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“We Ask Only That You Come to Us with an Open Heart and an Open Mind”

The Transformative Power of a Humble Archaeology of the Heart

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Archaeologies of the Heart

Abstract

Indigenous scholars propose that the outside researchers most useful to Indigenous communities are those willing to engage in a process of self-discovery and transformation. These researchers are willing to learn from, not just about, the people they work with. This paper contemplates the challenges and opportunities that arise when archaeologists embark on a transformative journey. I use personal examples drawn from two decades of conducting archaeology with and for Indigenous communities to suggest ways in which heart-centred archaeology can transform our discipline. I conclude that an “archaeology of heart” is grounded in, and practiced through, humility.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Postdoctoral Fellow, Indigenous Works and University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada

    Tanja Hoffmann

Authors
  1. Tanja Hoffmann
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    Kisha Supernant

  2. Department of Anthropology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA

    Jane Eva Baxter

  3. Ursus Heritage Consulting Ltd, Coldstream, BC, Canada

    Natasha Lyons

  4. Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA

    Sonya Atalay

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Hoffmann, T. (2020). “We Ask Only That You Come to Us with an Open Heart and an Open Mind”. In: Supernant, K., Baxter, J.E., Lyons, N., Atalay, S. (eds) Archaeologies of the Heart. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36350-5_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36350-5_4

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-36349-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-36350-5

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