Stephanie Gruchy
Student ID: 20071555
Course: ARCH1005
Atalay, S. (2006). Indigenous archaeology as decolonizing practice. The American Indian
Quarterly, 30(3/4), 280-310.
Five key words:
1. Archeology
2. Colonization
3. Decolonization
4. Activism
5. Epistemologies
Sonya Atalay, the author of “Indigenous archaeology as decolonizing practice” is an
archeologist who performs fieldwork in the Great lakes region of the United States. Atalay
focuses her research on Indigenous archelogy. Sonya Atalay, starts the article by explaining how
archeology is much more than just artifacts and materialistic items, but more importantly how it
is about the study of people; how indigenous groups lived, the type of food they chose, beliefs,
and society.
Following this, the author presents, how it is the “other” people that are writing about the
Indigenous culture, and not the indigenous people themselves. She deliberates her thoughts on
the influence that western knowledge and methodologies have on society’s beliefs and
understanding of these cultural groups. Atalay discussed how the people of wealth in North
America were curious about the artifacts but mainly for financial reasoning and not particularly,
because they wanted to learn more about the indigenous culture. Europeans curiosity was
different; they wanted to learn about the history and the land along with the artifacts. The North
Americans gained interest when they realized how the indigenous could build such earthworks,
and they began to understand the cultural meanings behind these works. Many artifacts such as
skeletons etc. were found which continued to spark the interest of many. The natives were
excluded from such studies until the 1960’s when they began to voice their opinions, go to the
public, and protest. The protests were because the North Americans were not only disrupting
their culture, but remains were being disrupted not reburied, and lands were being destroyed.
Some researchers reacted positively to the natives concerns and began to work with them to
develop acts and polices based around reburials etc.
Sonja Atalay continued the article discussing how decolonization research is an effective way to
study the constantly changing research and beliefs of the native communities, traditional
knowledge and sharing of works. This research can be very specific or broadened to discuss a
more large scale global decolonization.
In conclusion, bringing archeologists and indigenous groups together to conduct research would
allow for a more in-depth study of culture, shared views of issues, and determination of the best
ways to examine/study the past. The groups share interests so together they can collaborate and
develop studies and views based upon their findings. Both parties’ views would be utilized to
help rebuild the existing theories and established methodologies.
