Incorporating Indigenous Feminist Theory into Rock Art Interpretation

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Gender in Archaeology over the Last 30+ Years" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The study of gender within the archaeological discipline has been a cornerstone of archaeological theory since the late 1980s. Though the study of gender has been foundational in changing our understanding of past peoples, there has been a severe lack of consideration of Indigenous women’s knowledge as well as Indigenous feminist methodologies and theories within archaeological practice. This paper will examine not only how to incorporate Indigenous feminist thoughts but also how to identify Indigenous women’s knowledge related to the archaeological record. Combining archaeological gender scholarship and Indigenous feminist philosophy, I synthesize the two theoretical frameworks to better understand Indigenous women-made rock art motifs from the Northwest Plains. I suggest that Indigenous women’s specific ecological and cultural knowledge is essential to better interpreting and contextualizing this particular type of iconography. A sentiment that I wholly believe extends to aspects of the archaeological record created by other diverse and intersectional populations.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Gender in Archaeology over the Last 30+ Years   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38239.0