I am a senior at the University of Washington and have grown increasingly curious about the Indigenous history of this state and this University which sits on the land of the Coast Salish peoples. I walk away from this project and class with a much more profound understanding of the ways that the injustices of colonialism are still alive and well and are still harming communities globally. I hope to challenge these transgressions whenever I encounter them in my future work with disenfranchised populations. Indigenous communities have shaped this world, I hope to celebrate their cultures and legacies wherever possible.

I am a senior at the University of Washington in the Archaeological Sciences major, a decision I made on a bit of a whim, in truth. I thought archaeology sounded fun and I had reached the point where I couldn’t register for classes unless I declared a major. I then added the Biological Anthropology and Medical Anthropology majors for good measure. Prior to this class, I had truly never imagined the ways in which archaeology impacted Indigenous communities, but I have come to understand the traumas it has enhanced as well as the healing capacity that Indigenous methodologies have brought to archaeology. I am so grateful for this newfound awareness. I will certainly bring it to my future archaeological practice and continue to listen to Indigenous voices.

I am a senior at the University of Washington, majoring in Indigenous Archaeology with a minor in Classical Studies and Dance. I started my college journey as a first generation student at Santa Monica Community College in Los Angeles where I completed an Associate of Arts degree in Anthropology, making this my first quarter at UW. The first couple weeks of our Indigenous Archaeology class really made me question if there could be any good in archaeology at all. I felt my heart sink into my stomach as I learned of the horrors and evil of archaeology’s past (and present). Archaeology was and still is a tool for colonization, and I needed to understand that. Studying the past is cool but when I felt into my potential future as an archaeologist there was always this huge question mark of “how do I make this work meaningful” and “how do I contribute to making the world a better place.” I think anyone who wants to study/pursue archaeology should go through this process and really ask themselves why they want to do archaeology, and who they want to do archaeology for. My archaeology career isn’t about me, and I hope I can play a small part in a bigger and beautiful story led by Indigenous voices and actions.

I am a senior at the University of Washington, majoring in Archaeological Sciences with a minor in Paleobiology. My initial interest in archaeology can be traced back to when I was a young girl living in Clallam Bay, Washington, where I spent many hours at the Makah Museum. Like many others who have entertained the profession, I was attracted to the thrill of “discovery” and “adventure” that is so often linked with archaeology. But even more than that, I was attracted to the potential for community building, revitalization, and activism which I saw through the archaeology done at Ozette. Taking Indigenous Archaeology this quarter (fall 2022), opened my eyes to this more political, contemporary side of archaeology, more so than any of the other archaeology courses I have taken thus far. It was disappointing, and at times discouraging, to learn about the history and (in many contexts) the current practices of archaeology. However, I was also left feeling inspired and excited by the work being done by, with, and for Indigenous communities. I look forward to carrying with me and applying the theories, methodologies, and tools I’ve learn in this course as I continue my education and career within archaeology.