Considering the indirect effects of colonialism: Example from a Great Plains middle ground

Publication date: December 2017
Source:Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, Volume 48
Author(s): Sarah Trabert
Historically, there have been many archaeological and ethnographic works that examined the impacts of colonialism on indigenous peoples where direct contact took place. More recently, archaeological scholarship has drawn increasing attention towards examining the far-reaching effects that colonialism had on indigenous peoples by considering communities on the periphery of colonial control. Here, I argue that it is the indirect or down-the-line effects of colonialism that can best inform us of the extent and intensity of social, economic, and demographic change seen in regions adjacent to colonial centers. This paper considers methodological frameworks utilized in several regions and applies elements of these models to the Great Plains of North America to examine the ways indigenous social networks and Spanish colonialism forever changed the lives of people living hundreds of miles away from actual colonies. Evidence of blended technological and manufacturing styles at sites in western Kansas point to a creolized Puebloan/Plains Apache community that formed as a direct result of the indirect effects of Spanish colonial activities, highlighting the significant role of the Central Plains middle ground for many Native peoples.



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