In this episode, co-hosts Dr. Davina Two Bears and Dr. Farina King speak with Dr. Carlton Shield Chief Gover about how Indigenous scholars are reshaping archaeology from within. Carlton reflects on his journey into a field long seen in Native communities as a “colonial science,” and how he now practices what he calls American Indian archaeology, which is centered on tribal sovereignty, government-to-government relationships, and the specific histories and priorities of Native Nations such as the Pawnee Nation.

A citizen of the Pawnee Nation, Carlton is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Assistant Curator of Archaeology at the University of Kansas, with affiliate appointments in Museum Studies and Indigenous Studies. He earned his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Colorado-Boulder, where his dissertation, "The Seeds of Ethnogenesis," examined the formation of Central Great Plains Villages through Indigenous perspectives and advanced chronological modeling. His research focuses on Great Plains archaeology, Indigenous/American Indian archaeology, and the integration of oral traditions with archaeological science.

The conversation highlights how treating oral traditions as rigorous historical records, combined with tools like radiocarbon dating, can overturn long-standing academic narratives about migration, corn agriculture, and the deep homelands of Native Nations. Carlton, Davina, and Farina also discuss the emotional and spiritual realities of working in museum collections, the importance of NAGPRA and tribal cultural centers, and why public-facing work like the Great Plains Archaeology Podcast is vital for sharing knowledge with Native communities and inspiring the next generation of Indigenous archaeologists.

Resources:

Carlton Shield Chief Gover official University of Kansas Department of Anthropology faculty webpage

Great Plains Archaeology Podcast
A podcast hosted by Dr. Carlton Shield Chief Gover on the Archaeology Podcast Network, focusing on the archaeology, histories, and communities of the Great Plains region.

NAGPRA and Tribal Sovereignty in Practice
For listeners interested in the legal and ethical context Carlton discusses (sovereignty, compliance, and NAGPRA), see the U.S. National Park Service’s official NAGPRA page.

Indigenizing Archaeology: Putting Theory into Practice (University Press of Florida)

In this episode of Native Circles, co-hosts Dr. Farina King and Eva Bighorse speak with Dr. T. Christopher (Chris) Hoklotubbe and Dr. H. Daniel (Danny) Zacharias, co-authors of Reading the Bible on Turtle Island: An Invitation to North American Indigenous Interpretation (2025). Chris Hoklotubbe, a citizen of the Choctaw Nation, holds a ThD from Harvard and serves as Director of the Indigenous Theology Circle and Coordinator of the Graduate Studies Group for NAIITS: An Indigenous Learning Community, the first accredited theological institute designed, developed, delivered, and governed by Indigenous peoples.

Danny Zacharias is a Cree-Anishinaabe/Métis and Austrian scholar from Winnipeg, Manitoba (Treaty One Territory) with ancestral ties to Treaties Two, Three, and Five. He lives in Mi’kma’ki (Nova Scotia) and is Associate Dean and Professor of New Testament Studies at Acadia Divinity College, as well as adjunct faculty and journal editor for NAIITS.

Together, they explore what happens when the Bible is read from Turtle Island through Indigenous histories, geographies, and intellectual traditions. The conversation examines scripture’s entanglement with colonization, missionization, and boarding schools, and highlights Indigenous survivance, responsibility, and resurgence. Rather than treating the Bible as a text detached from land and power, Chris and Danny open space for Indigenous-centered approaches that honor both sacred text and sacred place.

Resources:

Reading the Bible on Turtle Island: An Invitation to North American Indigenous Interpretation by T. Christopher Hoklotubbe and H. Daniel Zacharias

Civilized Piety: The Rhetoric of Pietas in the Pastoral Epistles and the Roman Empire by T. Christopher Hoklotubbe

Stringing Rosaries: The History, the Unforgivable, the Healing of Northern Plains Boarding School Survivors by Denise K. Lajimodiere

NAIITS: An Indigenous Learning Community

Co-hosts Dr. Davina Two Bears and Dr. Farina King talk with Choctaw archaeologist Dr. Joe Watkins about the changing dynamics of Indigenous archaeology from AIM-era protests and NAGPRA to tribal historic preservation offices and global collaborations with the Ainu in Japan. Watkins reflects on walking between academic and tribal worlds, why archaeology is a set of techniques rather than “the truth,” and how Indigenous communities are redefining what it means to study and protect their own pasts.

A member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Dr. Joe Watkins has been involved in archaeology and heritage preservation initiatives for more than 50 years. He has published more than 100 book chapters and articles, and his books include Indigenous Archaeology: American Indian Values and Scientific Practice (2000); with Carol J. Ellick, The Anthropology Graduate’s Guide: From Student to a Career (2nd Edition, 2023); with George Nicholas, Working as Indigenous Archaeologists: Reckoning New Paths Between Past and Present Lives (2024); and Indigenizing Japan: Ainu Past, Present, and Future (2025). He has taught at multiple universities and worked for the National Park Service on the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) program in Washington, D.C. He served as President of the Board of Directors of the Society for American Archaeology, 2018–2021, and in 2025 received the Society for American Archaeology’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Often described as an “archaeological elder,” Dr. Watkins has mentored generations of Indigenous students and practitioners, helping to open pathways for Native Nations and communities to define and direct research about their own lands, histories, and futures.

Resources:

"Meet Dr. Joe Watkins, PhD," Ancient Art Archive

"What does it mean to be human?"- Joe Watkins (Emeritus)

Indigenizing Japan: Ainu Past, Present, and Future (University of Arizona Press) by Joe Watkins

Working as Indigenous Archaeologists: Reckoning New Paths Between Past and Present Lives (Routledge) edited by George Nicolas and Joe Watkins

Indigenous Archaeology: American Indian Values and Scientific Practice by Joe Watkins