On Friday, Oct. 14, the University of Oregon’s Museum of Natural and Cultural History will host a panel discussion titled Fall Archaeology Talks: In Search of the First Americans. Jason Younker, UO’s assistant vice president, advisor to the president on sovereignty and government to government relations and member of the Coquille Indian Tribe, will be a participant on the panel of anthropologists discussing the peopling of the New World.
Other panelists include Loren Davis, Jessi Halligan, Dennis Jenkins and moderator Tom Connolly. In preparation for the event, Younker spoke with the Emerald about the advancements and limitations of anthropology today, as well as why all students can benefit from attending Friday’s event.
Emerald: You earned your Ph.D. at the University of Oregon, correct?
Jason Younker: Yes, I was here in the 1990s for a master’s degree and then came back for my Ph.D. in 2003. It actually wasn’t by choice that I returned. I was teaching, but at that time we were dealing with the Kennewick Man controversy and my tribal council felt it urgent that we have a Ph.D. anthropologist in the room. I then taught in New York for ten years until this position opened up and I came back to the University of Oregon. I’m pretty happy about that.
E: In 2014, you became the university’s first official liaison to the nine federally recognized tribes in Oregon. How did it feel to be the first person with that title?
JY: I was very honored. There has always been a very special relationship between the tribes and the university, first led by University of Oregon President Dave Frohnmayer and carried on through President Michael Schill.
E: That’s a very important relationship to maintain.
JY: It is. The position itself is necessary. Oregon was the first state to have a law mandating consultation with local tribes. I am very lucky that I get to work with the University of Oregon and within the tribal communities where I feel very welcomed.
E: Looking forward to Friday’s panel, what can you say in general about what will be discussed?
JY: It has to do with what archaeology has taught us about peopling the New World. For a long time, there was really only one hypothesis: indigenous peoples traveled from Asia, through an ice-free corridor, about 10,000 years ago. That was based on what archaeology could find and prove at that time. That is really the limitation. Archaeologists can tell us what is probable, but are hesitant to say what is possible. At this particular talk, it’s about what is absolute, while not discounting what could be possible.
E: Why is this anthropological information important for University of Oregon students to hear?
JY: History has often been a one-sided portrait. For example, as Europeans were figuring out if the world was round or flat, Native Americans already knew, but you don’t hear about that. As a general student body, we need to realize the shortcomings of history and that there’s a much bigger, detailed portrait that can be painted with more knowledge. Going to lectures helps you not only find out the shortcomings of what you were taught in high school but also helps to change what future generations learn. We must make sure the marginalized story is told and that’s why it’s important for the student body to attend these types of events. The acquisition of knowledge is why you’re here and sometimes you get that in a classroom, but a lot of times it’s in those special panels.
Fall Archaeology Talks: In Search of the First Americans will take place Friday, Oct. 14 at 5:30 p.m. in room 175 of the Knight Law Center. Admission is free and the event is open to the public.
Preview: Anthropologist Jason Younker discusses upcoming panel
Leanne Harloff
October 13, 2016
This piece reflects the views of the author, Gregory R. Pulliam, and not those of Emerald Media Group. It has been edited by the Emerald for grammar and style. Send your columns or submissions about our content or campus issues to [email protected]. President’s Society member resigning from UO advisory boards …
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