Indigenous Archaeology: American Indian Values and Scientific Practice (Hardcover)

by Joe Watkins (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
As a Federal archaeologist and a Choctaw Indian, Joe Watkins is uniquely qualified to speak about the relationship between American Indians and archaeologists. Tracing the often stormy relationship between the two, Watkins highlights the key arenas where the two parties intersect: ethics, legislation, and archaeological practice. Watkins describes cases where the mixing of indigenous values and archaeological practice has worked well--and some in which it hasn't--both in the United States and around the globe. He surveys the attitudes of archaeologists toward American Indians through an inventive series of of hypothetical scenarios, with some eye-opening results. And he calls for the development of Indigenous Archaeology, in which native peoples are full partners in the key decisions about heritage resources management as well as the practice of it. Watkins' book is an important contribution in the contemporary public debates in public archaeology, applied anthropology, cultural resources management, and Native American studies.

About the Author
Joe Watkins is an archaeologist for the Andarko Agency of the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs in Oklahoma, a Research Associate at Indiana University, and a member of the Choctaw tribe. He has a Ph.D. in archaeology from Southern Methodist University.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Altamira Press (December 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0742503283
• ISBN-13: 978-0742503281
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,681,194 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For students of archaeology and Native American studies, May 17, 2001

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Indigenous Archaeology: American Indian Values and Scientific Practice (Paperback)

In writing Indigenous Archaeology: American Indian Values And Scientific Practice, Joe Watkins draws upon his experience and expertise as a federal archaeologist and a Choctaw to address Native American sensitivities and the modern practices of archaeology. Tracing the often controversial and confrontational relationship between these two opposing perspectives, Watkins articulately highlights the key arenas where the parties intersect including ethics, legislation, and archaeological practices. Indigenous Archaeology draws upon incidents where the mixing of indigenous values and archaeological practice were successful, and others where such accommodations failed. Finally, Watkins calls for the development of an "indigenous archaeology" for use in the United States and around the globe that would accept native peoples as full partners in the key decisions about heritage resources management and archaeological practices. Indigenous Archaeology is very highly recommended reading for students of archaeology and Native American studies.