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Sarah Hazell, a PhD student in the department of anthropology in the Faculty of Arts & Science, has received a .

Launched in 2016, the annual awards celebrate exceptional Canadian individuals, teams and organizations for their excellence in innovation and their contributions in helping to shape our future and positively impact our quality of life.

Hazell was recognized for her contributions to the Canadian Archaeological Association Working Group on Unmarked Graves (CAAWGUG), which developed resources pertaining to the search for missing Indigenous children and unmarked burials associated with residential schools in Canada. The working group was nominated for the honour by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

A member of Nipissing First Nation, Hazell is an award-winning archaeologist and anthropologist with over 25 years of experience working in the Middle East, the Canadian Arctic, Alaska and northern Ontario. She has played a central role in building archaeological capacity in Indigenous communities, with the aim of achieving equity in the domains of research, legislation and industry.

“The significance of this award, hopefully, will bring more attention to the difficult work that communities are engaged in to bring their children home,” Hazell said. “Our working group continues to develop training resources so that communities can ultimately undertake all aspects of the work themselves.”