Being and Becoming Indigenous Archaeologists (Archaeology and Indigenous Peoples)

351 Pages·2010·2.79 MB·English

by  George P. Nicholas (Editor)

BEING AND BECOMING
INDIGENOUS
ARCHAEOLOGISTS
ARCHAEOLOGY AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES SERIES
S W A C
PONSORED BY THE ORLD RCHAEOLOGICAL ONGRESS
Series Editorial Board:
Sonya Atalay, Indiana University, Bloomington
T. J. Ferguson, University of Arizona
Dorothy Lippert, Smithsonian Institution
Claire Smith, Flinders University
Joe Watkins, University of Oklahoma
Martin Wobst, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Larry Zimmerman, Indiana University, Indianapolis
Books in this series:
Kennewick Man: Perspectives on the Ancient One, Heather Burke, Claire Smith,
Dorothy Lippert, Joe Watkins, Larry Zimmerman, editors
Indigenous Archaeologies: A Reader, Margaret Bruchac, Martin Wobst, and Siobhan Hart,
editors
Being and Becoming Indigenous Archaeologists, George P. Nicholas, editor
BEING AND BECOMING
INDIGENOUS
ARCHAEOLOGISTS
G P. N , E
EORGE ICHOLAS DITOR
WALNUTCREEK, CALIFORNIA
LEFT COAST PRESS, INC.
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Copyright 2010 by Left Coast Press, Inc.
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recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.
LLiibbrraarryy ooff CCoonnggrreessss CCaattaalloogguuiinngg--iinn--PPuubblliiccaattiioonn DDaattaa::
Being and becoming indigenous archaeologists / George P. Nicholas, editor.
p. cm.—(Archaeology and indigenous peoples series)
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-59874-497-2 (hardcover : alk. paper)
1. Ethnoarchaeology. 2. Archaeologists—Biography. I. Nicholas, George P.
CC79.E85B456 2010
930.1—dc22
2010002575
Printed in the United States of America
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American
National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library
Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48–1992.
10 11 12 13 5 4 3 2 1
C
ONTENTS
George P. Nicholas, Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1. Miguel Aguilar Diaz(Pallca Andean Community). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Being and Becoming a South American Archaeologist
2. Clement Abas Apaak(Bulsa) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
The Challenges of a Ghanaian Archaeologist
3. Tautala Silauleleioamoa Asaua(Samoan). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Understanding Archaeology from a Samoan Perspective
4. Sonya L. Atalay(Anishinaabe/Ojibwe). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Raise Your Head and Be Proud Ojibwekwe
5. Kevin Brownlee(Cree [Ithinew]). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Searching for Identity through Archaeology
6. Margaret M. Bruchac(Wabanaki [Abenaki]). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Indigenous Journeys—Splinterville, Drenthe, Amherst
7. Alan Burns(Wiradjuri, Yorta Yorta, Ulupna). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Being a Yorta Yorta Heritage Man: An Interview by Claire Smith
8. Iyaxel Ixkan Anastasia Cojtí Ren(Maya K’iche’). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
The Experience of a Mayan Student
9. Antonio Cuxil (Kaqchikel Mayan). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
My Life as a Kaqchikel Mayan Tour Leader and Maya Researcher in Guatemala
10. Brandy E. George(Ojibway-Potawatomi [Anishinabe]) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Who Am I and How Did I Get Here?
11. D. Rae Gould(Nipmuc). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Indigenous Archaeology and Being Indian in New England
12. Sven Haakanson, Jr.(Old Harbor Alutiiq). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Written Voices Become History
13. Robert L. Hall(Stockbridge Mohican Descent) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Archaeology in My Soul
14. Augustin F. C. Holl(Bassa). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
The Flying Alien—An Outsider Archaeologist
15. Ken Isaacson (Waanyi). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Archaeological Reflections of a 68-Year-Old Bushman
16. Kathy Kawelu(Hawaiian) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Take Only What You Need, and Leave the Rest
17. Vincent Kewibu(Siriputa Clan [Makanina]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Archaeology and Perceptions of the Past in Papua New Guinea
18. Chapurukha Kusimba(Bukusu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Being an African Archaeologist in the United States
19. Roger Lewis(Sikepnékatik Mi’kmaq). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
The Journey of a L’nuArchaeologist in a Mi’kmaw Place
20. Dorothy Lippert(Choctaw). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Echoes from the Bones: Maintaining a Voice to Speak for the Ancestors
21. Irene Adziambei Mafune(VhaVenda) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
“An Encounter”: A Personal Account of Being-Becoming
an Indigenous Archaeologist in South Africa
22. Nola M. Markey(O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi First Nation). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
The “Other”Accidental Archaeologist
23. Desireé Reneé Martinez(Gabrieliño/Tongva). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
(Re)Searching for Ancestors through Archaeology
24. Ndukuyakhe Ndlovu(Zulu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Archaeological Battles and Triumphs: A Personal Reflection
25. Gerard O’Regan(Ngai Tahu Maori). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Working for My Own
