Bérénice Bellina

Indigenous Archaeology is a field of archaeology focused on the involvement of indigenous peoples and communities and the integration of their interests and perspectives into the discipline, both practically and theoretically, to make it more representative, accountable, and relevant. It also aims to inform and broaden the understandings and interpretations of the archaeological record by considering indigenous knowledge systems, history, and science (Nicholas 2008: 1660). Indigenous archaeology has not developed at the same speed in the different regions of the world: practiced earlier in North America and Oceania, it is emerging more recently in Taiwan and Thailand. It takes different forms according to the local history, archaeological traditions, and sponsors involved. In this workshop, the speakers will compile a picture of the state of Indigenous archaeological research in several countries of the vast Asia and Pacific area, highlighting how historical, ethnic, and scientific specificities have shaped the approaches that have been developed. What difficulties have been encountered, and what concepts and methods have been developed? How has this approach enriched or contributed to the archaeological project carried out? What are the societal, economic, and environmental implications? The papers will also outline future developments in Indigenous archaeology and highlight methods that could be further developed.​

09:45–9:55 – Opening Remarks
Dr. Bérénice BELLINA (CNRS, UMR8068) & Prof. Frank MUYARD (EFEO)

Panel 1: India & Mainland Southeast Asia
Chair: Prof. Yves Goudineau (EFEO)

10:00-10:40 – Indigenous Archaeology: Learning from the Nagas (Northeast India)
Prof. Alok Kanungo
Archaeological Sciences Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India

10:40-11:20 – Archaeological Practice and the Decolonisation of Knowledge:
Indigenous Notions of Space, Time and Matter and the Pre-modern History of the Forest-dwellers of the Nilgiri Mountains, Southern India
Prof. Daniela De Simone
Department of Languages and Cultures, Ghent University, Belgium

11:20-11:40 Coffee Break

11:40–12:20 – A Reflection on Archaeological Heritage in the Highland Region of Northwest Thailand
Prof. Rasmi Shoocongdej
Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Archaeology, Silpakorn University, Bangkok

12:20–13:00 – Engaging with the Heritage of Maritime Populations of the Lanta Bay:
A Community-based Archaeological and Ethnographic Project (the Lanta Bay Project, Thailand)
Dr. Bérénice Bellina (CNRS, UMR8068) & Dr. Olivier Evrard (IRD, UMR206)

13:00-14:00 Lunch

Panel 2: Island Southeast Asia & East Asia
Chair: Dr. Annabel Vallard (CNRS, UMR 8170)

14:00–14:40 – Exploring the Sustainability of Local Practices and the Role of Humans in Shaping the Landscape in Southern Palawan, Philippines
Dr. Hermine Xhauflair (University of the Philippines Diliman)
& Dr. Timothy James Vitales (National Museum of the Philippines)

14:40-15:20 – Indigenous Archaeology in New Guinea: Present Status and Possible Developments
Dr. Marian Vanhaeren (CNRS), Wulf Schiefenhövel (Max Plank Institute), Enrico Kondologit (University Papua), Erlin Novita (Research Center of Prehistoric and Historical Archaeological, BRIN, Jayapura, Indonesia) & Hari Suroto

15:20-15:40 Coffee Break

15:40-16:20 – The Importance of Indigenous Archaeology in Taiwan
Prof. Chiang Chih-Hua
Department of Anthropology, National Taiwan University, Taipei

16:20–17:00 – Indigenous Archaeology in Japan: An Indigenous Outsider’s Inside Perspective
Dr. Joe Watkins  
Archaeological and Cultural Education Consultants, Tucson, Arizona / Research Associate, Global Station for Indigenous Studies and Cultural Diversities: GSI & Center for Ainu and Indigenous Studies, Hokkaido University, Sapporo

17:00–18:00 – Closing Roundtable:
Present and Future Challenges for Indigenous Archaeology in Asia-Pacific
Bérénice Bellina, Yves Goudineau, Alok Kanungo, Frank Muyard, Rasmi Shoocongdej, Annabel Vallard & Joe Watkins