Cooperation and Conflict: Examining Alternative Views of Archaeology on the Great Plains

Abstract

Within the North American Great Plains four primary groups of people are actively interested in Plains archaeology: professional archaeologists, amateur archaeologists, artifact collectors and Native Americans. This paper presents survey and interview data comparing the interests and motivations of the first three of these towards Plains archaeology. The results clearly differentiate these three groups but also document surprising overlaps in their motivations and attitudes, particularly that all three are interested in Plains archaeology for largely the same reasons. The differences among them seem to reside in perceptions and attitudes toward each other. These perceptions and attitudes are largely the result of misperceptions, lack of education, and a general breakdown in communication, contributing to strained relationships between groups. These strained relationships result in ongoing impacts to the archaeological record of the Great Plains that could be mitigated by recognizing the commonalities among these groups.