26. Akemi and Rika Oshino(Ainu). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Living Archaeology for the Ainu in Hokkaido: An Interview by Hirofumi Kato
27. Myrna Pokiak(Inuvialuit). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Being an Inuvialuk Archaeologist and Educator from Tuktoyaktuk
28. Rudy Reimer/Yumkks(Squamish First Nation) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Nach’enor Transforming into a Squamish Nation Indigenous Archaeologist
29. Makere (Margaret) Rika-Heke(Maori). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Haere Tika Tonu Atu—Keep Going Forward
30. Nelly M. Robles García(Ayoquezco). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Indigenous Archaeology in Mexico: Recognizing Distinctive Histories
31. Eirik Thorsgard(Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Munk-[xwápíli?i khapa nayka anqati shawash tillixam ikta—
Digging for My Ancestors’Things
32. Davina Two Bears(Navajo) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
What Better Way to Give Back to Your People
33. Aribidesi Usman(Yoruba) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Being an Indigenous African Archaeologist
34. Joe Watkins(Choctaw). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Becoming One of “Them”. . .
35. Christopher J. Wilson(Ngarrindjeri) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Becoming a Ngarrindjeri Archaeologist: The Journey to and from Suburbia
36. Eldon Yellowhorn(Piikani First Nation). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
My Eclectic Career in Archaeology
About the Contributors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
D
EDICATION
This volume is dedicated to the students in the first class of First Nations students I
taught in Kamloops, British Columbia, in 1991:
Gladys Baptiste, Dean Billy, Percy Casper, Donna Dillman, Debbie Jules, John
Jules, Laurie Kennedy, Petrina Schooner, and Mel Seymour.
They provided me with an education of more value than I can fully acknowledge,
and opened the door to a new kind of archaeology.
The 1991 Kamloops Field School. Left to right:Mel Seymour, Steve Lawhead (Assistant
Director), Petrina Schooner, George P. Nicholas, Diane Biin, Dean Billy, Gladys Baptiste,
Debbie Jules, Laurie Kennedy, John Jules, Percy Casper, and Donna Dillman.
Acknowledgments
The idea for this volume rode in on endorphins produced during a run through the sage-
brush and grasses of the traditional homelands of the Secwepemc First Nation in Kam-
loops, British Columbia, where I lived at the time. I was then on the advisory board of Left
Coast Press’s Indigenous Archaeologies series. Excited by the notion of a book in which
Indigenous archaeologists present their own life stories—and still in running gear—I
emailed the series editors with the suggestion that they should find someone to compile
such a collection. The response: “Great idea. When can youget us the manuscript?”
My first thanks are therefore to the series editors—Claire Smith, Larry Zimmerman,
Joe Watkins, and Martin Wobst—for prompting me to follow through on this idea. Mitch
Allen and Jennifer Collier at Left Coast Press were, as always, fun to work with. It was also
a pleasure working with production editor Carol Leyba.
The volume was reviewed by Claire Smith, Michael Diplock, and Martin Wobst. I am
especially grateful to Martin for his many suggestions, which have significantly improved
this collection. Martin and Catherine Carlson provided substantive comments on the
introductory chapter.
I thank Ryan Dickie for his considerable assistance, as well as Sarah Kavanaugh for
her help earlier in this project. A small grant-in-aid of publication was provided by Simon
Fraser University. I am grateful to Michael Nassaeny, editor of Le Journal,for allowing a
portion of an article by Robert Hall in that journal to be reprinted in his chapter. My
thanks also go to the Archaeology Department at Simon Fraser University; to Marianne
Ignace,Donna Dillman, Nadine Feather, Larissa Blank, Lana Harker, and Margaret Gar-
diner at the Kamloops Campus; to the Kamloops Indian Band; to Larry Zimmerman, T. J.
Ferguson, Roger Green, and Claire Smith for paving the way; to the many friends and col-
leagues who have lent support to this project, including the Closet Chickens; and, of
course, to my family—Catherine, Gordon, and Graham.
All royalties from this volume go to the World Archaeological Congress for support-
ing conference travel by Indigenous persons.
I
NTRODUCTION
George P. Nicholas
W
hat does being an archaeologist mean to those Indigenous persons
who have chosen this profession? How did they become archaeolo-
gists? What led them down a career path to what some in their com-
munities have labeled a “colonialist”venture, or, alternatively, what
others see as a way to challenge colonialism’s legacy? What were the circumstances that
brought them to this career, and what were the challenges they faced along the way?
What were (and are) the motivations that have enabled their success? How have they
managed to balance Indigenous traditional values and worldviews (that is, if they
embrace these) with Western modes of inquiry? Finally, how are their contributions
broadening the scope of archaeology? Such questions frame this collection of autobio-
graphical chapters on what it means to become and be Indigenous archaeologists.
The contributors to this volume come from Papua New Guinea to the Canadian Arc-
tic, and from parts in between. They address these questions by offering insights into
and anecdotes about their engagement with archaeology, whether as community prac-
titioners or as tenured faculty. These are stories—often very personal reminiscences of
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