Historian and serving as an expert witness in historical-legal disputes involving Native American land and treaty issues, water rights, navigability, and environmental contamination matters. With more than 25 years of professional experience in environmental and Native American history, this expert conducts historical research and analysis in complex civil litigation and regulatory proceedings. The record reflects prior engagement in consultation, preparation of expert reports, deposition testimony, and courtroom testimony in federal and state matters. Clients have included federal agencies, state attorneys general, tribal governments, and private parties. The expert holds a Doctor of Philosophy in History and a Bachelor of Arts in History. The expert meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards in History.

The expert’s practice includes three principal areas of historical analysis. First, Indian land and treaty rights litigation, including interpretation of 19th-century treaties, reservation boundary disputes, allotment provisions, tribal citizenship questions, and the historical intent and implementation of federal statutes affecting tribal lands. Casework has addressed treaty-based jurisdictional claims, reservation diminishment and disestablishment, tribal membership rolls, and interpretation of trade and intercourse provisions, supported by expert reports and deposition testimony. Second, water rights and navigability disputes, including quiet title actions and analysis of federal statutes and doctrines affecting riverbeds, canal rights-of-way, and reserved water rights claims. This work has involved historical investigation into patterns of travel, commercial use, and legislative intent in state and federal proceedings. Third, environmental and Superfund site litigation, with historical reconstruction of mining operations, industrial activities, wastewater handling, natural resource management, and federal regulatory oversight in contaminated site disputes. Engagements have included uranium mining on tribal lands, PCB contamination cases, manufactured gas plant operations, and CERCLA-related cost recovery matters, with testimony provided at deposition and trial.

In these matters, the expert’s analysis typically involves archival research in federal and state repositories; examination of legislative history, agency records, and historical land use documentation; and preparation of written opinions addressing historical intent, regulatory context, and standards applicable to the period at issue. In addition to litigation work, the expert holds a leadership role as Principal Historian and manages large-scale historical research projects involving environmental history, Native American history, and administrative histories for governmental clients. Professional service includes committee and governance roles within national historical and environmental history organizations, reflecting engagement with disciplinary standards and peer review processes.