Poster Subject: Indigenous Studies

Poster Title: Choice, Subjectivity, and Consequences in Archaeological Research

Bio: Jacinda Sinclair (She/Her) is a Canadian graduate student currently pursuing a Masters degree in Archaeology at Memorial University, under the supervision of Dr. Lisa Rankin. She holds a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Manitoba, and previously spent several years working for The Manitoba Museum as a collections management assistant. Her research frequently focuses on Post-Contact Peoples in Northern Canada, and on how the actions of researchers and the conditions of archaeological research affect archaeological narratives.

Abstract: The archaeological site, as it frequently exists within the public imagination, is something isolated and confined to a discrete point in the past. Similarly, the excavating archaeologist is routinely thought of as impartial, inherently scientific, and comprehensively thorough. However, in the field, it is immediately clear that the reality is far more complicated. Decisions about what data is collected, its interpretation, and how its subsequent conclusions are presented, are complicated products of logistical, methodological, and even ethical concerns. Choices made at any point in this process may have lasting outcomes potentially affecting not only future research possibilities, but also all present and future stakeholders. Using the Labrador Inuit site of Avertok as its primary case study, this poster explores these ideas and their implications. While definitive answers to such complicated issues are beyond its scope, this poster aims to educate on and encourage the process of how archaeological knowledge is collected, created, and shared.  

Corresponding Author's Email: jmsinclair@mun.ca