ABSTRACT
A history of America can be constructed from the precontact data. It should be in order to do justice to America’s First Nations and to present the circumstances at the inauguration of Euroamerican history. The project-like any history-is neither straightforward nor satisfying to all interested parties. Among the problems and issues are dates, which in American archaeology are nearly all not actually dates but estimates of time elapsed before the present; related to the time-resolution challenge, apparent discontinuities between Late Prehistoric and the first historically documented nations; regionally oriented studies and particular ethnic traditions that disregard a broader picture; and controversies over whose account should be privileged over competing accounts. Should the more “scientific” archaeologist, looking for general patterns of adaptation, tell the story of America’s past, or the humanist archaeologist endeavoring to discern clues to religions, social behavior, and long-term ethnic roots? Sometimes the choices seem to pit non-Indian archaeologists over First Nations’ legendary histories, a stereotyped conflict belied by the number of respected professional archaeologists who are members in good standing of First Nations, and the increasing number of archaeological projects ordered by First Nations.
