Research Fatigue in South Greenland

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Current Research and Challenges in Arctic and Subarctic Cultural Heritage Studies" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Western views (mindsets), practices, and methodologies have dominated all scientific enquiries, including archaeology, which is inherently colonizing because they assume that Western knowledge is superior to Indigenous knowledge (Smith 1999). Such approaches have led “scientists” to merely take knowledge from local communities without truly including or understanding them. This approach has caused what is now known as “Research Fatigue” (Way 2013). In Qaqortoq, Greenland, people are beginning to begrudge cooperating with the “scientific” outsiders who take local knowledge and never give anything back to the community. We need a shift. Adopting Indigenous and decolonizing methodologies does not only ensure inclusivity; it enriches research outcomes, providing deeper insights and holistic understandings rooted in local traditions and wisdom (O’Connor 2016). Researchers should work hand in hand with local communities, respecting their culture, language, and needs. In Kujataa (UNESCO World Heritage Site), we aim to guide researchers into involving local perspectives, crafting their methods to fit unique local contexts. By doing so, we can ensure research benefits for communities under focus and strengthen trust. In presenting this paper, we aim to share a blueprint for a more inclusive, enriched, and respectful way of conducting archaeological research.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Current Research and Challenges in Arctic and Subarctic Cultural Heritage Studies   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 41697.0