Archaeologists and Indigenous People: A Maturing Relationship?

Over the past 25 years the practice of archaeology has been transformed by a broader and deeper engagement with indigenous peoples around the world. Although there are real differences in the nature and consequences of such engagements in different national and local contexts, it is now more widely understood that archaeologists should recognize the significant role of archaeological heritage in the formation and maintenance of indigenous identities. This new understanding is expressed in the concept of “indigenous archaeologies,” and the bulk of the paper reviews the concerns and approaches that are encompassed by it. The concerns of indigenous archaeologies overlap with other disciplinary movements that have come into being over the same period, especially postcolonial and “engaged” archaeologies that stress the political significance of archaeological knowledge and seek to enhance its social significance. Some of the more important consequences of such engaged archaeologies are discussed, especially new developments in historical archaeology, and the potential for these next contexts of significance and meaning to transform the theory and practice of the discipline.