Listening, Learning, and Reimagining Archaeology Together

Reclaiming Heritage, Rethinking Archaeology

These last two weeks, our work in ANTH 575 has taken shape through conversations with community members who hold the knowledge, stories, and perspectives at this project's heart. While more traditional archaeology practices often tell history from the outside perspective or the “etic” point of view, this project asks: What happens when archaeologists listen instead and start their framework from what matters most to the community? How can this transform how we understand the past?

Reclaiming Cultural Identity and Heritage

One of the strongest themes in our conversations has been the longing to reconnect with ancestral roots and to fill the “hole” left by colonial disruptions, many of which were carried out through archaeology itself. In a recent consultation, a community partner reflected on how archaeology can actually help rebuild those connections. It made us think about how our project isn’t about extracting knowledge but about creating pathways back to relationships that colonialism tried to sever. This is why our work is centered on community priorities. These stories and insights can actually offer a way to undo the harm archaeology has historically caused.

In a way, this project is, a time-traveling one that seeks to redo what was done in the past. We are working to reverse the disruptions of the past and reshape archaeology into a practice that serves the community. At the same time, this work can serve as a model for what ethical, collaborative research should look like moving forward.

Decolonizing Archaeology Through Collaboration

The second theme we keep returning to is the need to transform archaeological practices by moving away from detached and extractive approaches. Too often, archaeology has claimed authority over cultural materials by removing them from their communities under the guise of preservation or research. This has led to a long history of displacement—not just of cultural belongings, but of knowledge, relationships to the land and ancestral sites, and the ability of Indigenous communities to control their own narratives.

Our community partners have shared the harm caused by these past practices, describing how cultural belongings are relegated to shelves and pieces to be studied, classified, and displayed in institutions that have little connection to the people who created them. What gets told often ends up in journals with too much jargon or in grey literature. This approach has not only perpetuated colonial legacies but has actively contributed to the silencing of Indigenous histories and knowledge systems.

Our project shifts the balance of power by ensuring that knowledge is co-created, and decisions are made collectively. It’s not just about “including” Indigenous voices as a formality; it’s about redefining the entire process so that Indigenous knowledge, priorities, and methodologies shape the foundation of the work from the start. This means asking different questions, engaging in research that directly benefits communities, and understanding that archaeology is not just about uncovering the past—it’s about strengthening relationships between people, places, and histories in ways that serve the present and the future.

Moving Forward: An Archaeology Rooted in Reciprocity

This work is not about “giving back” in a one-sided sense. It is about building a truly reciprocal practice. As someone not a member of the Indigenous community, I approach this work with humility—recognizing that my role is to listen, learn, and support rather than direct. I take pride in sharing this with my students.

The ANTH 575 project is not a fixed research agenda—it is a living dialogue, one that must continuously adapt and evolve through the insights and guidance of the community. Our goal is to create an archaeology that is not just academically rigorous, but also ethically responsible and deeply human.

Thank you to the community members who have shared their stories, their time, and their trust. This project is what it is because of you. We look forward to continuing this work together, not just as researchers, but as collaborators in reclaiming and reshaping the narrative of the past.