UC Berkeley

The following chapters are a dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley. This dissertation is a project that attempts to develop a template for implementing an “Indigenous archaeological” research paradigm for the Navajo Nation. The first chapter is a reflexive narrative, which is intended to situate the project within the field and within the wider socio-economic politics of becoming an “indigenous archaeologist.” In the next chapter, a description and analysis of Indigenous archaeological concepts and practices that can be used to create a Navajo approach to archaeology are discussed. Following this chapter is a presentation of a case study on the anthropological and archaeological historical legacy that has created and perpetuated the displacement of Navajo people in the prehistory of the Southwestern US; which will include examples of influential projects that has shaped Navajo displacement from the past. The fourth chapter will present a research design adopted by the Navajo Nation Council that will guide research on Navajo prehistory and history, and one which will allow for a uniquely Navajo perspective and history. The concluding chapter will discuss some of the wider implications of the research and provide recommendations for working with tribal communities to create tribally centered archaeological practices.