The Importance of Decolonizing Archaeology

So, we while Erin was sick on Tuesday we watched a movie called "Speakers for the Dead" which brought to light some very interesting perspectives about race issues. The contention was surrounding a black cemetery that had its gravestones buried by a farmer who wanted to clear the land for his potato patch. In an attempt to find more of the tombstones, an excavation of the area was proposed, but some of the residents did not want it to proceed. The Caucasian descendents of the area felt that digging in a cemetery is not only morally contentious, but also may have some legal ramifications to it as well. There may have been some other reasons why they didn't want the tombstones to be found that may have had to do with the denial of their ancestral heritage: some of the people may not have wanted to discover that they may be from African descent. This is something that I found really interesting because we don't see this stance from the "mainstream" when it comes to Aboriginal cemeteries.


There have been many incidences where Aboriginal peoples remains have been unearthed from an ancient burial ground during urban development. However, instead of being respectful to the Aboriginal descendants and the fact that the area is a cemetery for the ancestors of the area, it becomes a bane to the urban developers. The media portrays Aboriginal peoples as being in the way of development because they don't want the remains of their ancestors disturbed or to have buildings built on top of them. Which, I would argue is pretty justifiable -- I'd imagine that most people wouldn't want a condo built on top of their great grandparents, or grandparents. Of the more recent examples (and close to home), is in the Musqueam First Nation which just so happens to be in a prime real estate area in Vancouver. Since the area was not owned by the Musqueam, construction was underway in the Marpole Midden area (despite its recognition as a National Historic Site) when human remains were unearthed. The Musqueam were not impressed, did not want construction to continue, and wanted a land swap to protect the area. Deals fell through and the First Nation began protesting the development. So what kind of reactions do the "mainstream" have? Here's a few examples of comments made online that have been taken from my class notes from ANTH336 last semester:

-->

JGetStarted: “It's an old garbage dump folks not a "sacred site". If there are bones in there you have to ask the question. If I was buried in a landfill I'd have to ask just how sacred were my remains to my family/group?”

Dammrite: “How long are we going to continue to tolerate tolerate this garbage ? (This time over literal garbage)...Think these people are far more interested in the "sacred" money than the "sacred" remains.”

DirtyMariner: “Cut them off. No more tax breaks or land claims. In what other society has a defeated people had such a stranglehold on taxpayers? Money and handouts aren't fixing native problems. Neither is respecting their right to shut down half a city because of a 3 thousand year old landfill. The only time 80% of these people leave home is to protest something or vote on something that will give them more money."

These remarks reflect the colonial mindset that many people share when it comes to Aboriginal concerns. It also reflects the severe lack of knowledge that the "mainstream" have about not only Indigenous issues, but also of Aboriginal rights. What a lot of people may not know is that the majority of British Columbia was not ceded by treaty nor by force, and that Aboriginal rights are protected by the constitution. Because of all the contentious issues between land rights, and cultural heritage, it is important for archaeology in British Columbia to be decolonized. Essentially, the power dynamic needs to shift to the hands of the Aboriginal peoples who have occupied this land long before us settlers arrived. That's not to say that archaeology in BC should not continue, but it should continue working closely with First Nations, with the hopes that many First Nations will have archaeology experts of their own so that they will be able to have a greater degree of control over what kinds of sites get disturbed, or what kind of cultural history they feel is appropriate to excavate.