Anth 3510, 2005       

PRELIMINARY INFORMATION for Assignment #2 

Total worth:  35% of course grade

 Schedule

due Nov 7:  Preliminary paper outline (300 words) and bibliography (5 good sources) 5%.

due Nov 21: Paper, 2000 words, 20%. Requirements: Formal essay, using at least 6 scholarly sources, of which 2 may be course readings. Proofread carefully. The usual citation rules apply.

due Nov 28: Poster presentation (as part of class poster party), 10%. Requirements: On a standard sized piece of bristol board, present the key points of your paper. Include your name, the title, your list of references. Use large font, and illustrations where possible. Proofread carefully. The usual citation rules apply.

For you to do now (before next class, Oct 24)

Consider the topic that you would like to work on. You may already have one in mind, in which case I encourage you to make an appointment to talk to me about it ASAP. Otherwise, you could choose from the following list. For these topics, I can help you locate appropriate sources. Note! It is very much in your best interest to check in with me about your topic – that way I can help ensure that your paper will be a good one. Extended Office Hours: Friday Oct 21, between 12 and 4. Vari 2029.

• Native peoples’ accounts of their own histories compared to standard textbook or nationalist histories
• Cases of nationalist histories written to exclude Native peoples, e.g. in the USA and in Africa (e.g. Moundbuilders, Great Zimbabwe)
• Oral history versus written history
• The connection of archaeology to land claims
• Specific cases of how Indigenous artifacts and human remains came to be in museums – e.g. artifacts from Northwest Coast of Canada, the collection of skeletal remains from burials
• Display of indigenous peoples at world fairs etc
• Legal arguments over appropriate custody of human remains and artifacts (e.g. NAGPRA, Kennewick Man)
• Repatriation of artifacts from museums back to their cultural owners
• Repatriation of human remains back to cultural groups (e.g. case studies: Saartje Baartman, Trucanini, Ishi)
• The re-emergence of Indigenous nations who have been officially regarded as “extinct” but still survive
• Archaeological evidence concerning key historical events, e.g. “Custer’s Last Stand”
• Museums which are Native-designed and run
• The trade – legal and illegal – in Native artifacts
• Looting of Native sites
• Destruction of Native sites through development and/or resource extraction (dams, mining)
• Issues concerning the protection of sacred sites
• Heritage tourism – use/exploitation of Native sites
• Native-run tourism and cultural industries
• Community archaeology projects with Indigenous peoples and archaeologists collaborating, in:
  • Australia
  • Canada
  • USA