Beyond the Margin: American Indians, First Nations, and Archaeology in North America

• Published in: American Antiquity
• Main Author: Watkins, Joe E.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2003
• Subjects: Museology; Archeology; Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous); History; Indian; First Nations
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3557080; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0002731600048368

In North America, American Indians and First Nations have often been at odds with archaeologists over the status of their relationships, about who should have control over research designs and research questions, the interpretation of information about past cultures, and the ways past cultures are represented in the present. While the influence of the voice of Indigenous Nations in the discipline has risen, in many ways their voices are as stifled now as they were in the 1960s. This paper gives an American Indian perspective on the current practice of archaeology in North America and offers suggestions for improving relationships.