Special topics course introduces students to alternative perspectives and values in archaeology

In a new course this fall, ARCH 332: Indigenous Archaeology, students meet and learn from Indigenous archaeologists and delve into the history, theory and practice of a different approach to the discipline.

Archaeology professor George Nicholas teaches the course and has dedicated his career to the subject for 35 years. He developed and directed SFU's Indigenous archaeology program in Kamloops from 1991 to 2005 before moving to the Burnaby campus.

Since it took form in the 90s, Nicholas says that Indigenous archaeology has become more nuanced and grown in scope, “comprising a broad set of ideas, methods and strategies applied to the discovery and interpretation of the human past that are informed by the values, concerns, and goals of Indigenous peoples.”

“Today it garners much attention in discussions of heritage management, stewardship, collaborative research practices, indigeneity, postcolonialism, and the sociopolitics of archaeology, among other topics,” he explains.

Some of the perspectives and values it brings to the field may counter — or complement — Western ways of knowing the past, which he says strengthens the discipline by making it more relevant, responsible and representative.

“I think that I definitely experienced some degree of dissonance when getting settled into ARCH 332,” says Julian Groll, a student in the class.

Groll enrolled feeling a responsibility to learn as a non-Indigenous archaeologist who has worked on excavations throughout Lil’wat Traditional Territory over the past couple of years.

“It is important to acknowledge that this line of work is still, in many ways, influenced by historical biases that shape our interpretations of the past,” he says.

Each week, Nicholas invited an Indigenous colleague — including many who contributed to his collection of autobiographical chapters by Indigenous archaeologists around the world, Being and Becoming Indigenous Archaeologists (2010) — to share stories, experiences and research during the second half of the lecture. Among the guest speakers, students heard from SFU archaeology professor Rudy Reimer, as well as researchers from other universities across North America.  

The presentations are a highlight for Shelley Dugaro, another student in the course. “They provide knowledge on topics that you generally would not discuss in class,” she says.

Groll agrees. "I come to class eager to hear what professor Nicholas and our guest lecturers have prepared to share with us,” he says, adding that he takes away something to apply to his work as an archaeologist from every class.

One thing Nicholas hopes students take away is an understanding of how Indigenous heritage complements and challenges conventional archaeology.

Underlying his commitment to Indigenous archaeology, he notes, is that “access to/control over one’s heritage is a basic human right. And that for many Indigenous peoples, heritage — and its archaeological manifestations — are essential to an individual’s and group’s sense of identity, history, worldview, and wellbeing.”

Students who did not take the class and are interested in learning more can find a copy of Being and Becoming Indigenous Archaeologists (2010) at the SFU library.  A follow up collection, Working as Indigenous Archaeologists: Reckoning New Paths Between Past and Present Lives, will be published by Routledge next year, with contributions by 60 Indigenous archaeologists.