Resilience and Resistance through Reclamation Storytelling

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Archaeology of Marginalization and Resilience in the Northeast", at the 2024 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The practices and policies of urban planning often result in the ongoing physical and social marginalization of certain neighborhoods and residents, perpetuating white supremacy and classism. Historic preservation and archaeological practice are implicated in these continual moves towards (re)marginalization, leading to what seems like a complete silencing and erasure of the histories and resources of these communities in the archive and archaeological record. In part, this is because established frameworks are not often attendant to the ways that local communities think about, interact with, and preserve their sites. As current urban planning initiatives are increasingly intersecting with localized heritage, communities are fighting back by establishing grassroot cultural organizations centered around reclaiming and retelling their historical narratives through placemaking, heritage management, and art and storytelling. This paper uses a documentary archaeological approach to examine historical case studies of marginalization and resistance within New York City and the impact on present communities.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2024   •
• Archaeology of Marginalization and Resilience in the Northeast

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow