Aaron Brien
Aaron Brien (Apsáalooke) is a member of the Big Lodge Clan, Night Hawk Dance Society and child of the Whistling Water & Big Lodge Clan. He was born in Sheridan, Wyoming, and was raised on the Crow Reservation’s Center Lodge (Reno) District. He studied at Salish Kootenai College and the University of Montana as an undergraduate and earned a master’s degree from the University of Montana’s Department of Anthropology. He currently serves as Native American Studies: Tribal Historic Preservation Faculty and Research Coordinator for the Indigenous Research Center at Salish Kootenai College. His early contributions to cultural heritage emphasize Indigenous approaches to archaeological documentation and interpretation. His work represents the future of Indigenous cultural heritage management, and he is helping teach the next generation of archaeologists the importance of incorporating tribal perspectives into resource management.