Mission
The Archaeology Program helps the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma comply with the National Historic Preservation Act internally by conducting background research and cultural resources surveys for Choctaw Nation projects, to provide the information necessary to make a determination of effect.
Program
Archaeology is a discipline that has its roots in colonization. Often, the viewpoints and practices of Americanist archaeology have brought its practitioners into direct conflict with Native American people. More recently, Indigenous archaeology has emerged as Native American people and perspectives have been integrated into parts of the discipline and as Tribal governments have established their own archaeology programs.
The Choctaw Nation Tribal Archaeology program serves the Choctaw community by helping the Tribal government comply with federal law while also following the wishes of the Choctaw people regarding the treatment of archaeological sites and artifacts. The Program follows the traditional Choctaw viewpoint that archaeological materials remain the property of past people, not of the archaeologist or the repository. As such, excavation is used to identify archaeological sites and provide information about the nature of a site’s archaeological deposits that can be used to determine whether it is eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. Both are crucial steps in complying with federal historic preservation law. Archaeological excavation for general research will not occur on any project unless it has the support of the Tribal government and community. The Reservation of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is the ancestral homeland of other Tribes, including the Caddo, Osage, and Wichita and contains archaeological sites produced by Euro-Americans, African Americans, and others. The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is the steward of non-Choctaw archaeological sites that are located on Choctaw Nation-owned lands. This means consulting and collaborating with descendant communities for the appropriate management and preservation of these sites.