Shaleigh R. Howells
Founder & Principal
Phone:
804-885-5207
Email:
Address:
P.O. Box 2723
Roanoke, VA 24001
From Perspective to Practice
Shaleigh Howells (she/they) is the Founder and Principal of River to Ridge Consulting, LLC, a relationship-centered firm advancing culturally grounded, community-driven approaches to cultural resource management, interpretation, and conservation. They also serve as the NAGPRA Program Coordinator at Washington & Lee University and the Indigenous Cultural Landscape Research Fellow at the Shenandoah National Park Trust. Shaleigh also serves as Co-chair of NAGPRA Community of Practice.
Across their work, Shaleigh collaborates with Native Nations, public agencies, and community organizations to support cultural sovereignty, heritage preservation, and environmental stewardship. Their practice is rooted in relationships, place-based knowledge, and creating strategic pathways that connect cultural understanding with meaningful results.
Founder & Principal
River to Ridge Consulting, LLC | Roanoke, VA
July 2024 – Present
Historic Preservation Specialist
Federal Emergency Management Agency | Various Locations
February 2025 – May 2025
Cultural Resources Director, Museum Director & NAGPRA Coordinator
Pamunkey Indian Tribe | King William, VA
June 2021 – July 2024
Support the documentation and preservation of Indigenous cultural landscapes through archival research, GIS, oral history, traditional knowledge, and community engagement. Work alongside the Monacan Indian Nation, National Park Service, and community partners to bring Indigenous perspectives into cultural landscape interpretation, planning, and stewardship.
Lead a relationship centered consulting practice that connects cultural knowledge, community priorities, and organizational strategy. Partner with Native Nations, nonprofits, governments, and public institutions on cultural resource management, tribal consultation, strategic planning, organizational development, community engagement, and environmental stewardship.
Supported disaster response and recovery through cultural resource assessments, Section 106 consultation, historic preservation planning, and regulatory compliance. Worked with Tribal Nations, preservation offices, local governments, and federal partners to protect cultural resources while supporting community recovery.
Established and led the Tribe’s Cultural Resource Department, overseeing cultural preservation, archaeology, museum collections, NAGPRA, tribal consultation, and cultural landscape initiatives. Developed strategic plans, managed preservation and environmental projects, supported repatriation, and built partnerships that centered Pamunkey cultural knowledge and sovereignty.
Assistant Registrar
The Valentine | Richmond, VA
September 2018 – May 2021
A Brief Overview of the
Path Behind the Practice
NAGPRA Program Coordinator
Washington & Lee University | Lexington, VA
June 2026 – Present
Indigenous Cultural Landscape Research Fellow
Shenandoah National Park Trust | Remote
May 2024 – Present
Lead institutional efforts to identify, document, and evaluate Indigenous cultural materials and support NAGPRA compliance and repatriation. Collaborate with Tribal Nations, faculty, staff, and university stakeholders to strengthen consultation, stewardship, and culturally responsive collections practices.
Managed museum collections, documentation, storage, acquisitions, deaccessioning, and collections stewardship. Developed policies and systems that strengthened accountability, access, and ethical care of cultural materials, including support for NAGPRA related research and documentation.
Education
Master of Liberal Arts, Museum Studies
Harvard University Extension School | Cambridge, MA
Graduate Research: “Beneath the Skin: Ancient Tattoos & Beyond”
Bachelor of Arts, History
Minor in Political Science
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts | North Adams, MA
Awards & Recognition
Community Impact Award
Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums (ATALM), 2024
The Work Ahead
Shaleigh’s work is grounded in the belief that meaningful stewardship begins with relationships: with people, with place, and with community. Across consulting, institutional, and collaborative work, they create pathways that honor cultural sovereignty, strengthen relationships, and bring cultural understanding into practice.