DeepSummary
In this episode, Sean and Aaron interview Dr. Paulette Steeves, an archaeologist and author of 'The Indigenous Paleolithic of the Western Hemisphere.' They discuss her work challenging the consensus view that indigenous peoples arrived in the Americas relatively recently, around 12,000 years ago. Dr. Steeves presents evidence from various sources, including archaeological sites, linguistic diversity, and oral traditions, suggesting a much longer presence dating back over 60,000 years.
A central theme is how colonial racism and biases within archaeology have suppressed and dismissed evidence contradicting the 'Clovis First' hypothesis. Dr. Steeves describes facing personal attacks and career risks for publishing on pre-Clovis sites. She argues archaeologists have worked with nation-states to erase indigenous links to the land and deny their ownership rights.
Dr. Steeves emphasizes the need to decolonize archaeology and education, incorporate indigenous knowledge, and challenge the Eurocentric framing of human history. She expresses optimism that mounting evidence will force a paradigm shift, though resistance persists. The discussion highlights the philosophical and political implications of recognizing indigenous peoples' deep roots in the Americas.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- The 'Clovis First' hypothesis that indigenous peoples arrived in the Americas only around 12,000 years ago has been shaped by colonial biases and racism within archaeology that dismissed evidence contradicting this timeline.
- Dr. Paulette Steeves presents extensive evidence from archaeological sites, linguistic diversity, oral traditions, and more suggesting a much longer indigenous presence in the Americas dating back over 60,000 years.
- There is a need to decolonize archaeology and education by incorporating indigenous knowledge systems and challenging the Eurocentric framing of human history.
- New discoveries like the 23,000-year-old human footprints in New Mexico are forcing a re-evaluation of the antiquity of indigenous American peoples that predates the end of the last ice age.
- Recognizing the deep roots of indigenous peoples in the Americas has significant philosophical and political implications regarding land rights, ownership, and challenging the racist colonial narratives used to dispossess them.
- Despite facing marginalization and personal attacks, a growing number of archaeologists have persisted in publishing evidence of pre-Clovis sites that contradict the orthodox timeline.
- Oral traditions and indigenous knowledge contain valuable historical information that has been systematically ignored by Western academia but is increasingly being validated by new scientific evidence.
- The emerging scientific understanding of humanity's global origins and migrations is rapidly evolving and challenging long-held Eurocentric assumptions about when and how people first populated the Americas.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “The Clovis first hypothesis is a framing of indigenous history of the indigenous people of the Americas that was written completely from a western eurocentric viewpoint without any input from indigenous people.“ by Paulette Steeves
- “Archaeologists to this day, and geneticists, they talk about, you know, the indigenous people of North America as being Asians from Asia who are recent immigrants to the continent. So we haven't been here long. We're not that evolved. We don't own the land.“ by Paulette Steeves
- “So what these older sites that are now coming to light should be telling archaeologists is look for their living sites, look for the rest of this history. Right? If people were here 20,000 years ago, they had to get here before the last glaciation started around 24,000 years ago.“ by Paulette Steeves
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Srsly Wrong
Srsly Wrong
3/25/22