Bibliographic Information
Article Title
Integrating Remote Sensing and Indigenous Archaeology to Locate Unmarked Graves: A Case Study from Northern Alberta, Canada
Journal Title
Advances in Archaeological Practice
Author(s)
Wadsworth, William T. D. and Supernant, Kisha and Dersch, Ave and The Chipewyan Prairie First Nation
Year of Publication
2021
Volume Number
9
Issue Number
3
Article Pages
202-214
Web Address (URL)
Additional Information
Language
English
Notes
Abstract
Archaeologists have long been called on to use geophysical techniques to locate unmarked graves in both archaeological and forensic contexts. Although these techniques—primarily ground-penetrating radar (GPR)—have demonstrated efficacy in this application, there are fewer examples of studies driven by Indigenous community needs. In North America, the location of ancestors and burial grounds is a priority for most Indigenous communities. We argue that when these Indigenous voices are equitably included in research design, the practice of remote sensing changes and more meaningful collaborations ensue. Drawing on Indigenous archaeology and heart-centered practices, we argue that remote-sensing survey methodologies, and the subsequent narratives produced, need to change. These approaches change both researchers’ and Indigenous communities’ relationships to the work and allow for the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge (IK) in interpretation. In this article, we discuss this underexplored research trajectory, explain how it relates to modern GPR surveys for unmarked graves, and present the results from a survey conducted at the request of the Chipewyan Prairie First Nation. Although local in nature, we discuss potential benefits and challenges of Indigenous remote sensing collaborations, and we engage larger conversations happening in Indigenous communities around the ways these methods can contribute to reconciliation and decolonization.
Taxonomies
RPA Codes & Standards
- Adequate Preparation for Research Projects
- Appropriate Dissemination of Research
- Archaeologist's Responsibility to Employers and Clients
- Archaeologist's Responsibility to the Public
- Integrity of Research Methodology
- Procedures for Field Survey or Excavation
- Specimen and Research Record Storage
CIfA Codes
- Principle 1: Adherence to ethical and responsible behaviour in archaeological affairs
- Principle 2: Responsibility for the conservation of the historic environment
- Principle 4: Responsibility for the availability of archaeological results within reasonable dispatch
Keywords & Terms
- Adequate and Responsible Reporting, Publication, and Dissemination
- Adequate Preparation
- Anti-Colonial
- Burials and Human Remains
- Canadian Archaeology
- Consultation/Partnership with Affected Groups
- Consultation/Partnership with Indigenous Peoples
- Employer/Client Relationships
- GPR and Remote Sensing
- Impact on Communities - Local, Descendant, etc.
- Indigenous Archaeologies
- Indigenous, Tribal, Aboriginal Rights
- Integrity of Research Methodology and Field Procedures
- Knowledge Production
- Local, State, Federal, and Tribal Laws
- Looting, Collecting, and Illicit Trade of Cultural Property
- Management of Cultural Resources, Heritage, History
- Multi-Vocal Forms of Practice
- Museum, Collection, Curation and Display Standards
- Pedagogy
- Professional Qualification
- Professional Relationships and Communication
- Professional Standards
- Protection and Non-Disclosure of Archaeological Sites
- Public Interest, Collaboration, Education, and Outreach
- Reflexivity
- Repatriation
- Respect for and Responsibility to Affected Groups
- Standards of Data Collection, Recordation, Analysis
- Standards of Training and Student/Teacher Responsibilities
- Stewardship
- Storage of Data, Specimens, and Records
- Unmarked Graves
Topics & Issues
- Archaeological Ethics - Other
- Collaboration in Archaeology (i.e. Communities, Non-Archaeologists, etc.)
- Community Archaeology and Participatory Research
- Decolonizing Archaeology
- Descendant, Resident, and Stakeholder Communities
- Ethical Case Studies
- Ethical Responsibilities of Archaeologists
- Heritage Erasure
- Historic/Cultural Resource/Site Preservation
- Human Remains and Ethical Practice
- Human Rights and Social and Economic Inequalities
- Indigenous Archaeology: Perspectives and Issues
- Legal Issues
- Legislation and Archaeological Preservation
- MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women)
- NAGPRA, Repatriation, and Indigenous Rights
- Professionalism and Professional Standards
- Public Archaeology
- Public Engagement, Outreach, and Education

