On today’s episode, Regina Keʻalapuaonālaniwikimekeānuenue Hilo takes us from digging up treasure in her backyard to her current work as a Burial Sites Specialist for the State Historic Preservation Division. We discuss the resurgence of Hawaiian language and culture and how she integrates her roles as an archaeologist, a student, and a state employee with her role as a Native Hawaiian. She discusses cultural protocols related to archaeology and burials, including larger cultural sensitivity and community collaboration. Finally Regina explains some of the differences between NAGPRA and the Hawaiian equivalent, as well as consultation with tribes vs. Native Hawaiian Organizations. Regina and I end out by briefly diving into the controversy with the proposed telescope on Mauna Kea.

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In today’s episode, Lyle Balenquah interviews Susan Sekaquaptewa and Marissa Nuvayestewa about their efforts to build a Hopi museum and learning center by Hopi, for Hopi. They and their team are in the thick of working on turning this idea into a reality and they break down that process in this episode. They talk about the original idea behind the Hopivewat museum and learning center and how they have been working with the community to continue to develop the idea. They particularly touch on the importance of building relationships and partnerships, selecting an organizational structure, finding resources and funding, and how to use cultural roles as a strength rather than seeing them as a challenge. This episode provides fantastic guidance for anyone looking to do community-based projects with tribes!

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We are excited to share our first panel episode with you. In addition to being a panel episode, this episode is also a crossover episode with the Go Dig a Hole podcast. Today’s panel features indigenous archaeologists, cultural anthropologists, and even a THPO from the Southwest, California, Pacific Northwest, and Plains tribes talking about their experiences working with museums. They talk about the major challenges they face with museums, including representation, repatriation, and past preservation techniques, as well as positive museum experiences and the directions they would like to see museums go in the future. Finally they give guidance on how museums and tribes can better work together in the future.

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Today’s episode features Anna Cordova, Lead Archaeologist for the City of Colorado Springs (although, to be clear, she is not representing the city with this interview). If you are looking to understand indigenous perspectives on archaeology, this episode is a great place to start because she explains the challenges so clearly and so passionately! We talk about the importance of decolonizing anthropology and some specific suggestions on how to do that. We also discuss indigenous geography, the differences between working in Hawaii and Colorado, and her experiences doing ethnographic and tribal consultation work.

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Today’s episode features Michelle La Pena, an attorney, writer, mother, and former Pit River tribal councilwoman who advocated for and collaboratively developed some of California’s local and state tribal consultation laws. We talk about why these laws were designed the way they were, as well as what she would like to see in our federal cultural resources, tribal consultation, and environmental laws. Some specific aspects discussed include building trust in consultation, confidentiality, how a tribe is defined, burials, outreach, and the power of a tribe to affect an outcome. We also discuss the Dakota Access pipeline, specific challenges for tribes in California and the mission system, gaming and compacts, and the effect of the Trump administration on cultural resource management laws and practice.

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Today’s episode features Emily Van Alst, Sihasapa Lakota descent, talking about indigenous and community based archaeology in Japan, Peru, Spain, and Alaska. She also talks about NAGPRA from museum, international, and indigenous perspectives. Finally we talk about how archaeology can be used to benefit indigenous communities and vice versa. Emily specifically discusses zooarchaeology and rock art as areas that are fruitful for indigenous archaeology, especially in the work she would like to pursue in the Northern Plains in her upcoming PhD program at Indiana University where she will be working with Learning NAGPRA.

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Today we are speaking with Colorado Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) and State Archaeologist, Dr. Holly Norton. We talk through the role of the SHPO, SHPO resources, the different stakeholders in Colorado, and the collaborative museum exhibits that History Colorado has been undertaking. We also talk about Holly’s dissertation on a 1733 slave rebellion in the US Virgin Islands, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs, and the disparity in funding between SHPOs and THPOs (Tribal Historic Preservation Officers). Holly and I had way too much fun recording this episode, so even with lots of cuts it is still longer than our normal episodes. Hope you enjoy as much as we did!

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This episode is a follow up to the previous episode (episode 4) with Tina Stege about climate change in the Marshall Islands. This episode features both Tina Stege, Marshallese Anthropologist, and Jenny Newell, Collection Co-Manager at the Australian Museum, Sydney. The two talk about how museums can bring collections to life for associated communities, their collaborative ethnographic project looking at adaptions to climate change in the Marshall Islands, international repatriation vs. NAGPRA, as well as what role museums play related to climate change. We discuss questions such as “How can museums help preserve culture and help people adapt as homelands sink underwater?” and “what happens to sovereign governments as they no longer have a place to govern over”?

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This episode features Marshallese Anthropologist Kristina Stege talking about her community based research and advocacy related to climate change and the nuclear legacy in the Marshall Islands. She first discusses the Marshall Islands’ quest for recognition and assistance related to the U.S. testing of nuclear bombs on their islands post-WWII. Then we discuss climate change effects, advocacy, community based research, mitigation effects, and the representation of pacific islanders in larger narratives. Make sure to check out the follow up episode focusing on the role of museums related to climate change, including how do you preserve and maintain culture when your homeland will soon be underwater and how do you make museum collections relevant for associated communities.

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In this episode, we talk to Diné (Navajo) archaeologist, Jason Nez. He talks about being Diné and an archaeologist, challenges he faces as a Native American archaeologist, and how the way archaeology is presented (aliens!) can either empower or belittle tribes. He talks about his work educating both Diné youth and the general public about archaeology and Native American perspectives and why that is important. Finally, he highlights his experiences across the country as a fire archaeologist, including what that looks like, looting concerns, and learning from other tribes about their different cultural resources.

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