About 90 percent of archaeological activity in North America is driven by private-sector development. In the process, archaeology is often used to undermine the interests of those whose material culture it allegedly seeks to preserve and interpret. Unearthing Forgotten Values explores the disrespectful and ultimately unethical nature of much commercial archaeology – or cultural resource management (CRM) – and proposes a praxis that puts Indigenous communities and their heritage first.

Based on lengthy experience working with and within Indigenous communities in British Columbia and around the world, Sean P. Connaughton discusses such thorny issues as the meaning of decolonization, Indigenous land rights and sovereignty, the commodification of heritage and corporatization of archaeology, and how the state continues to support projects that will exacerbate climate change. Weaving together real-life stories, fieldwork, scholarship, data, introspection, and an inquiry into human values, he promotes a more inclusive, equitable practice, illustrating the ways in which CRM can be infused with lessons drawn from Indigenous world views and ways of being.

Unearthing Forgotten Values is a rare study that charts a practical course for change. Professional archaeology will be the better for it.