I am an anthropologist with a keen interest in the indigenous peoples of the southeastern United States, focusing extensively on the Cherokee. My research delves into the intersection of history and ethnography, a field I helped establish known as ethnohistory. My academic journey began at Wesleyan University, where my path shifted from pre-med to anthropology, ultimately leading me to a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania under the guidance of notable Americanist anthropologists.