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Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology pp 1–10Cite as

Indigenous Method and Theory in Archaeology

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State of Knowledge and Current Debates

Indigenous method and theory (IMT) in archaeology, carried out by Indigenous scholars and communities, is an act of reclaiming, revivance, and retelling, weaving Indigenous knowledge into discussions of Indigenous histories. IMT foregrounds Indigenous identities and empowers Indigenous communities, when Indigenous scholars and communities are in power and control of archaeological design and interpretations. IMT in archaeology weaves Indigenous knowledge through sacred sites, stories ancestors left on the land, and creates a richer more informed view of the Indigenous past. IMT recognizes Indigenous elders, storytellers, and community scholars as knowledge holders (Wilson 2007a, 325) that are the center of community histories, rather than informants who are outside the processes of knowledge production.

Indigenous archaeology has been described as archaeology with, for, and by, Indigenous people (Atalay 2006, 283). The differences between, with...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of History & Philosophy, Algoma University, Sault Ste. Marie, ON, Canada

    Paulette F. Steeves

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  1. Paulette F. Steeves
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Correspondence to Paulette F. Steeves .

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  1. Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK

    Ndukukhaye Ndlovu

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Steeves, P.F. (2019). Indigenous Method and Theory in Archaeology. In: Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51726-1_2736-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51726-1_2736-1

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