Iktomi in the Land of the Maymaygwayshi: Understanding Lived Experience in the Practice of Archaeology Among American Indians/First Nations

Abstract

________________________________________________________________In discussions concerning American Indians/First Nations and the practice of archaeology in North America, the issues are typically presented in a polarized fashion with American Indians/First Nations on one side and archaeologists on the other. Frequently the literature discusses how archaeologists should modify their practice in response to the needs of American Indian communities. Very little of the literature looks at the roles and challenges faced by American Indians who choose to pursue archaeology. This paper addresses this latter issue by examining my own work among First Nations communities in Ontario, Canada. Through the lens of 'lived experience', I will examine the interplay of identity, personal and communal histories, and the contemporary situation of my self and the First Nations communities I worked with, looking at how having 'insider' knowledge can be both useful and a handicap in fieldwork. ________________________________________________________________Résumé: Dans les discussions concernant les Amérindiens/Premières nations et la pratique de l'archéologie en Amérique du Nord, les questions sont typiquement présentées comme polarisant les Amérindiens/Premières nations d'un cô té et les archéologues de l'autre. Fréquemment la littérature débat sur la question de connaître comment les archéologues pourraient modifier leur pratique pour mieux répondre aux communautés amérindiennes. La littérature regarde très peu les rô les et défis rencontrés par les archéologues amérindiens qui ont décidé de pratiquer l'archéologie. Cet article traite de cette question particulière en présentant mon propre travail parmi les communautés des premières nations de l'Ontario, au Canada. Par le biais d'une expérience vécue, je vais considérer l'effet de l'identité personnelle liée aux histoires communautaires, ma propre situation ainsi que celle des communautés des Premières nations, avec lesquelles je

The Creation and Endurance of Memory and Place Among First Nations of Northwestern Ontario, Canada

“…Assuming that this is the case, it should not have been as surprising to me as it was (Norder 2007) that this was not an issue of concern to any of the Anishinaabeg peoples with whom I spoke. Yet, despite this seeming ambivalence towards these sites they still were clearly part of the lives of these people.…”

“…Yet, this richness did not emerge from learning about the meaning of rock art. In fact, I learned very little, a topic I discuss in greater detail elsewhere (Norder 2007). Instead the richness came from learning about the history of their interactions with the regional landscape.…”

Rock Art and Sacred Landscapes

“…For us, this is a productive way of construing which rock art sites could have been part of an ancient sacred landscape, full of material and symbolic resources. The sacred dimension of any rock art site in the Canadian Shield cannot be taken for granted, but there are always clues to be identifi ed and explored in order to educe the potential sacredness of any rock art site wherever it may be (Chapman and Geary 2000 ;Norder 2007 ). This ongoing interpretive process based on a contextual approach remains a challenging adventure allowing us to experience the "sacred past" as it may have been for the ancestors of the Algonquian First Nations.…”

Woodland Period Rockshelter Use in the Upper Great Lakes: A Multiscalar Perspective from Grand Island, Michigan

“…This significance is then passed down and maintained through repetitive performative practice, which becomes embodied as long-term group memory. Some researchers working in the Upper Great Lakes region have used ethnographically informed landscape approaches to argue that to the Algonquin people, many natural features, such as caves, represent particularly potent sacred places and their use is often dictated by ritual reenactments of creation stories (Arsenault 2004;Creese 2011;Norder 2007Norder , 2012Norder and Carroll 2011;Rajnovich 1994;Weeks 2012). These researchers argue that the prehistoric function of these settings cannot be understood in isolation, but must be placed in a relational landscape in order to understand their use as embodiments of larger ideological concepts.…”

“…Additionally, contemporary Native American groups maintain active relationships with the landscape, allowing for discussions of continuity or discontinuity in practice that would not be possible in other regions of the Eastern Woodlands with greater degrees of tribal displacement. (Norder 2007;Weeks 2012:88;Zedeño et al 2001).…”