CAA Indigenous Scholarship and Equity and Diversity Scholarships

Purpose: The Canadian Archaeological Association Indigenous Scholarship and the Equity and Diversity Scholarships were created to support the training of people who can help to diversify the field of archaeology. Archaeology has been and continues to be practiced largely by white, straight, cisgender people without disabilities. As a result, we are missing a diversity of voices and lived experiences that would serve to enrich archaeological practice and interpretation. These awards are a small step towards bringing a broader range of perspectives into the discipline. They are designed to support the recipients’ interest in archaeology and help them fund an element of their archaeological training. The scholarships recognize the systemic barriers that Indigenous people, 2SLGBTQIA+ people, people with disabilities and people from racialized groups face during their training and careers in archaeology. People who identify as part of more than one of these groups face additional obstacles, so we prioritize them for awards.

Award Categories: Each year, the CAA awards one Indigenous Scholarship and one Equity and Diversity Scholarship. The Indigenous Scholarship is awarded annually in recognition of the special relationship that First Nations, Métis and Inuit have with the places and belongings of their ancestors and to acknowledge that the majority of archaeological sites in Canada are Indigenous in origin.

The Equity and Diversity scholarship rotates on a 3-yearly cycle between an award for people from 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, an award for people with disabilities, and an award for people from racialized groups.

Ultimately, the CAA aims to award at least two Indigenous Scholarships and three Equity and Diversity Scholarships (one for each group) every year, and to increase the value of the awards over time.

Applicants’ Privacy: We respect applicants’ right to privacy and to control their personal information. The information on the application forms is confidential, and award winners can decide whether they wish their name to be announced publicly.

Award Amount: $1000 each plus a one-year CAA membership and a fee waiver for the CAA conference. Winners can choose to use the waiver in the year the award is made or the following year.

Eligibility: The Indigenous scholarship and the Equity and Diversity Scholarships are open to senior high school (Grades 11-12 and GED), CEGEP (Québec) and post-secondary students studying full-time at a Canadian institution. Canadian students studying abroad are also eligible. Please see below for additional eligibility criteria for the individual scholarships. There is no limit to the number of times unsuccessful applicants can reapply. However, once someone has held either an Indigenous Scholarship or an Equity and Diversity Scholarship, they are no longer eligible to apply for either award.

Application deadline: March 31

Awardees notified: Late April. All applicants will be notified of their result in the competition. We encourage applicants to reapply if they are unsuccessful. One year after the award is made, award winners will submit a brief report outlining what the funds allow them to do.

Indigenous Scholarship Guidelines

 

Eligibility: Applicants must identify as an Indigenous student (i.e. First Nations, Inuit, and/or Métis) studying full-time at a Canadian high school (grade 11 or 12 or GED), CEGEP (Québec), or post-secondary institution. Canadian Indigenous students studying abroad are also eligible. Applicants must be pursuing or intending to pursue studies, research, activities, and/or fieldwork that focuses on an aspect of archaeology and/or Indigenous cultural heritage.
 

Application: To be considered for the award, applicants must submit a completed online application before the deadline. The form is HERE.
 

Reference Letter: Applications must include the name and email address of a referee who can speak to the applicant’s abilities and potential. The referee will be asked to comment on the applicant’s commitment to their studies, creative and innovative thinking, and potential to contribute to archaeology and/or Indigenous heritage. Any of the following can provide this reference:
 

  • someone at the student’s academic institution (e.g., teacher/professor, guidance counselor, and/or mentor)
  • an Indigenous community representative (e.g., Elder, leader, mentor, cultural teacher) who works closely with the applicant
  • a coach who has worked closely with the applicant
  • an employer or supervisor in a work/professional/volunteer context.

The referee must complete the recommendation and submit it by the application deadline.
 

Application Review Process:
 

Award Committee: The Indigenous Issues Committee of the CAA will select the Award Committee to evaluate the Indigenous Scholarship applications. The committee will consist of four members who will include: one or two Indigenous archaeologists, one or two Indigenous representatives from Indigenous community/cultural organizations and, wherever possible, an Indigenous graduate student or undergraduate student. Every effort should be made to ensure diverse geographic representation on the award committee.
 

Evaluation Criteria: In evaluating the applications, the scholarship committee will consider the lived experiences and the education levels of applicants. Applications will be evaluated based on:
 

  • the applicant’s demonstrated commitment to their studies and/or their creative and innovative thinking
  • the applicant’s previous or intended contributions to archaeology and/or cultural heritage of Indigenous communities, including on-/off-reserve and/or in urban contexts
  • the feasibility and quality of their planned archaeology and/or cultural heritage studies, research, activities, or fieldwork
  • the applicant’s potential to achieve the goals outlined in the application

Intersectionality of identities and experiences will be considered when evaluating applications. Proposals that demonstrate a potential positive impact on Indigenous issues and/or communities in Canada will be prioritized.
 

Annual Review: This document is subject to annual review and the application and adjudication process will continue to evolve. Please send any comments or suggestions to: president@canadianarchaeology.com.

Equity and Diversity Scholarship Guidelines

 

Equity and Diversity Awards Cycle:
(This order was chosen at random - all 3 awards are equally important)
 

2023: People with Disabilities
2024: People from Racialized Groups
2025: People from 2SLGBTQIA+ Communities
 

Eligibility: Applicants must identify as a member of the group that the award is targeted for in a particular year. For 2023 this means applicants must identify as people with disabilities.
 

Application: To be considered for the award, applicants must submit a completed online application before the deadline. The form is HERE.
 

Reference Letter: Applications must include the name and email address of a referee who can speak to the applicant’s abilities and potential. Any of the following can provide this reference:
 

  • someone at the student’s academic institution (i.e., teacher/professor, guidance counselor, and/or mentor)
  • a coach who has worked closely with the student
  • an employer/supervisor in a work/professional/volunteer context

The referee must complete the recommendation and submit it by the application deadline.
 

Application Review Process:
 

Award Committee: The Award Committee for the Equity and Diversity Scholarship will evaluate the applications. It will consist of four members, including at least two archaeologists from the group the award is targeted for that year. It can also include other members of that group who have some background in archaeology or experience in a related field. Wherever possible, it should include a graduate or undergraduate student from the award group for that year. Every effort should be made to ensure diverse geographic representation on the awards committee.
 

Evaluation Criteria: In evaluating the applications, the scholarship committee will consider the lived experiences and the education levels of applicants. Applications will be evaluated based on:
 

  • the feasibility of the proposed activities
  • the applicant’s potential to achieve the goals outlined in the application
  • the significance of the proposed activities in helping the applicant to support their interests and/or goals in archaeology

Intersectionality of identities and experiences will be considered when evaluating applications.
 

Annual Review: This document is subject to annual review and the application and adjudication process will continue to evolve. Please send any comments or suggestions to president@canadianarchaeology.com.

SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

2023

  • CAA INDIGENOUS SCHOLARSHIP
    Sarah Pocha-Tait is a 1st year graduate student in Archaeology at the University of Saskatchewan. She’s Metis and she’s from MacDowall, Saskatchewan. She works closely with Metis Local #83. Her thesis focuses on the role of Indigenous women in the fur trade at Fort Carlton.
     
  • CAA EQUITY AND DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP
    Violet McPhee is in her fourth year of an undergraduate degree in Archaeology at UBC. She’s interested in community-centred archaeology and the archaeology of the Northwest Coast.

2022

  • CAA INDIGENOUS SCHOLARSHIP
    Lauren Poeta – Western University
     
  • CAA EQUITY AND DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP
    Gill Taylor – University of Calgary