Makayla Williams

‘Siyo! My name is Makayla Tallese Williams. I am a doctoral student in Anthropology and an Indigenous archaeologist at the University of Kansas, deeply influenced by my Cherokee heritage and strong matrilineage. I was born in the Cherokee capital, Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and raised by my first-generation parents and late grandmother, fluent Cherokee speaker Laura Batt. My doctoral studies focus on Cherokee Nation history and Southeastern United States Indigenous migration patterns. These studies will advance archaeological knowledge and reinforce the ancestral and historical narratives of the Cherokee people through scientific and oral methodologies. Collaborating with Cherokee communities and governments in Oklahoma and North Carolina, I aim to bridge the gap between archaeological science and Indigenous knowledge, influencing policy, education, and cultural heritage protection through research, as well as in my role as an aspiring faculty member at an R1 university. I look forward to continuing my commitment to deepening my understanding of Cherokee Nation history and Southeastern archaeology while preserving my ancestral heritage. I vow to apply my skills to advocate for all those who came long before me and pass on to the next generation of Indigenous archaeologists.