Encountering Modernity: The Piikani Historical Archaeology Project

Eldon is an Assistant Professor, Archaeology/First Nations Studies and grew up on the Peigan Indian Reserve, now the Piikani First Nation. He acquired his interest in natural history by exploring the countryside around the family farm. After high school he began his academic career at The University of Lethbridge, in Lethbridge, Alberta, where he studied geography and archaeology at The University of Calgary, and received his undergraduate degrees. He began graduate studies at Simon Fraser University and conducted his thesis research on the Piikani First Nation. His doctoral work at McGill University brought together his interest in mythology and culture history. Using methods borrowed from archaeology and earth science he examined the oral narratives of his Piikani ancestors to explain ancient cultural manifestations on the northern plains. His research continues to emphasize archaeological methods to better understand the lifeways of his Piikani ancestors. That interest formed the nucleus of his current research, which is a project subjecting the historical experience of the early reserve days in the nineteenth century to archaeological scrutiny. The first phase involved investigating farmsteads and institutional settings of that time and archival data about the community. Concurrent with the excavation he is filming a video documentary about the history of the Piikani First Nation.