ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the scope and role of theory in archaeological studies of Indigenous-colonial interactions in the Americas. A key part of this discussion concerns the relationship between decolonization and archaeological theory. This chapter frames archaeological theory as an important part of decolonizing research and rethinking modernist, colonialist sensibilities that undergird the discipline. It reviews the most influential theories in the history of Indigenous-colonial interactions in the Americas, including acculturation, social archaeology, practice theory, postcolonialism, and pragmatism. It then goes on to explore recent theoretical directions in the broader field of archaeology, such as object biography, object agency, materiality, posthumanism, the ontological turns, and Indigenous feminisms. The chapter concludes by speculating on the role that these theories might play in further decolonizing future archaeologies of Indigenous-colonial interactions.
