Heritage, Healing, and Coming Home: An Archaeologist Encounters Her Ancestors

Summary

Archaeologists in the Americas rarely study their own history; rather, the bulk of archaeology in this region is done on Indigenous histories. Non-indigenous archaeologists studying Indigenous history can contribute to the erasure of Indigenous peoples from the accounting of their own past by centering the scientific study of material culture as the best or only way of knowing the truth. So what happens when an Indigenous archaeologist encounters her own ancestors in the archaeological record? In this paper, I explore how archaeology and cultural heritage help me to face and heal the intergenerational trauma of my Métis family, both on a personal and community level. The history of the Métis Nation in Canada has rarely been examined in the archaeological record and, for many decades, Canada attempted to erase Métis identity. In light of Métis resurgence, I argue for the important role archaeology can play in helping us reclaim our rights and recognition. In this context, archaeology can fill in the silences and erasures of history, bringing disconnected Métis people home to their heritage in tangible ways.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 20254