LOCAL ARCHEOLOGY A KEY ELEMENT OF TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

PARTNERING WITH INDIGENOUS NATIONS TO VALIDATE AND PROTECT HISTORY

Consulting local Indigenous communities during archeological assessments, and returning cultural artifacts discovered, is a step on the journey to Truth and Reconciliation that could involve several Dundas locations.

"It's an important topic, and more and more critical to reinforcing or validating Indigenous peoples' oral history," said McMaster University anthropology and Indigenous studies professor Dawn MartinHill.

The City of Hamilton's Urban Indigenous Strategy sets the goal of improving "how the City works with First Nations when conducting archeology."

The final, stage 4 archeological report for 71 Main St. in Dundas notes three registered Indigenous archeological sites within one kilometre.

Five pre-contact Aboriginal artifacts were discovered at 71 Main.

The report stated it was difficult to draw conclusions, other than the artifacts were produced by "unspecified Aboriginal peoples during pre-contact times." The stage 4 report did not mention Indigenous consultation.

The stage 3 report for 56 York Rd. stated "the Aboriginal component of this site, consisting of 8 non-diagnostic flakes, a scraper and a preform ... is insufficient to consider it as representing a significant cultural occupation" and "as insufficient resources relating to the Aboriginal Pre-Contact or Post-Contact period were encountered ... engagement with Aboriginal groups was not conducted as part of the current Stage 3 assessment."

Stage 3 excavation at the site found evidence of Indigenous stone tools not typical at local sites. An agreement was reached not to proceed with excavation, but "cap" the archeological site and build on the property without disrupting remaining material.

Scott Martin, operations manager of Sustainable Archaeology McMaster, previously said the project raised several institutional biases against Indigenous history in Ontario archeological practice.

"At this time of public recognition of residential school atrocities and with Truth and Reconciliation in the forefront of our minds, we need to continue to advocate for Indigenous voices actually being

heard," Martin said.

Martin said in his experience, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Six Nations Band Council and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council — the three Indigenous nations closest to Dundas, are interested in regaining sovereignty of archeological collections.

"All have archeology departments and are involved in archeological monitoring when consulting archaeologists conduct their projects," Martin said. "At this time, however, none of these three has a cultural centre ready for long-term archeological collections care. I think each is interested in building

one, though."

Kevin Puddister, curator and general manager of Dundas Museum & Archives, said the institution takes its responsibility in responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action seriously. "It was in this spirit that we want to engage with the artifacts found at the York site ... having been at one time a homestead and working farm, (it) revealed a small, yet still significant, amount of Indigenous material," Puddister said. "The museum, in coordination with the archaeologists and in consultation with the appropriate descendant Indigenous communities, hopes to form a partnership for sharing and learning."

He said museum staff's knowledge of the site and its artifacts coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and that slowed the process.

"As it stands, the museum's collections committee will not approve the acquisition of Indigenous material without a strong link to the area and appropriate consultation and partnership with descendant communities," Puddister said.

Martin said some First Nations do have cultural centres, or partner with museums, to house and share histories and artifacts.

"Sustainable Archaeology

McMaster has been seeking partnerships with these communities in various ways, although we currently do not have a formal Memorandum of Understanding with any of these three nations," he said.

Martin said there are cases where archaeologists have been able to directly transfer a collection to particular First Nations, with approval from Ontario's Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, but such repatriation or rematriation of collections is still rare.

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: We wanted to learn how local archeology might support the goals of Truth and Reconciliation.