Uplifting Communities and Their Voices: The Complexities and Rewards of Insider and Allied Research in Community Archaeology

Session Hosting Format: 
in-person session
Organizer(s): 
  • Natasha Jones, Dept. of Archaeology, Memorial University
  • Jared T. Hogan, Dept. of Archaeology, Memorial University
  • Jordan Hollahan, Dept. of Archaeology, Memorial University
  • Tienne Mouland, Dept. of Archaeology, Memorial University
  • Caylee Dzurka, Dept. of Archaeology, Memorial University
Contact Email: 
jthogan@mun.ca
Session Description (300 word max): 

Community archaeology is a powerful approach that fosters meaningful collaboration between researchers and the communities they serve. For insider researchers, such as Indigenous researchers, Queer scholars, and disabled practitioners, who are engaged in research inside their communities, this work carries both profound rewards and unique challenges. Likewise, this is seen in allied researchers working with, for, and by the communities they serve. Researchers play a crucial role in decolonizing archaeological practice, ensuring that research aligns with community priorities and respects diverse ways of knowing and being. Insider researchers navigate responsibilities that stem from a shared history with their community while also grappling with the long-term impacts of their research on those they work alongside. This session explores the complexities of insider and allied research in marginalized contexts, emphasizing the importance of ethical, reflective, and humble engagement. By centring marginalized voices and community member experiences with archaeology, this session aims to foster dialogue on how community archaeology can uplift communities and contribute to the broader project of decolonization while also exploring the challenges of community archaeology for communities and researchers.

Presentations
Beyond the Dig: The Realities and Rewards of Being a Researcher-in-Relation
Presentation format: In-Person
Author(s):
  • Natasha Jones - Archaeology, Memorial University

Insider research or research-in-relation can be immensely rewarding, offering the opportunity for researchers to contribute to their community in a meaningful way. However, it is not without its challenges – there are multiple ways of being an insider: these researchers must live with the consequences of their research on their community; they have special responsibilities that originate from a shared history with community members; their research must be respectful, ethical, reflective, humble, and critical; and they must care for their well-being. This presentation is a personal account of the challenges and rewards I experienced while working on a Mi’kmaw-led research project as part of the requirements for a MA degree in Archaeology. The project, titled Km~tkinu Ktaqmkuk: Ta’n Weji’sqalia’tiek (Our Territory Across the Waves: We Sprouted from Here), spanned four years and included two fieldwork seasons. Drawing from firsthand experiences, I will discuss some of the difficulties I encountered such as navigating the ethics approval process, and maintaining balance between academic goals, community interests, family, and my well-being. I will also explore the rewards of working for my community by highlighting community member experiences, shared learning, and the deep sense of community connection and re-connection that flourished during the project.
Museums & Myths: Investigating Indigenous Representation in Newfoundland & Labrador Museums
Presentation format: In-Person
Author(s):
  • Jared T. Hogan - Archaeology, Memorial University

The idea that there are no Indigenous Peoples in Newfoundland and Labrador is a widely held belief for some non-Indigenous residents in the province and beyond. Museums, provincial politics, and education curricula are central ways this myth has been spread and maintained in the province. As such, museums in Newfoundland and Labrador are slowly beginning to face their contentious relationships with Indigenous Peoples and their representation of Indigenous Peoples—though this varies across the province and may be influenced by funding levels (community, provincial, or federal) and Indigenous engagement. This presentation provides an update on the first qualitative analysis of museums for Indigenous representation in the province, assessing the current visibility of Indigenous cultures in NL’s non-Indigenous-led virtual and physical heritage institutions and comparing them to Indigenous-led museums. Using Digital Media Analysis, Exhibit Analysis, and Semi-structured interviews with museum professionals, preliminary results show that museum exhibits in the province are outdated and need updating. While there is a desire by museum professionals to decolonize their exhibits, it is evident across the province that limited funding, lack of accessible education in Indigenous Studies, and clear paths for working with, for, and by Indigenous communities impact Indigenous representation in Newfoundland and Labrador museums.
What are Museums At?
Presentation format: In-Person
Author(s):
  • Tienne  Mouland - Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador

While there is growing action to meaningfully engage Indigenous groups in the care and control of their material culture held in museums, it can be confusing and unclear about what is actually being done. Daily operations are often individual and institution dependent, meaning there is little enforcement to adhere to specific protocol or ‘best practices’. And while this allows for flexibility based on the institutions social, political, and historical context, it also risks engagement being sub-par.

This presentation will discuss how eight museums across Canada, the U.S., and Germany are engaging with the Indigenous groups they represent to better understand the breadth of community-engaged frameworks across large geographical spaces, as well as specifically how this engagement manifests in different institutions.