Decolinization and Understanding Cultural Perspective - Ep 161

Decolinization and Understanding Cultural Perspective - Ep 161

From The Rock Art Podcast by The Archaeology Podcast Network

March 13, 2026 · 38 min · Episode 161

About this episode

The episode discusses the importance of Indigenous perspectives in archaeology and rock art studies amidst the decolonization movement.

In episode 161, Chris Webster and Dr. Alan Garfinkel discuss decolonization in archaeology and rock art studies, arguing that researchers must take Indigenous perspectives seriously as Native communities gain more political and intellectual influence. They emphasize that Indigenous cosmologies often frame rock art meaning through interconnected energy, reciprocity, and life-death cycles rather than “gods” and rigid categories, and they highlight the value of shared vocabulary, cultural humility, and collaboration in interpretation.

People in this episode

Host: Chris Webster

Guest: Dr. Alan Garfinkel

Topics covered

  • decolonization
  • archaeology
  • rock art studies
  • Indigenous perspectives
  • cultural humility
  • collaboration

Keywords

  • decolonization
  • archaeology
  • rock art
  • Indigenous perspectives
  • cultural humility
  • collaboration
  • energy
  • reciprocity
  • life-death cycles

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Native communities, Indigenous perspectives

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