Lauren Stead

Lauren is an archaeologist, and community engagement, and traditional knowledge facilitator with Stantec Consulting Ltd. in Saskatoon.  Since completing her Master of Arts in the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Saskatchewan, she has worked on a variety of projects in archaeological impact assessment and mitigation in Saskatchewan and Manitoba; and community engagement and traditional knowledge studies from northern British Columbia to southern Ontario.

As an archaeologist, Lauren works to promote the preservation of archaeological sites and how we can learn from the past in order to provide insight for our shared present and future.  Through her work as a traditional knowledge facilitator, Lauren has had the honour of working with First Nations and Métis communities across the prairies towards the preservation of living cultural heritage.  Since completing the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) Foundations course Lauren has been an active member of the IAP2 Canada Prairies Chapter and the national Community of Practice in Indigenous Engagement, and has been involved in community engagement at a variety of levels. Through her experience working on these projects, Lauren has learned to balance competing priorities and focus on building consensus through processes where community members can feel that their voices are heard.

Since she was a small child, Lauren has been fortunate to have had the opportunity to both live and travel abroad, which has provided her with an appreciation of diversity and a sense of the importance of place. 

Lauren was first elected to the SaskCulture Board in 2015 for a one-year term, in 2016 & 2017 for one-year terms, and in 2019 for a two-year term.