User:Brandonvo/sandbox

Preface We are planning to add additional information to indigenous archaeology. We can add specific references to significant events or articles regarding indigenous archaeology, and expand the discussion of colonial influences on its process and indigenous responses to this. We can add a section on federal legislation regarding indigenous archaeology, and transition the current page discussion to include commentary on indigenous self-determination and agency, and the present-day climate of the topic.

My teammate's sandbox contains a portion of the work and may be found here.

CURRENT EDIT STATE: Complete

Below is the work-in-progress of additions to the article, location of edits, and, if applicable, changes to pre-existing text. Minor changes may be freely made; any major issues should be discussed with me -- Archaeology, national politics and self-determination [ADDITION - end of section, Source #4, EDIT COMPLETE]

The contributions of the indigenous viewpoint to archaeology also aid in addressing the problems of race that are integrated into the practice. The archaeological discourse can take a patronizing and judgmental interpretation of indigenous practices and artifacts without proper context, often portraying indigenous culture as comparatively flawed or inferior in technique and technology. These construe the notion of indigenous culture as particularly alien and foreign, building a racist image to the non-indigenous viewpoint. The incorporation of the indigenous viewpoint in the academics can normalize their culture in the overall historical narrative, and shift away from portraying indigenous peoples as "savage," and instead evaluate them equally with other world cultures (Echo-Hawk 2006).

Indigenous and mainstream archaeologies - Managing Differences [ADDITION - between existing sections; Source #2, EDIT COMPLETE]

The disparity between the indigenous and non-indigenous interpretations of archaeological conduct may be addressed by the integration of indigenous perspective in explaining artifacts and observations initially made by non-indigenous archaeologists. The intent and historical background of particular historical remnants offered by the indigenous perspective can assist in the contemporary archaeological approach. For example, the rationale behind choice of material and method used in constructing historical artifacts would allow a fairer evaluation of indigenous technology to be seen in the historical narrative. In the same way, an archaeological approach headed by indigenous researchers could benefit from the input of non-indigenous research. A responsible and equitable account of indigenous history requires that the narratives of different cultures is taken into consideration by the parties involved (Croes 2010).

Development [ADDITION - extension of first section; Source #3, EDIT COMPLETE]

As a result of discarded indigenous narratives, colonialist perspectives dominated the academic discourse and evaluated the indigenous history as a separate and less significant extension of the contemporary culture. The viewpoints of colonialist empires impressed predispositions and assumptions regarding indigenous culture and history, whether by destroying indigenous property, seizing land, or using state-sponsored propaganda and education to reinterpret the legacy of indigenous groups. Furthermore, access to archaeological findings and the means to correct biased or misleading portrayals of indigenous culture were limited by the relative lack of indigenous scholars participating directly in archaeology. The means of correcting and recovering the indigenous narrative are thus further damaged, and the imperialist-aligned interpretation of history is codified in the academics and archaeological practice. Colonialist views on indigenous culture are subsequently ingrained in the education system and the populace itself (Sonya 2006).

Archaeology, national politics, and self-determination [ADDITION - end of section after Source #4 edit; Source #1, EDIT COMPLETE]

The indigenous narrative is significantly influenced by the colonialist tendency to homogenize indigenous culture into one single entity. The contemporary historical sequence focuses on the fall of indigenous cultures as a result of the advent of empires, and portrays the end segment of their history as the only significant contribution. For example, the colonization of the Americas in Central and South America neglect the long history of the Aztec and Incan empires, and only associates those cultures with defeat in the context of colonization. The complex political and economic infrastructure and achievements of those indigenous societies, and their legacy leading up to that point, is discarded in the narrow scope of the colonial achievement. Additionally, characterizing the indigenous history as an era of collective defeat fails to distinguish between individual indigenous cultures, cutting off their own histories and obscuring the features unique to each society (Oland 2012).

Indigenous Archaeology in Practice [ADDITION - before last section; Source #5, EDIT COMPLETE]

The value of indigenous communities is taking becoming greater in archaeological projects that work with sensitive artifacts and cultural remnants, though conflict between contemporary and indigenous approaches still exist. For example, the integration of indigenous permissions in studying sites, such as Massachusetts's 1983 Unmarked Burial Law, assists in providing indigenous communities a measure of control over archaeological studies. However, indigenous communities dispute on whether or not their cultural practices should be subject to academic and legalistic judgement by external scholars. The demands on indigenous peoples concerning archaeological collaboration involve more burdens on the indigenous community to answer to archaeological probing, while traditional archaeological approaches do not change and fail to accommodate to indigenous needs (Matthews 2009).

-- Sources Used (to be reordered and inserted into article later)

Oland, Maxine, Hart, Siobhan M., and Frink, Liam, eds. 2012. Decolonizing Indigenous Histories : Exploring Prehistoric/Colonial Transitions in Archaeology. Tucson: University of Arizona Press. Accessed February 25, 2018. ProQuest Ebook Central

Croes, Dale R. “COURAGE AND THOUGHTFUL SCHOLARSHIP = INDIGENOUS ARCHAEOLOGY PARTNERSHIPS.” American Antiquity, vol. 75, no. 2, 2010, pp. 211–216. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/25766190

Sonya Atalay. "Indigenous Archaeology as Decolonizing Practice." The American Indian Quarterly 30, no. 3 (2006): 280-310. https://muse.jhu.edu/ (accessed February 25, 2018).

Roger Echo-Hawk, and Larry J. Zimmerman. "Beyond Racism: Some Opinions about Racialism and American Archaeology." American Indian Quarterly 30, no. 3/4 (2006): 461-85.

Matthews, C. N. (2009). Is archaeology political? transformative praxis within and against the boundaries of archaeology. The Public Historian, 31(2), 79-90.