With an Open Mind and Open Heart

Collections Care at the Laboratory of Archaeology

in Museum Worlds
Author:
Kate Roth University of British Columbia kate.roth@alumni.ubc.ca

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3167/armw.2016.040109
Keywords:
archaeology; collaboration; cultural heritage; Indigenous communities; repatriation; repository
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ABSTRACT

Archaeological repositories are active spaces that preserve the archaeological record for future research and care for the cultural and ancestral heritage of Indigenous communities. Repositories therefore have the potential to be sites of continued collaborative engagement between scholars and communities. The Laboratory of Archaeology (LOA) at the University of British Columbia is a repository that now works with communities to respectfully care for their cultural material, while still remaining committed to research and education. Drawing on interviews with LOA members and my own experience working at the lab, I explore the ways LOA’s practices and policies work to mitigate power asymmetry and facilitate sharing knowledge between communities and scholars.

Contributor Notes

KATE ROTH received her Master of Arts degree from the Department of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia in November 2015. Originally from Edmonton, AB, Kate resides in Vancouver, BC. Kate has presented on the topic of repositories at UBC Archaeology Day and the BC Archaeology Forum. Kate worked at the Laboratory of Archaeology from 2011 to 2014.

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Museum Worlds

Advances in Research

Cover Museum Worlds
Article Category:
Research Article
Page Count:
15
Keywords:
archaeology; collaboration; cultural heritage; Indigenous communities; repatriation; repository
Print Publication Date:
01 Jul 2016
Online Publication Date:
01 Jul 2016
Copyright:
© Berghahn Books 2016

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