Learning from the Land: The Application of Archaeology and Land-Based Learning as an Experiential Learning Tool for Building Intercultural Competency

The written nature of Western society and oral basis of Indigenous society present a key difference in the way we approach the world (Duarte and Belarde-Lewis 2015; Kovach 2021; Scully 2012). Within an Indigenous ontology, there is an inseparable relationship between story and knowing and a holistic nature to this knowledge (Kovach 2021). Stories become a valuable tool for teaching and learning, which can also be used in other areas where value is placed on contextualized knowledge. Through the inclusion of Siksika (Blackfoot) Elders in our archaeology field school on the Siksika Nation, we attempt to present culturally appropriate curricula which increases student’s intercultural competency. Our study sought to evaluate our teaching pedagogy and to understand what value students attach to instructional methods which incorporate Indigenous teachers. Using the First Nations Holistic Lifelong Learning Model (Canadian Council for Learning 2007) as a guide, we examine data from student reflective journals to evaluate the cultural inclusivity of the curricula developed and its efficacy in increasing student’s intercultural competency. We demonstrate that the holistic curricula provided was highly valued, and that the land-based and immersive learning environment created allowed students to reframe their own previous biases and understandings which ultimately increased their intercultural competency

Writing in Britain and Ireland, c. 400 to c. 800

No abstract available

Nested Landscapes: Ecological and Spiritual Use of Plains Landscape During the Late Prehistoric Period

This study evaluates competing models of settlement patterning on the Northwestern Plains using a sample of sites located along the Old North Trail, an ancient pathway within the traditional homeland of the Blackfoot people. More specifically, the sites are located in the Foothills of southern Alberta, the wintering grounds of the Blackfoot. Ecological models suggest that wood, water, bison and shelter are the key influences on human settlement patterns at this time of year. The location of bison herds changes yearly, and any instance of a resource can be used. Consequently, this model expects a random distribution of archaeological sites, though sites should be located where there is access to wood and water. Phenomenological models, by contrast, posit that human groups travel along established paths and stop at the same culturally important places each year. Given such patterned use of the landscape, clusters of archaeological sites at culturally significant landmarks, including glacial erratics, named places, springs and cottonwood groves, are expected. Since human groups return each year, these sites should show evidence of reuse. These suggestions are tested through a series of spatial statistics and descriptive spatial tools which identify spatial patterns and relate site clusters to landscape variables of ecological and cultural significance. This analysis shows that ecological variables influence the selection of the study area as an appropriate wintering ground but do not account for the placement of settlements within the Foothills region. Instead, cultural variables appear to exert a greater influence on human settlement choices, with views of and proximity to named places and glacial erratics important considerations and proximity to cottonwood groves and springs of secondary importance. Consequently, I propose a series of nested landscapes for this portion of the Northwestern Plains in which ecology conditions settlement choices at a large scale and phenomenology at small scale. These insights provide a greater understanding of human use of the Northwestern Plains landscape and contribute to a larger dialogue regarding cultural landscapes, senses of place and ultimately cultural identity

Identity Crisis: Archaeological Pespectives on Social Identity

Proceedings of the 42nd Annual Chacmool Archaeology Conferenc