
These Mysterious People, Second Edition
Shaping History and Archaeology in a Northwest Coast Community
Susan Roy(Author)
McGill-Queen's University Press
Published on 3. June 2016
Book
Paperback/Softback
244 pages
978-0-7735-4710-0 (ISBN)
Description
Archaeologists studying human remains and burial sites of North America's Indigenous peoples have discovered more than information about the beliefs and practices of cultures - they have also found controversy. These Mysterious People shows how Western ideas and attitudes about Indigenous peoples have transformed one culture's ancestors, burial grounds, and possessions into another culture's "specimens," "archaeological sites," and "ethnographic artifacts," in the process disassociating Natives from their own histories. Focusing on the Musqueam people and a contentious archaeological site in Vancouver, These Mysterious People details the relationship between the Musqueam and researchers from the late-nineteenth century to the present. Susan Roy traces the historical development of competing understandings of the past and reveals how the Musqueam First Nation used information derived from archaeological finds to assist the larger recognition of territorial rights. She also details the ways in which Musqueam legal and cultural expressions of their own history - such as land claim submissions, petitions, cultural displays, and testimonies - have challenged public accounts of Aboriginal occupation and helped to define Aboriginal rights in Canada An important and engaging examination of methods of historical representation, These Mysterious People analyzes the ways historical evidence, material culture, and places themselves have acquired legal and community authority.
Reviews / Votes
"These Mysterious People presents the audience with a story that is as interesting, entertaining, captivating, and provocative as any good crime novel, yet reflects an academic dedication to a meticulous review of archival material... I would recommend These Mysterious People to anyone interested in Northwest Coast archaeology, anthropology, history, and/or sociopolitical struggle in this colonially dominated environment(s)." The Midden "Through its analysis of the shifting meanings of Musqueam archaeology in and around Vancouver, Roy's excellent book will encourage readers to rethink their understandings of colonial excavations and land appropriation and to recognize and incorporate theMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Montreal
Canada
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Illustrations
43 b&w photos
Dimensions
Height: 226 mm
Width: 150 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
386 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7735-4710-0 (9780773547100)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Susan Roy
These Mysterious People, Second Edition
Shaping History and Archaeology in a Northwest Coast Community
E-Book
05/2016
1st Edition
De Gruyter
€27.99
Available for download
Person
Susan Roy is assistant professor of history at the University of Waterloo.