Browsing by Subject "Indigenous communities"
Item ArchaeologEE: an Environmental Education Program for Public Lands Management Agencies and American Indian School Children(2013-05) Reetz, Elizabeth ChristineArchaeology fieldwork can be viewed as a compelling method for delivering lessons in environmental education (EE), because cultural history is important to EE, and archaeology looks through both natural and cultural lenses in an outdoor setting. In addition, ethnic minority communities including American Indians have traditionally been underserved by EE (Zint, 2012), and the perspectives of indigenous communities are often lacking from archaeological reporting. With that in mind, this project was developed to be a resource and guide for archaeologists in Cultural Resource Management at public lands agencies, who typically do not have a background in education, in archaeology and environmental education-based public outreach with indigenous youth in Grades 6-12. The intention of the ArchaeologEE program is twofold. It aims to provide effective EE through archaeology that is intended to enrich the educational experiences of indigenous youth through time spent in nature. It also seeks to offer a way to enhance the professional development of archaeologists through a new approach to public outreach and increased engagement with local indigenous communities.Item Integrating Western and Native Research Methods: A Qualitative Exploration of Students’ Experiences and Elders’ Wisdom(2021-08) Fatiha, NusroonNative methodology in social science research encompasses an “agenda based on Indigenous epistemology” wherein reciprocal relationships between investigators and community members are essential (Kurtz, 2013, p. 222). However, Western scholars have often misrepresented Native perspectives. This occurs mainly due to power imbalances created between researchers and participants. In the study presented here, the graduate student researcher explored students’/new professionals’ experiences and community Elders’ advice regarding research with (not on) Native communities. Ten student participants and three community Elders were interviewed. Participants unanimously emphasized processes of trust-building with Native communities. Said processes include strategies such as gaining insights about personal biases, seeking guidance from Elders and other experienced personnel, educating oneself about Native history, and functioning as a humble learner. Learning about and enacting these behaviors and strategies can facilitate authentic collaborations in knowledge-creation. Learned lessons and useful resources shared by study participants, too, are informative toward creating guidelines for current and future trainers in research methods. These guidelines can be passed onto new students and professionals before they begin their work with Native communities.