Advocacy Committee

Statement of Purpose

The CAA Advocacy Committee supports the CAA’s objective “to serve as the national association capable of promoting activities advantageous to archaeology and discouraging activities detrimental to archaeology.” In this capacity the Advocacy Committee will:

Coordinate input from the membership on advocating for the promotion of archaeological heritage, and against activities that are potentially damaging to archaeological heritage.
Develop a network of individuals to increase public awareness and encourage broad-based lobbying to promote responsible, ethical management of archaeological resources.
Develop liaisons and work with related organizations such as Indigenous organizations, provincial archaeological societies and historical societies.
Produce materials to be disseminated through appropriate public channels, including but not limited to government offices, national and local media, and the internet.
Additional activities as determined by the Committee and the CAA Membership.

Contact: Ken Holyoke
e-mail: kenneth.holyoke@uleth.ca

Current Membership

Chair:	Ken Holyoke, ON (2020–2023)
Members:	Steven Dorland, ON (2021–2024)
	Maryssa Barras, NL (2021-2024)
Student Member:	Beatrice Fletcher, ON (2019–2022)

Scope: National, with regional representatives.

Authority: Recommendations and Communications of the Advocacy Committee must be approved by the CAA Board of Directors.

Committee Composition: The Advocacy Committee consists of a Chair (or two Co-Chairs) and four other CAA members representing different regions of Canada. It may also include members in other countries and must include one student member. Membership is open to all CAA members and terms are staggered to ensure continuity.

Term: The term of service is three years, beginning and ending at the AGM. Terms can be renewed once.

Committee Communications: Meetings or other forms of communication are organized by the Committee Chair (or Co-Chairs).

Reporting: The Advocacy Committee reports in writing, and directly to the CAA Board of Directors. The Chair (or Co-Chairs) submits a report on work in progress at each of the two executive meetings annually (spring and fall). A representative from the committee will also make a brief summarizing report to the membership at the AGM during the annual conference.

Review: The Terms of Reference of the Advocacy Committee will be reviewed periodically by the CAA Board of Directors.

Communications

PDF icon CAA-ACA Member Bulletin on COVID-19 and best practices for continuance of fieldwork

Advocacy Committee Statements

Joint Statement on Cultural Destruction in Iraq and Syria

June 26, 2015

The members of the Canadian Archaeological Association, the Canadian Art Museum Directors Organization (CAMDO), and the International Council of Museums Canada (ICOM Canada) denounce the directed and intentional destruction of cultural heritage and heritage sites within Iraq and Syria. The heritage sites of Iraq and Syria represent thousands of years of human development and artistic expression. Their destruction is a devastating strike against cultural diversity and an attempt to erase the complex and intertwined history of our collective human experience.

Fortress of Louisbourg, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia

This letter was written by the Public Communications committee in response to Parks Canada developing a parking lot over the Fortress of Louisbourg, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.

Change in Name and Purpose of the Canadian Museum of Civilization

Dec 11, 2012

The Canadian Archaeological Association is joined by other organizations in our opposition to the change in name and purpose of the Canadian Museum of Civilization, soon to be the Canadian Museum of History.

We are concerned that the new mandate places a disproportionate emphasis on Canadian history after confederation at the expense of the human history and our cultural achievements as a whole, and particularly those of the peoples who have occupied these lands since time immemorial. We are also concerned that the apparent de-emphasis on research and the management and acquisition of collections undermines the museum’s ability to facilitate the production of knowledge about Canada’s past.

Draconian cuts to Parks Canada

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

As you know, Bill C-38 will result in a massive reduction to Parks Canada’s archaeologists and conservators. The Canadian Archaeological Association unanimously adopted the following resolution at our Annual General Meeting on May 19, 2012: “We propose that the Canadian Archaeological Association take a strong position against these cuts to personnel and infrastructures and that it seeks the support of appropriate organizations in Canada and abroad.”