In this essay we consider recent developments within the Mohegan Archaeological Field School, a 20-year-old indigenous collaborative archaeology project that runs annually on the Mohegan Reservation in Uncasville, Connecticut, U.S.A. We focus on the impacts of three major transformations: (1) the forging of a new and ever-evolving collaborative relationship between the Tribe and an academic archaeologist (the first author); (2) the appointment of the first Mohegan Tribal Historical Preservation Officer (the second author); and (3) the diversification of student cohorts, which relates directly to the field school’s association with a British university. Each of these changes helped to foster a diverse ‘community’ archaeology project that stands to make substantive contributions to the Tribe, to archaeological pedagogy, and to academic archaeology. We frame our discussion in terms of thebroader implications of these changes and new directions for indigenous, collaborative, and community archaeologies in general.

There is little doubt that Indigenous, collaborative, and community-based archaeologies offer productive means of reshaping the ways in which archaeologists conduct research in North America. Scholarly reporting, however, typically places less emphasis on the ways in which Indigenous and collaborative versions of archaeology influence our interpretations of the past and penetrate archaeology at the level of theory. In this article, we begin to fill this void, critically considering archaeological research and teaching at Mohegan in terms of the deeper impacts that Indigenous knowledge, interests, and sensitivities make via collaborative projects. We frame the collaboration as greater than the sum of its heterogeneous components, including its diverse human participants. From this perspective, the project produces new and valuable orientations toward current theoretical debates in archaeology. We address these themes as they relate to ongoing research and teaching at several eighteen...

There is little doubt that Indigenous, collaborative, and community-based archaeologies offer productive means of reshaping the ways in which archaeologists conduct research in North America. Scholarly reporting, however, typically places less emphasis on the ways in which Indigenous and collaborative versions of archaeology influence our interpretations of the past and penetrate archaeology at the level of theory. In this article, we begin to fill this void, critically considering archaeological research and teaching at Mohegan in terms of the deeper impacts that Indigenous knowledge, interests, and sensitivities make via collaborative projects. We frame the collaboration as greater than the sum of its heterogeneous components, including its diverse human participants. From this perspective, the project produces new and valuable orientations toward current theoretical debates in archaeology. We address these themes as they relate to ongoing research and teaching at several eighteenth and nineteenth-century sites on the Mohegan Reservation in Uncasville, Connecticut. Il ne fait aucun doute que l'archéologie des nations amérindiennes, l'archéologie collaborative et l'archéologie communau-taire offrent une variété de démarches pour refaçonner la façon dont les archéologues nord-américains effectuent leur recher-che. Toutefois, les publications mettent en général moins l'accent sur la façon dont les archéologies communautaire et amérindienne influencent l'interprétation du passé au niveau théorique. Dans cet article, nous cherchons à combler cette lacune en examinant de façon critique la recherche et l'enseignement effectués chez les Mohegan, surtout en ce qui a trait aux impacts profonds qu'apporte une approche collaborative sur la pratique archéologique en mettant en valeur les connais-sances, les préoccupations et les sensibilités des nations amérindiennes. Nous envisageons la collaboration comme étant plus grande que la somme de ses composantes hétérogènes, y compris les participants humains. De ce point de vue, ce projet propose de nouvelles directions pour les débats théoriques en archéologie. Nous illustrons ces thèmes à travers la recherche et l'enseignement effectués sur plusieurs sites des XVIII e et XIV e siècles situés sur la Réserve Mohegan à Uncasville, Connecticut.

This thesis presents the initial results of the 2013 Collaborative Historical Archaeology Field School at the Stewart Indian School site, 26-OR-568, in Carson City, Nevada. The excavations were conducted largely in order to locate the original, wooden school building that was built in 1890, and to also locate the foundation of a pool that was filled in. The project was conducted in collaboration with the Nevada Indian Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, and the Washoe-Tribal Historic Preservation Office. The focus of this thesis is on the collaborative methods utilized before, during, and after the field school, with the intention of demonstrating how collaboration in archaeology can renew relationships with Indigenous communities, provide multivocal interpretations of archaeological sites, and produce long-lasting benefits for descendant communities.

Native Americans’ relationship with the discipline of archaeology has been shaped by centuries of historical circumstances, political engagement, and changing research agendas, in connection with Indigenous efforts to maintain or regain control over their affairs. At different times, archaeologists were seen (and often acted) as agents of colonialism or grave robbers, but also as allies or even employees of tribes. With the increasing number of Native American archaeologists, the terms “archaeologist” and “Indigenous” are no longer mutually exclusive. There is no one attitude toward archaeology among Indigenous people. While some do not find it a meaningful way of relating to the past, others have embraced it as a tool that can be reconstructed and used in culturally appropriate ways. Nonetheless, professional archaeology still presents an artificial boundary that has often served to separate peoples and communities from their heritage and history. This chapter focuses on Indigenous North Americans’ engagement with archaeology—its historical development, contemporary practice, and future prospects and challenges. A rich, sometimes contentious discourse has developed since the 1970s on Indigeneity, ethnicity, and ethnogenesis; alternative modes of stewardship and heritage management; the protection of sacred places and cultural landscapes; bioarchaeology and genetics; intellectual property and intangible heritage; the role of oral history and traditional knowledge; and social justice and human rights. These reflect new opportunities for archaeology in response to technological advancements, changing theoretical regimes and interpretive methods, or political issues and ethical concerns relating to issues of sovereignty, repatriation, tribal recognition, and decolonization.