Indigenous Practice Coordinator
Cultural Heritage Partners, PLLC
Ellen brings deep experience in historic preservation and archaeological cultural resources laws and regulations, with a focus on supporting Tribes, descendant communities, and other stakeholders through complex regulatory processes. She is Secretary of Interior qualified as an archaeologist and as a physical anthropologist.
Since 2016, she has supported the attorney’s work to help clients navigating the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), and state and local preservation laws. Ellen supports the CHP legal team in providing analysis and advice to clients to advance their protection of archaeological heritage and obtain meaningful mitigation if sites are lost or damaged. As a member of the Council of Virginia Archaeologists DHR Guidelines Committee, she has worked to improve the robustness of archaeological regulations in Virginia.
Prior to joining CHP, Ellen worked in archaeological field and lab settings across California, Virginia, Missouri, Nevada, India, and the United Kingdom. She led the 2016 National Park Service’s Urban Archaeology Corps program in Richmond, Virginia, and created Colonial Williamsburg’s first replica of an 18th-century articulated skeleton. Since 2018, she has been part of a multidisciplinary advocacy coalition to protect the Shockoe Hill African Burying Ground, the largest documented burial ground for enslaved and free people of color in the United States.
"How Financial Settlements Can Transform the Perceived Value of Archaeological Work and Sites. In Symposium on Cultural Heritage Laws and Policies, Political Economy, and the Community Importance of Archaeological Sites. "
(2024) Presented at the Society for Historical Archaeology Conference, Oakland, California. (Ellen Chapman, Chair)
"Erasure, Disrespect, and Delays: The Costs of Inaccurate Tribal Histories in Cultural Resource Management. "
(2023) With Elizabeth Horton.
"Toward a Decolonized CRM: Challenges in Archaeological Stewardship and Interpretation for Virginia Tribes. With Victoria Ferguson. "
(2021) Presented at the Society for American Archaeology Annual Meeting, Virtual Meeting.
"Towards “Conciliation Archaeology”: Developing Approaches for Restorative Justice and Reparations in Archaeology. "
(2020) Ellen Chapman and L. Charde Reid, Chairs. Presented at the Society for Historical Archaeology Conference, Boston, Massachusetts.
"Bones in Stasis: The Challenging History and Uncertain Future of the Virginia State Penitentiary Collection"
(2020) Journal of North American Anthropology 23(1): 12-31. 2020 (with Ana Edwards and Elizabeth Cook)
