AU Press is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of John (Jack) W. Brink at the end of January. As the first author published by AU Press, Jack holds a special place in our hearts. His contributions to the field of archaeology are innumerable and we were honoured to publish his book, Imagining Head-Smashed-In in 2008. For this book, Jack won the Felicia A. Holton Book Award (Archaeological Institute of America), the Public Communications Award (Canadian Archaeological Association), the City of Edmonton Book Prize, and the Best Archaeology Book Award (Society for American Archaeology). Imagining Head-Smashed-In continues to be a bestseller even fifteen years after its publication.
Jack was the Curator of Archaeology at the Royal Alberta Museum for 20 years. In 2021, he was named a member of the Order of Canada for promoting and preserving Blackfoot culture through his roles as archaeologist, curator and author. In 2022, Brink was awarded the Smith-Wintemberg Award by the Canadian Archaeological Association and the John Dormaar Award by the Archaeological Society of Alberta.
