ABSTRACT
American First Nations maintaining histories over centuries by trained oral transmission goes counter to standard American history glorifying Columbus and the onset of European conquests. The most serious legitimate controversy in contemporary archaeology is the question of whose country America is. America is called a settler society, inhabited by Europeans only since the fifteenth century, as are Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. The Anglo-American countries, the United States and Canada, had originally concluded treaties with most of their aboriginal nations on a basis of recognizing indigenous sovereignties. Northern Arizona is home to Hopi, Zuni, and Navajo Nations. Each maintains an archaeological program to identify, protect, or if unavoidable, salvage sites, document territorial claims, and complement histories traditionally passed down orally. Archaeology is demonstrating the historical value of First Nations traditions and helping these nations recapture their history on their own terms, rather than from the viewpoint of their conquerors.
