Lisa Young – “Sharing an Ear of Corn: An Archaeologist’s Perspective on the Role of Food in Community Collaborations”

All AAHS lectures are open to the public but you must preregister. To register click here.

Collaborations, especially with descendent communities, have become an important and vibrant component of archaeological projects.Engagement with community members commonly occurs during the fieldwork and analysis components of a project.What happens when the project is completed? How can archaeologists maintain connections with their community partners, especially in contexts where substantial distances separate them?In this talk, I share my perspective on the importance of food in nourishing collaborations that began over 15 years ago at the Homolovi State Park, near Winslow, Arizona. A conversation about the importance of sharing an ear of roasted corn kindled these long-term relationships and have led to my deeper understanding of the connections between corn, heritage, and ancestors for the Hopi community, as well as Anishinaabe communities in the Great Lakes region.