I suspect that Phil Minthorn and yourself are actually in some
agreement on this issue. In the article I try to stress that what is
needed is 1) a critical examination of how archaeology, anthropology,
and history is practiced, by whom, and for what purposes, and 2)how this
translates (or doesn't translate) into the treatment of the history of
Native peoples in the classroom.
I think the issue is less about contemporary methodological approaches
in these disciplines, and more about who wields power and control over
research, and to what ends - academic, economic, educational????. There
are no pat answers to those questions. But I do think these issues need
to be resolved at the grassroots level, as each and every aboriginal
community has its own perspectives and policies regarding their
relations with outsiders, and researchers in particular. And I also
think that cooler heads should prevail.
The problem is that people do not talk to each other; they talk AT each
other, and I hope that this will change sometime soon. I remain
optimistic.
I think I probably express myself better in the article.
Take care.
Heather