Alaska: Indigenous Archaeology - ARCL 306 (6 credits)

This course introduces students to a continuum of Alaska Native lifeways in southwest Alaska and is part of an ongoing collaborative partnership with the Village of Tuyuryaq (Togiak). Students will engage in community centered (Indigenous) partnerships, including participation in Experiential Learning Week (E-Week), co-learning with local youth at the Togiak School and working with elders and knowledge holders. Students will be trained in the methods and principles of Indigenous /Indigenous-centered research and data sovereignty, education programs and field methods including field journaling, excavation, erosion mitigation, mapping, GPR, and drones, including LiDAR (weather permitting) all framed within a decolonizing framework, challenging western epistemologies and ontologies in a hands-on learning environment. This course begins with on-campus coursework and preparation including lectures, readings, and field preparedness. This field school is part of a National Science Foundation (NSF) research grant grounded in an Indigenous framework including research and sovereignty. This course requires tent-camping and living off grid. 

General Global Seminar requirements

To participate in a Global Seminar, students must:

• Be in good standing in their faculty (as defined by home faculty)
• In the year leading up to the Global Seminar, have full-time student status (as defined by home faculty)
• Have completed 2nd year requirements before the start of the program (i.e., eligible for 3rd or 4th year standing)
• Have at least a 70% academic average in your last full-time academic session before applying
• Maintain a 70% academic average leading up to the program
• Meet any program-specific requirements listed below including pre-requisites before participating

Final selection will be made by the lead faculty program directors. Space in the program may be limited.  

Students who wish to participate in the summer after graduating may be eligible on a case-by-case basis.

This program begins on campus with lectures and readings providing essential theoretical, historical, and contemporary context and background to students. The on-campus portion also provides an opportunity for students to understand risks associated with "remote" field work and provides tools for developing and communicating personal boundaries and becoming familiar with peers. The field camp includes camping in tents on the Bering sea coast of Alaska in spring. I provide detailed gear lists, safety training, and information that is shared in verbal and printed formats and revisited regularly to ensure clear expectations and participant preparedness. Accessibility is a priority of the course, field sciences often exclude a broad range of participants due to physical and mental health differences, or concerns about accommodations for spiritual practice, learning differences, class differences, etc. This funding provides essential support for students who may not otherwise be able to participate. I conduct several 1:1 predeparture meetings and create personal care plans with each student. I am confident we can (and have) been able to accommodate a range of accessibility issues with the understanding that the overall experience is individualized to meet various needs and abilities.

This is a remote field school with the bulk of the time taking place in an off-grid field camp which includes tent camping, hauling water, no internet, and minimal access to cellphones. Access to cellphones is limited to weekly calls, emergency use, and safety purposes. Students are expected to prepare for cool, wet, and fluctuating weather conditions.  A detailed list of required and recommended outdoor gear/supplies will be provided. Students are expected to support minimizing their footprint on the land and the communities hosting them with an acute awareness of resources and consumption. Students will also be expected to help maintain the field camp. This includes rotating camps tasks/chores including kitchen duties and maintaining the sanitation of the bathrooms with oversight and support.

The course will begin in Anchorage Alaska where students will have the opportunity to visit two museums and the possibility of meeting with local leaders/experts. Students will then fly as a group through Dillingham, Ak to Togiak. In Togiak, students can expect to participate in multi-generational collaboration for place-based intro to Tuyuryaq archaeology, collaboration on filming, recording, and VR/AR prep, community service work and co-learning. The first week in Togiak students will stay at the Togiak School then transporting to the field camp at Temyiq Tuyuryaq  by boat. Time at the field camp will involve excavation, looting/subsistence looting monitoring and mitigation GPR mapping, LiDAR mapping, documenting, and recording of heritage sites building a continuum/cultural landscape studies. Field work may include readings and lectures. 

Dependent on location: mix of hotel and tent camping (living off-grid) 

Approximate program fees before awards: $3715*

*The final fee depends on the number of students in the program. All Global Seminars only run if there is a minimum number of students enrolled. 

Arts Research Abroad (ARA) Funding

This seminar is an Arts Research Abroad (ARA) course. ARA courses will provide an award which will cover up to 50% of the program fee and flights for eligible students. In cases of demonstrated financial need (determined by Enrolment Services), ARA may fund up to 100% of the program fee and flights.

All eligible Arts students selected for this program will be automatically considered for the award. No additional award application is required.

Program participants who are not eligible for ARA will be charged the full program fee and receive a $1000 Go Global Award.

Eligibility Criteria for Arts Research Abroad (ARA) funding:

• Undergraduate students in the Faculty of Arts (Note: students in other faculties are not eligible for ARA funding, but may still participate in the program).
• Selected for this program.
• Students who have student loans and non-repayable bursaries may qualify for 100% ARA funding.

Typically, students will need to pay for the flight first and will receive the award during in the summer term.