Landscape-Level Detection of Gwininitxw Archaeological sites using Airbonre Laser Scanning

Abstract

Mara McLaughlin was a finalist in the 2026 UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Mara presented the research titled “Landscape-Level Detection of Gwininitxw Archaeological sites using Airborne Laser Scanning.” Identifying archaeological sites in the remote, dense forests of British Columbia presents significant challenges. This research uses airborne laser scanning (ALS) to enhance the detection of low-profile cultural depressions found in the terrain— the ancestral sites of Indigenous nations. Working alongside Gwininitxw, a Gitxsan Wilp, this work will provide vital spatial tools that help ensure land management decisions are rooted in the values and goals of Gwininitxw. This project will contribute to major advances in cultural-ecological spatial research and stewardship planning in BC by enhancing the methods in which we map deep time history of Indigenous land-use, management, and occupancy. Mara McLaughlin is completing a MSc in Forestry in the Department of Forestry under the supervision of Drs. Nicholas Coops and Chelsey Geralda Armstrong. #3MT is an academic competition that assists current graduate students with fostering effective presentation and communication skills. Participants have just three minutes to explain the breadth and significance of their research project to a non-specialist audience. For more information or to participate in UBC’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) visit https://3mt.grad.ubc.ca.