Archaeology, diaspora and decolonization

Archaeologists in settler societies need to find theoretically well-founded ways of understanding the sociopolitical milieux in which they work if they are to deal sensibly and sensitively with the colo-nizers as well as the colonized in their communities. This article explores one avenue that the author has found helpful in a number of contexts. He advances the proposition that, with certain qualifi-cations, the social conditions of settler nations might usefully be approached as the products of a single social condition – diaspora – in a manifestation that is unique to such societies because it positions indigenous peoples as well as settlers as diasporic. KEY WORDS decolonization ● diaspora ● postcoloniality Archaeologists in settler societies live in interesting times. Thinking of those in Australia, most are politically supportive of colonized Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander minorities despite broader community skepticis