Society for American Archaeology Native American Scholarships Program

Society For American Archaeology, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

Since the inception of archaeology in the Americas, Native Americans have been the preferred subjects of scientific inquiry, classification, and interpretation, as their cultures, items of cultural patrimony, and ways of life were documented for perpetuity. Yet, Native Americans have been and continue to be dramatically underrepresented in the field of archaeology. The Society for American Archaeology recognizes the benefits of Native American and Indigenous participation in archaeology and has, for the past two decades, developed a Native American Scholarship Fund that supports training Native American and Indigenous archaeologists. These scholarships help ensure that indigenous knowledge and voices continue to become a more vibrant part of the fabric of understanding American culture and past human experience. The lasting impact of these scholarships has already impacted archaeology and the larger historic preservation community. For example, many of the past recipients of the SAA's Native American Scholarships indicate that their award enabled them to pursue careers in archaeology and in several cases inspired them to create similar opportunities for future generations of indigenous archaeologists to follow in their footsteps. Scholarships awarded through this grant support both graduate and undergraduate education and training in archaeology for Native American, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian students and community members and recipients are selected through a competitive, criteria-based process. The funding provided by the National Science Foundation will enable the SAA to continue their legacy of supporting underrepresented communities within the field of archaeology as part of their commitment to the "Statement on Diversity," which makes inclusiveness an institutional and disciplinary goal. The SAA Native American Scholarship program is among the most visible and tangible mechanisms to show that archaeologists are invested in a future for their discipline that is fully inclusive to Native peoples. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.