Awakening internalist archaeology in the aboriginal world

This thesis is one step in defining the parameters of archaeology in an aboriginal context. It is designed to be a practical guide for imagining the past from an internalist perspective because archaeological methods offer the opportunity to represent antiquity that is simultaneously rational and familiar. However, an ancillary objective is to utilize symbols from antiquity as markers of modern Indian identity.Archaeology appeared on the radar of First Nations because their growing populations demand housing and economic opportunities. Recent settlement of land claims has brought large tracts of land under the control of Native people. Archaeological sites, by their very nature, are defined by their geographical location. Artifacts and sites are the products of past human labour and as such are a unique cultural legacy that must be understood within the context of a generalized world history. Internalist archaeology mediates between a local understanding of antiquity and the ancient history of humanity on a global scale. It is a product of the dialogue that began when the world system intruded on the local experience of aboriginal people. Modern prehistory was accessible only by employing archaeological methods and traditional history, as related in story, was relegated to the margins along with its authors. Myths were discounted as plausible sources of explanation for antiquity as archaeologists constructed their theories to explain the data they accumulated during their excavations. Internalist archaeology is an analytical tool that will play a prominent role in rehabilitating oral narratives by deploying methods to search for the signatures they would leave in the archaeological record. It is also a means to examine folklore so as to discover the messages that are encoded in myths. Myths act as mediating devices which connect the high levels of abstraction, those informing the traditional worldview, with lower levels of abstractions, as represented by customs. Ecological messages are encrypted in narratives which are then transmitted between generations. Each generation must decypher the meaning embedded in a myth to benefit from it. For internalist archaeology, mythology is a reservoir of explanation that has been ignored by mainstream research but which can be the basis for this brand of archaeological research. (Abstract shortened by UMI.

Speaker Series on Aboriginal Issues 2016: Finding Mile Zero on the Powwow Trail

Indian Country bustles with energy when powwow celebrations highlight the summer season. The powwow complex represents the most successful cultural export from the plains. Since their inception they have become markers of identity for Aboriginal people today and are celebrated in many first nations across Canada. Despite their popularity, very little is known about their contemporary origins. This presentation explores the Brocket Indian Days, which is the longest running annual powwow in Canada. Since 1954, when the Piikani First Nation hosted its first powwow, these events have gained much attention among first nations. Also showing during this presentation is a new video documentary by the author that retraces the course of the modern powwow trail, and its current expression at Piikani. Dr. Eldon Yellowhorn grew up on the Piikani Nation, home to the first powwow in Canada. He is Chair for the Department of First Nations Studies at Simon Fraser University. He also holds an appointment in the Department of Archaeology. His interests include Blackfoot mythology and folklore studies. His field research focuses on the historical archaeology of the Piikani First Nation. He is the co-author of the volume First Peoples in Canada (2004) and producer of the video documentary Digging Up The Rez: Piikani Historical Archaeology (2014)

Dr. Audra Simpson: Indigenous Women and Intellectual Traditions in Anthropology

Indigenous women are among the underrepresented voices in contemporary anthropology, and throughout its history. They were more likely to be the subjects of research into an ethnographic present, always portrayed in exotic terms and without agency. Perhaps in reaction to earlier studies Indigenous people are among the critics of the work that anthropologists produce. Despite this troubled relationship Audra Simpson has adopted a discipline that exists to explore the human condition. The current generation of anthropologists accept that research does not occur independent of the researcher’s perspective. Thus, indigeneity will inevitably direct the course of inquiry for anthropology conducted by Indigenous people. In this conversation, Dr. Simpson will reflect upon her career as an anthropologist. She will discuss the tropes, trends and themes that inform her research and how she contributes to the discourse of modern anthropology. Audra Simpson is in conversation here with Eldon Yellowhorn