We are excited to share our first panel episode with you. In addition to being a panel episode, this episode is also a crossover episode with the Go Dig a Hole podcast. Today’s panel features indigenous archaeologists, cultural anthropologists, and even a THPO from the Southwest, California, Pacific Northwest, and Plains tribes talking about their experiences working with museums. They talk about the major challenges they face with museums, including representation, repatriation, and past preservation techniques, as well as positive museum experiences and the directions they would like to see museums go in the future. Finally they give guidance on how museums and tribes can better work together in the future.
Decolonizing Anthropology - Episode 8
Today’s episode features Anna Cordova, Lead Archaeologist for the City of Colorado Springs (although, to be clear, she is not representing the city with this interview). If you are looking to understand indigenous perspectives on archaeology, this episode is a great place to start because she explains the challenges so clearly and so passionately! We talk about the importance of decolonizing anthropology and some specific suggestions on how to do that. We also discuss indigenous geography, the differences between working in Hawaii and Colorado, and her experiences doing ethnographic and tribal consultation work.
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California State and Local Tribal Consultation Law - Episode 7
Today’s episode features Michelle La Pena, an attorney, writer, mother, and former Pit River tribal councilwoman who advocated for and collaboratively developed some of California’s local and state tribal consultation laws. We talk about why these laws were designed the way they were, as well as what she would like to see in our federal cultural resources, tribal consultation, and environmental laws. Some specific aspects discussed include building trust in consultation, confidentiality, how a tribe is defined, burials, outreach, and the power of a tribe to affect an outcome. We also discuss the Dakota Access pipeline, specific challenges for tribes in California and the mission system, gaming and compacts, and the effect of the Trump administration on cultural resource management laws and practice.
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International Indigenous Archaeology, NAGPRA, and the Northern Plains - Episode 6
Today’s episode features Emily Van Alst, Sihasapa Lakota descent, talking about indigenous and community based archaeology in Japan, Peru, Spain, and Alaska. She also talks about NAGPRA from museum, international, and indigenous perspectives. Finally we talk about how archaeology can be used to benefit indigenous communities and vice versa. Emily specifically discusses zooarchaeology and rock art as areas that are fruitful for indigenous archaeology, especially in the work she would like to pursue in the Northern Plains in her upcoming PhD program at Indiana University where she will be working with Learning NAGPRA.
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SHPOs, Tribal Consultation, and Collaboration - Episode 5
Today we are speaking with Colorado Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) and State Archaeologist, Dr. Holly Norton. We talk through the role of the SHPO, SHPO resources, the different stakeholders in Colorado, and the collaborative museum exhibits that History Colorado has been undertaking. We also talk about Holly’s dissertation on a 1733 slave rebellion in the US Virgin Islands, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs, and the disparity in funding between SHPOs and THPOs (Tribal Historic Preservation Officers). Holly and I had way too much fun recording this episode, so even with lots of cuts it is still longer than our normal episodes. Hope you enjoy as much as we did!
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