The Desire to Know: Pathways to Social Justice in Archaeological Research with Indigenous Peoples

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Social Justice in Native North American Archaeology" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

When working with Native American and Indigenous peoples toward the goal of social justice in archaeology, scholars must remember that "research may not be the intervention that is needed" (Tuck and Yang 2014:236). In exploring this issue with communities, it is crucial to decenter the position of scholars and refocus on the desires of communities to engage in research or other activities. This refocusing is important even in cases where scholars share ancestry with and belong to the communities with whom they are working. In embarking on collaborative ventures, it can be very beneficial to explore what constitutes Indigenous ways of knowing and what differentiates these ways of knowing from others. How and what knowledge can be produced, knowable, and valued? What are the intersections between the value systems, goals, and methods of these ways of knowing that allow for productive discourse, collaboration, and outcomes based in the desires of specific Indigenous communities? I will discuss how I, as an enrolled citizen of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria and a professional archaeologist, have approached engagement with my tribe that has materialized in archaeological and non-archaeological ways while contributing to the ongoing social justice work currently underway within my tribe.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Social Justice in Native North American Archaeology   •
• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 24074