Indigenous Perspectives on Collaborative Archaeology

Abstract

Abstract Indigenous communities and people direct and participate in archaeological research in diverse ways. Consequently, the development and growth of Indigenous archaeology, collaborative archaeology, and incorporation of community-based participatory research and community-engaged research protocols have also led to the development of diverse Indigenous archaeologies. This chapter outlines two Indigenous archaeology approaches initiated by the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band and the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe conducted collaboratively with non-tribal researchers. Several commonalities in research goals and practices exist within these distinct archaeological projects. For example, shared interests in the use of archaeology to support Indigenous natural resource stewardship, recognition of tribal sovereignty and rights to traditional lands and resources, emphasis on tribal health and wellness, and understanding Indigenous foodways in support of Indigenous food sovereignty, among others, exist. Archaeological research of ancestral sites provides further information that can support these initiatives.