Scout’s honor
Avocational archaeology and site stewardship with youth scouting organizations
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19220374 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Autumn R Melby (0009-0008-8549-6426, California University of Pennsylvania, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-11 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-17 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Southeastern Archaeology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0734-578X • E-ISSN: 2168-4723 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/0734578x.2026.2647303 |
| OpenAlex | W7161486308 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 18 |
Archaeologists working in isolated rural locales continue to face the challenge of protecting sites from threats of destruction and vandalism. Nationwide scouting organizations, such as Scouting America, present a unique avenue of collaborative public archaeology that physically brings together disparate rural communities and builds lasting relationships with an eager-to-learn audience. However, caution is warranted when considering scouting groups’ propensity toward romanticized simulations of primitiveness, Indigeneity, and Indigenous histories. This paper explores the historical connections between archaeology, scouting organizations in the United States, and portrayals of Native peoples and their histories. I draw from personal experiences of working alongside scouting groups during my dissertation research excavations in Monroe County, Illinois, to reflect on the unique merits, challenges, and ethical considerations of engaging scouting groups in the course of archaeological fieldwork
Context (archaeology) · Excavation · Historic site · Settlement (finance) · Stewardship (theology) · Anthropology: Ethics, History, Culture · Historical and Cultural Archaeology Studies · Oral History, Memory, Narrative Analysis
Community-Based Archaeology
Rural Space
Troops and Tribes
Decolonizing youth development
Indigenous Collaborative, Consultative, and Community-Engaged Archaeology in the American Southeast
Territorializing Whiteness
Targeting Your Audience
Ernest Thompson Seton and the Boy Scouts
Private property, public archaeology
Selves in play
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |