research specialization on long-term human-environmental interactions, the lecture is full of information on the ecological changes to which the Chumash adapted as well as how those findings could inform on strategies to build sustainable practices for the future.