Bridging Indigenous Studies and Archaeology Through Relationality? Collaborative Research on the Chignecto Peninsula, Mi'kma'ki

Abstract

Abstract:How can indigenous studies inform archaeologists conducting collaborative research with descendent communities and, in turn, what can archaeology's understanding of changes in the land from the deep to the recent past offer indigenous studies? The concept of relationality—with its Mi'kmaw manifestation in msɨt no'kmaq ("all my relations")—serves as a bridge for examining what these disciplines can contribute to each other. A reflexive examination of ongoing collaborative research project in Mi'kma'ki ("Land of the Mi'kmaq") uses the concept of relationality as a lens through which to examine the social relationships forged through field-based research. We describe how relationality is manifested and negotiated in the process of co-learning and the co-creation of knowledge. By focusing on the conditions of possibility for knowledge creation in collaborative settings—and by revealing some of the assumptions inherent in archaeological practice—we hope to foster deeper engagements between indigenous studies and archaeology.