Toward an Indigenist research model of Australian archaeology: theory and practice in Indigenous archaeology

That a contentious relationship exists between global First Nations communities and the discipline of archaeology is well understood by practitioners of archaeology. Perceived Western supremacy has often worked to de-center First Nations peoples and communities in archaeological research in favor of Western understandings of history and heritage. A recent trend of de-colonialism has addressed some of these concerns; however, a methodological change is not enough to fully address the issue. This chapter addresses the colonial culture of archaeology, as well as the epistemological Whiteness at the heart of archaeological theory and practice. Doing so challenges the undertheorizing of Indigenous archaeologies of the Australian continent. The chapter concludes by considering ways to address the present issues through three tenets of a proposed Indigenist model of Australian archaeology: archaeological sovereignty, healing and reconciliation, and Indigenist futures in archaeology.