Exploring Black History of the Western Canadian Prairies

Lindsay Amundsen-Meyer, Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary

John Ware was among Alberta’s first non-white settlers and remains a well-known name in the province today. The Black cowboy, born sometime between 1845 and 1850 in the southern United States, followed opportunity and cattle herds north from Texas to Canada in 1882. He settled on the Alberta prairies, eventually establishing a ranch near Millarville where he and his family lived from approximately 1888 to 1902.

In 2025, a University of Calgary team conducted a four-week excavation of the homestead, uncovering a well-dated layer of belongings associated with the Ware family as well as intact structural remains of their home. This talk will explore how these findings help piece together the everyday life of the Ware family—details not well understood from the historical record—including their place within Alberta’s ranching community and how Mildred Ware, less documented than her husband John, may have adapted to life on the prairies.

Finally, we will discuss how continued archaeological work at the Ware homestead can help challenge narratives that deny a historical Black presence on the prairies.

Speaker Bio: Dr. Lindsay Amundsen-Meyer has over 15 years of experience working with heritage resources in Western Canada across academic, cultural resource management, and government sectors. Her expertise includes the archaeology of the Canadian Plains and adjacent Rocky Mountains, landscape archaeology, spatial analysis, and Indigenous and community-based archaeological approaches. She has a strong interest in fostering public awareness of Alberta’s history and archaeological resources and in engaging with Indigenous and descendant communities. Lindsay is committed to exploring how archaeologists can build authentic partnerships that lead to more meaningful interpretations of the past, while also working with equity-deserving groups to deepen understanding of Western Canada’s rich history.