Sarah Clarke is the Team Lead of Historical Research and Project Archaeologist with Archaeological Research Associates (ARA).  She creates opportunities for others to be involved and shares her love of heritage, archaeology, and volunteering – as a Brantford Heritage Committee member, working with the Canadian Industrial Heritage Centre, using lunch hours to train fellow ARA staff to transcribe Shadd Cary during Black History Month, manning booths at the YMCA, participating in Annual Earth Day events at Ohsweken, and regularly taking trips to dig at Montpelier in the USA

When the OAS embarked on its “Reconciliation Project” at the Mohawk Institute, a former Indian Residential School in Brantford, Sarah was instrumental in making the necessary introductions to get the project off the ground. Sarah organized and trained volunteers in excavations techniques, artifact handling and processing all in her spare time. Sarah’s enthusiasm inspired many around her and within the City of Brantford, shedding light onto Canada’s Residential School system and the history of the Mush Hole. The project work that she led was conducted in collaboration with the Woodland Cultural Centre and Mohawk Village Memorial Park survivors’ group. She has shared the results of the work with the larger community through public lectures at Six Nations of the Grand River, Woodland Cultural Centre, Friends and Neighbours of Save the Evidence lecture series.

In her “spare” time, Sarah has worked on a number of projects involving the archaeology of racialized peoples (particularly the formerly-enslaved). She is a true believer, both in the importance of archaeology as a research tool ... and in the idea that archaeology can change minds and make the world better. Her love of historical research and archaeology is infectious, and her desire and energy is spent in promoting the awareness and importance of the everything that is cool about history, built heritage, and archaeology