Think Indigenous: Knowledge, Story and Relationships to Educate for Change

D6       Teaching Archaeology: the Secwepemc World From the Ice Age to Now
How long have people been in BC, and what were they doing here before Canada arrived?
In this workshop Joanne will give a tour of the Secwepemc world prior to contact, as understood by archaeologists interpreting the material culture of BC’s ancient Indigenous occupants. She will provide a brief overview of the past 10,000 years of history in our region, and then focus on some aspects of material culture that make stories about the past come alive. She’ll discuss ancient Secwepemc technologies, food preparation and procurement, travel and trade, traditional ecological knowledge, and more. A brief overview of contact-era history and issues will be included. The place of this knowledge in contemporary culture will be discussed, with a focus on the roles and responsibilities of teaching Indigenous and Indigenous-Canadian history in reconciliation. Questions are strongly encouraged and discussion of specific teaching concerns welcome.

Joanne Hammond is an archaeologist and anthropologist in Kamloops, and the Director of Heritage for the Skeetchestn Natural Resources Corp. She is a Graduate Program Adviser and course developer with SFU’s Department of Archaeology. She is active in archaeological outreach in classrooms, with community organizations, and in the media. She writes about archaeology and life in the business at http://republicofarchaeology.ca/ and on Twitter @KamloopsArchaeo.