Archeology that reconnects the past, present and future of Indigenous history

Archaeology has always studied Indigenous history without us. It was something that was done to, instead of with Indigenous peoples. But a growing number of Indigenous archaeologists are pushing back against the colonial boundaries of the field.

Cree/Metis archeologist, Paulette Steeves makes the case that Indigenous peoples have lived on Turtle Island a lot longer than previously thought. The Canada Research Chair in Healing and Reconciliation says archaeology’s deeply held beliefs that we originated somewhere else are rooted in racism. The professor at Algoma University authored The Indigenous Paleolithic of the Western Hemisphere in 2021. It is the first book written from an Indigenous perspective on the Paleolithic archaeology of the Americas.

Cree/Scottish Curator of Indigenous Collections and Repatriation at the Royal BC Museum, Kevin Brownlee believes archaeology is about more than digging up the past. It’s uncovering our histories to pass on to our children. As a 60s scoop adoptee, he had questions around where he came from. Archaeology helped bring him a deeper understanding of that history. Now, he wants other Indigenous youth to have access to that same knowledge.

A new generation of archaeologists are now recovering their past as a way to reclaim narrative.

Anishinabe Odjibikan is an archaeological field school in Ottawa. Anishinaabe Algonquin youth like Jennifer Tenasco, Breighton Baudoin and Kyle Sarazin help clean, sort and catalogue items left by their ancestors thousands of years ago because they believe Indigenous people should be telling their own histories.