Access to Government Information and Inclusive Stewardship of North America’s Archaeological Heritage

Abstract

: The Digital Index of North American Archaeology (DINAA) gazetteer works to enrich understanding of the human presence on the landscape of North America since the late Pleistocene by connecting hundreds of thousands of archaeological and historical sites to related tribal and other government bodies, museum, library, archive, and scientific datasets, as well as repositories of scientific literature. This chapter explores how open data, if applied appropriately in partnership with tribal authorities and experts, can help serve the interests of Indigenous peoples. Currently, Native American tribes face daunting obstacles in obtaining data documenting ancestral territories. Relevant data are often siloed within opaque and under-resourced government systems. DINAA makes key descriptive information about North America’s rich cultural heritage available for inspection, evaluation, and use by descendant communities, historically marginalized from administrative and political processes. This “open government” focus helps make cultural heritage management more accountable to wider constituencies. Making these data linked and accessible can be part of larger efforts to enable sovereign tribal nations to effectively manage and protect their ancestral cultural heritage.