Oh Captain, My Captain: Transforming the Practice of Archaeology

Summary

For many Native American community members, becoming an archaeologist can be a difficult choice. This is especially true if you have witnessed the wanton destruction of your sacred sites, the disrespectful treatment of your ancestors by archaeologists and have been taught by your family and community to see archaeologists solely as grave diggers. My review of the archaeological literature and interaction with archaeologists during the 1990’s only supported this perspective, bringing doubt to my ability to successfully enter an unwelcoming discipline. However my introduction to Larry Zimmerman’s writings such as "Made Radical by My Own" and "Sharing Control of the Past" was a ray of hope to me; that a non-archaeologist understood and fought for the inclusion of Native Americans and their perspectives in the practice of archaeology. This presentation will describe how Larry Zimmerman has helped transformed archaeology into a more inclusive one through his scholarship, support and mentorship of not only the author but other Native American archaeologists and cultural practitioners.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

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

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 21916