John Matt has served as the Spokane Tribe Preservation Program Manager since 2006. His employment with the program began in 2001, when he was hired as an Archeological Technician, later becoming the crew supervisor. He oversees multiple budgets for the office, including on-reservation projects and off-reservation contract jobs. John serves on the American Indian Cultural Council for the Museum of Arts and Culture, representing the Spokane Tribe’s delegation. He believes that preserving cultural resources is important for future generations of the Spokane people. It shows where his people came from, and tells the story of the Spokane ancestral way of life along the river banks, from preparing for the long winters gathering fish, to where the winter camps were located. In John’s words, “We were river people. We had to walk away from the river due to various dams being installed along the Columbia River, and we have lost a whole way of life since we cannot fish for salmon anymore. The benefits of saving our cultural resources is in years past we used to pass things down from generation to generation through oral histories. Now we have the benefit of using modern technologies to record these oral traditions for future generations to enjoy.

Leona Stanger works as the Spokane Tribe Preservation Program’s Administrative Assistant. She was hired as an Archaeological Technician in 1995 and has held the positions of Crew Supervisor, Ethnographic Assistant, Collections Technician, and GIS support over her 20 year tenure. Leona believes the Preservation Program is a major resource for young and old alike. In her words, “What we gather now, such as artifacts, oral histories, and pictures are only pieces of what was left for us to hold onto. That history is what teaches and reminds us who we are and where we come from.” She urges community members to use the Preservation Program and its archives to learn about their land, language, family and tribal histories. In her spare time, Leona likes to bead, sew, travel to powwows, and play stick game.

Chris Casserino has worked for the Spokane Tribe Preservation Program since 2012, first as the Project Archaeologist and now as the Principal Investigator. He holds a Ph.D. degree in anthropology from the University of Oregon with a specialization in bioarchaeology, or the study of human remains from archaeological contexts. In addition to his field work on and around the Spokane Reservation, he has participated in projects in the greater Spokane area, Oregon’s Willamette Valley, and northwest Mexico. Chris also has extensive experience in the fields of museum exhibition and collection management, medicolegal death investigation, and human anatomy. He enjoys watersports, listening to music, playing guitar, and spending time with his family. He cannot exist without coffee.

Allie Rae Taylor is a Project Archaeologist for the Spokane Tribe of Indian’s Preservation Program and has been employed with the tribe since June 2017. She holds a M.Sc. degree in Human Osteology and Funerary Archaeology from the University of Sheffield, England. Allie has worked as both a project archaeologist and technician for several different Cultural Resource Management Firms in Washington as well as England. As an employee of the Program, she enjoys assisting with the preservation of the culture and past traditions of the Spokane Tribe. In her spare time, she enjoys travel, bake, and go kayaking.

Kayley Bass is the Tribal Archaeologist for the Spokane Tribe Preservation Program and has been employed with the tribe since November 2017. She holds a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Washington-Seattle and an M.S. in Cultural and Environmental Resource Management from Central Washington University. Kayley has worked on a variety of archaeological projects in both Western and Eastern Washington. She enjoys working for the Spokane Tribe because it is an opportunity to not only learn more about the culture and traditions of the tribe, but to also identify and preserve important cultural sites. She enjoys boating, baking, and traveling.

Zenna Crawford is the Archives and Collections Manager and has been employed by the tribe since 2019. She holds a B.S. in Anthropology and a M.A. in Anthropology with an emphasis in prehistoric archaeology from the University of Idaho. She has a passion for all things historical, finding joy in the connections from past to present. Zenna feels extremely privileged to be a part of the care and preservation of the Spokane Tribe’s cultural treasures and promises to keep them safe for the utilization and education of future generations. Zenna enjoys hiking, being in and around water, and attempting to replicate stone tools as a beginner flintknapper

Bobbi Rose is the Collections Assistant for the Spokane Tribe Preservation Program, where she has worked since 2011. Prior to taking this position, she has worked as a part of the archaeology field crew as an Archaeological Technician. She conducted surveys on and off the Spokane Reservation and throughout Northeast Washington as well as assisted with controlled test excavations and patrolling for ARPA violations by land and water. As the Collections Assistant, Bobbi is responsible for assisting with care and preservation of the Spokane Tribe’s collection in accordance with museum standards. Bobbi is a Spokane Tribal Member and decedent of the Coeur D ‘Alene and Colville Tribes. She is a certified Wild Land Fire Fighter and EMT.

Charles Flett is a Spokane tribal member, who was lived his whole life on the reservation. He has worked for the Preservation Program since the spring of 2002. Beginning as the boat operator, he is currently an Archaeological Technician, who believes in preserving and protecting the Tribe’s archaeological resources. Charles feels that documenting and preserving these resources is the first step to passing on Spokane tribal cultural traditions to future generations. He enjoys hunting, fishing, community events, and spending time with his family.

Bob Flett is a Spokane Tribal member who was raised on the Spokane Reservation and has lived there his whole life. He is an Archaeological Technician/Boat Operator and has been working for the Spokane Tribe Preservation Program since September 2015. Since working with the Preservation Program, he has gained valuable experience and knowledge about the Spokane culture and history through archaeological sites. On his off time, he enjoys outdoor activities, traveling, concerts/shows, spending time with loved ones, and, most of all, relaxing at home.

Joshua Flett is a Cultural Specialist for the Spokane Tribe of Indian’s Preservation Program. He received a BAE from EWU in Early Childhood Education. Josh grew up admiring the work of qenes (his grandmother) and all she had done for our tribe. He was blessed with the opportunity to start learning the language in 2015 and it quickly turned into a passion of his. He is now able to teach his five children and spouse the language, understand our elders that speak it, in addition to developing a better understanding on how we view the world we live in.