Sugarbag and shellfish: Indigenous foodways in colonial Cape York Peninsula

Historically, food was a key medium for cultural exchanges between Indigenous peoples and settler-colonists. Although the analysis of foodways is known to provide unparalleled insights on daily life, cultural values and social relationships, it has received limited attention in archaeological investigations of colonialism in Australia. This research proposes to trace Indigenous foodways in colonial Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, through a program of collaborative community-based archaeological and anthropological research. This will produce inclusive narratives of Indigenous peoples’ experiences of colonialism, and generate novel insights on the role of Indigenous foodways in the negotiation of power in colonial settings.