Simon Fraser University (SFU) presents, “From Artifacts to Advocacy: An Archaeological Journey into Indigenous Heritage Protection,” on June 26 at the Harbour Centre where Nicholas will recount his decades-long journey redefining archeology through a focus on Indigenous heritage protection.

“I went through a remarkable change. In the early 1990s, I learned that Simon Fraser University had just opened a campus on the Kamloops Indian Reserve,” Nicholas recalls. “I went over there, and I talked to the director and the next thing I knew, I was teaching over there… I [did so for] the next 16 years, developing what would become one of the first Indigenous archaeology programs in the world.”

Teaching and relearning

Reflecting on his time teaching at the Kamloops Indian Reserve, Nicholas remembers being challenged to reconsider his field according to entirely different ways of knowing and cultural considerations. His goal was to teach his students – who were mostly of First Nations heritage – archaeology so they could “pursue their own interests and needs.”

“Many of these Nations in British Columbia – and in fact worldwide – have historically had little control over their own heritage,” the professor adds. “Almost daily we see their heritage sites or archeological sites being destroyed by construction and so on.”

This experience marked the beginning of a renowned career developing Indigenous archaeology – a more inclusive, rights-based approach to the discipline. Nicholas and fellow archaeologists who ascribe to this framework go beyond the mere analysis of artifacts: they root their research in the context of the peoples and values-systems from which these artifacts stem. According to Nicholas, these cultures and histories are often disregarded in archaeology.

“What we need to do is to highlight [Indigenous] views of heritage, their conceptions of the past and why it matters to them today,” the professor says. “This is the [basis] of the work that I’ve done in terms of social justice, activism and human rights.”

The professor’s approach has propelled him beyond the bounds of this discipline. As he discovered, affirming Indigenous rights and ownership in archaeology would not be possible without addressing sociopolitical barriers.

“Much of my work has been oriented to educating governments, as well as the public, in terms of the nature of Indigenous heritage and how it is different from the heritage of most Canadians or Americans or Australians,” he states.

This work also drove the professor to “protecting intellectual property that is part of heritage,” leading to the development of a project he directed from 2008 to 2016: the Intellectual Property Issues in Cultural Heritage (IPinCH). The project collaborated with western and Indigenous scholars and communities across the world.

Towards a more just future

In 2014, Nicholas delivered a talk at TedxYellowknife on Indigenous archaeology in Yukon. More than a decade later, he looks forward to sharing encouraging developments within archaeology and beyond.

“Indigenous Peoples in general have greater capacity than they had earlier,” Nicholas points out. “There is a dramatic increase in the number of Indigenous individuals who, themselves are archaeologists, or otherwise working in government and education.”

Yet, despite increased inclusion, the implementation of justice-focused practices remains elusive. The professor shares how a bottleneck for further progress is created when state governments do not want to relinquish their power.

“Whether we look at British Columbia…or Canada-at-large that [has] signed onto the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples or other countries… I think there’s a general willingness and desire for it to work, [but] it’s going to be many years before anyone figures out how to make UNDRIP [a priority],” he adds.

Nicholas looks ahead with optimism for greater consideration towards diversity, not only within his field or at the state-level, but across all realms of society.

“I hope that people learn to listen to each other and respect each other, and understand that there is no one way of living,”  he adds.

For more information on Nicholas’s upcoming lecture – delivered online and in-person – see:
https://events.sfu.ca/event/44723-from-artifacts-to-advocacy-an-archaeological