Indigenous archaeology

Indigenous archaeologies is a sub-discipline of archaeological practice that centers archaeology "by, for, and with" Indigenous people to critique the colonialist biases in modern archaeology. It actively recognizes the special rights, interests and responsibilities that Native people have in the realm of cultural heritage. Changes in practices under what is called indigenous archaeology may range from Indigenous peoples being consulted about archaeological research and the terms of non-Native researchers, to instances of Native-designed and directed exploration of their "own" heritage. Indigenous archaeology is not exclusive to Indigenous peoples. The practice of Indigenous archaeology provides non-Native people with a tool by which they may aid in the larger project of decolonization and reclamation of minority rights and identities.

There is no singular paradigm which all practitioners follow, leading to the pluralization of the name. Methodologies can include, but are not limited to; the use of intangible heritage in interpreting the material archaeological record, protective data sovereignty and Indigenous intellectual property rights, and community-led collaborative project frameworks.