How should we define continuity and persistence with respect to Indigenous peoples and their history in the Northwest?

Anth 334 — Time and Culture in the Northwest — Fall 2020
Washington State University | Vancouver
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Writing Assignment 1 – Continuity and Persistence
Assigned date: Thursday Sept 17, 2020
Due date: Thursday October 8, 2020 by the beginning of class (10:35 a.m.)
Our Anth 334 course is based around three concepts — persistence, place and
resilience. These are foundational aspects of Indigenous Northwest Coast cultures and
histories. You will complete a writing assignment focused on each concept over the
semester (see course schedule for details).
In this first third of the course we are focusing on expressions of continuity and
persistence in Northwest Coast cultures, recognizing that there is potentially 14,000
years or more of continuity/persistence represented in the archaeological record and
Indigenous oral histories across the region.
For this assignment, you will explore a series of issues on the subject, and prepare and
submit a written paper conveying your perspective on several prompts, as listed below.
The Assignment
Your paper will be a response to the following five prompts, with each forming a
section of your paper (make a brief heading for each), enclosed in an introductory and
concluding statement.
1. How should we define continuity and persistence with respect to Indigenous peoples and their history in the Northwest?
2. How can we demonstrate continuity and/or persistence using the archaeological and biological record in the Northwest? What lines of archaeological evidence would best show continuity of cultural practices?
3. What role can/should oral histories play in demonstrating persistence and continuity? How can archaeologists use oral histories to shape how we investigate the archaeological record?
4. Knowing that Indigenous peoples’ cultural practices have changed, especially in the last two centuries but also throughout the Holocene, how far back can continuity and persistence be argued to extend?
5 .What is at stake for Indigenous peoples in establishing continuity and persistence in their territories?
Resources to Use
Archaeologists in the Pacific Northwest have been exploring these ideas and questions
for some time, so you need not develop your position from scratch. I have compiled
and uploaded to Blackboard a set of sources that address different aspects of the
various prompts. You can draw on these papers to help formulate your ideas and put
together a written response. You can draw on other works out there too, if you do a
little research yourself. NOTE that every external source you incorporate into your
response must be cited — this avoids plagiarism and gives credit to others when credit
is due.
You don’t need to read all readings from start to finish to complete the assignment
(though that would obviously help most) but do at least read the introduction and
browse through each reading to help locate useful supporting information for your
position. The full citation for each reading is on the last page of this assignment.
The Mechanics
Your written submission should:
• be no less than 4 pages and no more than 5 pages, double-spaced using a 11 or 12
point font with typical margins
• include a title, your name and student number at the start of the paper or on a
separate title page (which does not count towards the page limit)
• be written in a style and competency appropriate to upper level undergraduate
coursework
• be entirely your own work; when drawing on the work of others that work should be
properly cited, including any figures and other graphic information used
• include a list of references you cited in your text at the end of your paper
• be uploaded to Blackboard before class on the due date to avoid late penalties
Grading
You work will be graded on primarily two things, and will follow the scheme in the
course syllabus:
1. the extent to which it is clear that you put effort into the assignment, meaning your
arguments are well-thought out and crafted, and show engagement of the prompts
and readings provided
2. conformance to academic writing standards, meaning use of proper scholarly tone,
effective grammar, and proper citation style for the literature you use
Note I am looking for well-argued and thoughtful discussion of ideas, not right
answers. Feel free to present your position as you see it, but your arguments should be
grounded in (a) logic and coherence of ideas, (2) the references you use, and (3) the
assignment/course themes and objectives.
Posted Readings Bibliography
Edinborough, Kevan, Marko Porcic, Andrew Martindale, Thomas Jay Brown, Kisha
Supernant and Kenneth M. Ames (2017) Radiocarbon Test for Demographic Events in
Written and Oral History. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
114(47):12436-12441.
Martindale, Andrew and Susan Marsden (2003) Defining the Middle Period (3500 BP to
1500 BP) in Tsimshian History through a Comparison of Archaeological and Oral
Records. BC Studies 138:13-50.
Martindale, Andrew, Susan Marsden, Katherine Patton, Angela Ruggles, Bryn Letham,
Kisha Supernant, David Archer, Duncan McLaren and Kenneth M. Ames (2017) The
Role of Small Villages in Northern Tsimshian Territory from Oral and Archaeological
Records. Journal of Social Archaeology 17(3):285-325.
McKechnie, Iain (2015) Indigenous Oral History and Settlement around Barkley Sound,
Western Vancouver Island. BC Studies 187:193-228.
McLaren, Duncan (2003) Uncovering Historical Sequences in Central Coast Salish Oral
Narratives. In Archaeology of Coastal British Columbia, pp. 189-202.
McLaren, Duncan, Farid Rahemtulla and Daryl Fedje (2015) Prerogatives, Sea Level,
and the Strength of Persistent Places: Archaeological Evidence for Long-term
Occupation of the Central Coast of British Columbia. BC Studies 187:155-191.
Morin, Jesse, Dana Lepofsky, Morgan Ritchie, Marko Porcic and Kevan Edinborough
(2018) Assessing continuity in the ancestral territory of the Tsleil-Waututh-Coast Salish,
southwest British Columbia, Canada. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology
51:77-87.
Thom, Brian (2003) The Anthropology of Northwest Coast Oral Traditions. Arctic
Anthropology 40:1-28.

Thom 2003 NWC OralTraditions Morin et al 2018 continuity McLaren et al 2015 BCST McLaren 2003 McKechnie et al 2015 BCST Martindale et al 2017 Martindale and Marsden 2003 Edinborough et al 2017 anth 334 assignment 1 instructions

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