Dr. Kerry Thompson is an archaeologist and has worked primarily in the American Southwest. A member of the Navajo Nation, she is primarily interested in the inclusion of Native American perspectives and participation in archaeological practice. Folklore and oral tradition are listed as lines of evidence for establishing cultural affiliation under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Since the passage of NAGPRA in 1990, archaeologists have increasingly engaged descendent communities and their oral histories in archaeological research. While the body of literature is growing, there is no clear picture of the ways in which oral histories are being brought into archaeological practice. Pondering the Use of Native American Oral Histories in Archaeological Practice reviews the different uses to which archaeologists are putting oral histories and provides examples of such research occurring in the American Southwest. To attempt a better accommodation of Diné perspectives in this research, Dr. Kerry Thompson used a theoretical framework derived from a ceremonial called the Hozhooji, or Blessingway, in concert with Western theories of agency, practice, structure, and history in a study of late nineteenth and early twentieth century Diné sites.
Reception and socialization at 7:00 pm, program begins approximately 7:30 pm.
