Brent Shearhart Atalay, Sonya 2006 Indigenous archaeology as decolonizing practice. American Indian Quarterly:280 310. Atalay discusses the importance of indigenous archaeology from an ethical perspective. She describes how colonization of North America resulted in settlers claiming the rites to study, narrate, and disseminate indigenous culture. Because of this, indigenous voices are not represented adequately in their own history as it is being written by outsider archaeologists who do not share their beliefs and worldview. Atalay supports her call for decolonialization of archaeological methods with relevant suggestions of archeological method changes associated with cases that illustrate the importance of sensitivity to indigenous perspective for both archaeologists and the descendant communities they interact with. Her suggested methods lead her to a sensible conclusion that the cultural history of indigenous populations should be viewed through a lens of collaboration instead of either the colonizer or indigenous lens alone. This exemplifies what post-processual archaeology has to gain from indigenous archaeologists. Campbell, Wade, Kerry F. Thompson, and Richard M. Begay 2021 Naasgo: Moving Forward – Diné Archaeology in the Twenty-First Century. KIVA 87(3):253-267. This article discusses how mainstream archaeology fails to include the archaeological interpretations of indigenous populations such as the Navajo. This is supported with relevant cases of interpretation bias resulting from mainstream archaeology’s tendency to create stereotypes surrounding cultures that are studied. This article lends itself to viewing the need for indigenous archaeology somewhat on the basis of ethics, but also appeals to the pragmatic need for unbiased data. This exemplifies what processual archaeology has to gain from indigenous archaeologists. Thompson, Kerry F 2011 The Navajo Nation, Diné Archaeologists, Diné Archaeology, and Diné Communities. Archaeologies 7(3):502-517. Two Bears, Davina R 2008 The Navajo Nation Archaeology Department Student Training Program. Collaborating at the Trowel's Edge: Teaching and Learning in Indigenous Archaeology 2:188. Two Bears relays the indigenous archaeologist’s view of archaeological sites on Navajo Nation land as sacred places with cultural and historical significance. She discusses the need for more indigenous archaeologists to bolster this view against the dominating view of Navajo heritage through a colonial lens. Two Bears endorses an active training program through collaboration with the Navajo National Archaeology Department and Northern Arizona University that is successfully increasing the number of indigenous archaeologists while incorporating Navajo tradition and culture into archaeological interpretation. This exemplifies what members of indigenous communities have to gain by becoming archaeologists. Brent Shearhart Two Bears, Davina R 2006 Navajo Archaeologist is not an oxymoron: A tribal Archaeologist's experience. American Indian Quarterly:381-387. Two Bears discusses indigenous archaeology as a method of the Navajo reclaiming the rights to their own cultural resource management, which has long been managed by non-Navajos. She discusses the need for more indigenous Navajo archaeologists and describes the negative view of archaeology by the Navajo people as an obstacle resulting from past injustices done in the name of archaeology. Two Bears reveals how this negative stereotype of archaeology is further damaging the Navajo people’s ability to govern their own cultural resources. This exemplifies why it is in the best interest of indigenous peoples to embrace and contribute to their own archaeological record. Verdesio, Gustavo 2022 Rethinking Indigenous and Collaborative Archaeologies. Interventions 24(2):208-230.
