Traditional practices that inform cultural competency in archaeological studies and cultural safety for First Nation communities.

Summary

While Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission on Indian Residential Schools completed its mandate in December 2015, pursuit of the truths and movements towards reconciliation of past residential school practices continue. Efforts to identify missing former students and locate unmarked cemetery, grave and burial sites are continuing at the former Kuper Island Industrial School on Penelakut Island. This work is structured as both a collaborative and community based archaeology and is being conducted at the request of the Penelakut First Nation to address contemporary concerns. Contemporary archaeological methodologies, including non-invasive ground penetrating radar survey, are informed by oral histories of residential school survivors, and by traditional skedelich rituals conducted by First Nation community members. As a traditional methodology, skedelich rituals provide cultural safety as a valued method of healing for First Nation community members, a result which is pursued, but for which contemporary Westernized archaeological methods may be inept. In addition to providing an Indigenous framework for analysis and interpretation of this site, cultural traditions and community members must be included in this search journey. This points to cultural competency on part of the archaeologist wanting to help, required before any form of reconciliation of the past can follow.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 17166