Living Histories Native Americans and Southwestern Archaeology [Hardcover]

Rather than reviewing what is known about the ancient Southwest, this book examines how archaeological practices have impacted living communities. Colwell-Chanthaphonh (Denver Museum of Nature and Science) usefully summarizes the alienations and entanglements between mainstream archaeological practices and southwestern Native American understandings of deep history. He concisely outlines how indigenous people historically were barred from the archaeological study of their past, and their recent (yet still incomplete) successes in breaking into the conversation. Colwell-Chanthaphonh consistently tacks back and forth between the perspectives of archaeologists and Native peoples, attempting to keep them separate but equal. The book treats their divergent approaches to the value of the past and sites, the history of archaeological research, and federal laws governing indigenous heritage. Coverage of Native participation in and resistance to early excavations, the emergence of tribal-run heritage programs, and recent collaborative efforts between indigenous people and mainstream archaeologists is particularly strong. The volume, written for nonspecialists, will also be a great addition to introductory courses in southwestern and North American archaeology. Summing Up: Highly recommended.The general reader and archaeology student will find this book enjoyable and enlightening. . . . Several of the sidebars present specific topics that would make good class discussions at either the undergraduate or graduate level. Given the history it provides and the discussions it will provoke, this book should be required reading in all university survey courses on Southwest archaeology.Colwell-Chanthaphonh has provided an alternative way of presenting the histories of the American Southwest. Rather than relegating Native American communities to the periphery or injecting them firmly into the middle, he draws attention to their place within archaeologys development, growth, evolutlÃ-