Abstract
Archived photographs are discussed as a proven and principal means to understand cultural landscapes and the archaeological sites within. Photographs offer one means to include the voices and oral traditions of Native American descendent communities in an archaeological project by emphasizing the visceral ties between places and the people who created them. As artifacts, archived photographs act as touchstones to generate stories about people and places. They are capable of solidifying ties between people and ancestral territories, and their ability to engage Native Americans and other audiences in interpretive settings suggests their role as teaching devices. These three roles of archived photographs complement an indigenous archaeology by involving and empowering Native American communities, integrating oral traditions, and fostering a sense of site stewardship.
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