Archaeology of the Past, Present, and Future: Insights From Youth Engagement in Old Harbor, Alaska

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This past summer, we traveled to Kodiak, Alaska to conduct archaeological fieldwork as part of the Old Harbor Archaeological History Project (OHAHP). This year, OHAHP partnered with Old Harbor community organizations to co-facilitate a cultural camp for local Indigenous youth. Serving as counselors, we aimed to expose Indigenous youth to archaeology by teaching them archaeological methodologies, while working with adult community members to create an enriching and fun cultural learning environment. As counselors, we were given the unique opportunity of learning and working with Alutiiq community presenters, who taught subsistence, dance, language, and arts. Thirty-five community members of varying ages joined us at our camp on Sitkalidak Island to participate. This poster will share our experiences from the cultural camp and discuss the importance of archaeologists' connections with community members. Specifically, our poster will discuss the importance of communication, interpersonal relationships, and flexibility as vital skills when engaging with communities in the context of archaeological outreach. We will also spotlight camp activities facilitated by Alutiiq community presenters, and their connections to the archaeological project. Ultimately, this poster will demonstrate how community-based work can support descendant populations and improve the quality of archaeological research.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 39441.0