Carleton University’s Department of History will host the Shannon Lecture Good Intentions, Bad Archaeology: The uses and abuses of Canadian archaeology against Indigenous people presented by Kisha Supernant (University of Alberta).
When: Friday, Nov. 9, 2018 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Where: Room 2017, Dunton Tower, Carleton
Info: This event is free and open to the public. A campus map can be found online.
Media are invited to attend the event.
In the lands currently called Canada, archaeology is often used to tell stories about the history of this place, but often at the expense of Indigenous nations. Throughout its history, archaeologists have positioned themselves as experts on, and stewards of, the past for the good of all – even though those pasts are sometimes not their own.
In this talk, Supernant will explore how archaeology in Canada has been and continues to be part of the settler colonial state, centring knowledge from archaeologists and heritage practitioners rather than Indigenous peoples. Supernant will provide examples of how archaeological research has marginalized Indigenous voices, even when archaeologists have good intentions and will make suggestions for how to move toward a better archaeology for the future.
This lecture is co-presented with the support of the School of Indigenous and Canadian Studies.
About the Shannon Lecture Series
The 2018 Shannon Lecture series examines “bad archaeology” – what happens when the practice of archaeology is done in bad faith? Modern archaeology emerged from a colonialist setting where the heroic lone (male) adventure wrestled knowledge in exotic (to him) places. In many ways, the field has never shed that association and the promise of adventure and heroism. The 2018 series of lectures will explore some of the ways “bad archaeology” has meaningful consequences – especially in the Canadian context. By understanding “bad” archaeology, we may begin to understand the power of “good” archaeology for our present day and age.
The Shannon Lecture series is made possible by the Shannon Fund, an endowment created by Lois May Long, who was a friend of the Carleton History Department and longtime support for both students and faculty.
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Friday, November 2, 2018 in Media Advisories
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