Community Archaeology, Essentializing Identity, and Racializing the Past

Summary

As anthropologically guided archaeologists, we like to think we are beyond searching for romanticized images of "Natives," "Africans," or any essentialized "other," but despite our best efforts, we still fall victim to its simplicity. Collaborating with descendent communities broadens our perspective, but their perceptions of the past and their ancestors can further complicate the dilemma. This paper explores two mixed-heritage communities in Setauket and Amityville, both on Long Island, New York. Currently in different stages of research, unique questions and concerns about racializing the past have pushed the research in different directions despite the history and heritage that binds the two communities together. We offer no solutions, but instead consider the various strategies people adopted to preserve their cultural heritage and create community. Furthermore, we reflect on our role in the process, particularly in situations where the archaeological record fails to align with descendants’ visions of their ancestors. 

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2018   •
• Refuge and support: Historical Archaeologies of Multiracial Native American and African American Sites and Communities

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 858