Watkins, Joe (Indigenous Archaeology)

Basic Biographical Information

Joe Watkins (1951–), a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is a tireless worker in the development of indigenous archaeology, who, for three decades, has broken new ground in conducting collaborative work with indigenous communities, in encouraging indigenous persons to enter the field of archaeology and in promoting self-reflexivity within the discipline toward its relationships with descendant communities.

Joe E. Watkins was born February 18 at Talihina Indian Hospital to Irving and Thelma Watkins. He is a nephew of Joseph Oklahombi, a Choctaw Code Talker and World War I hero. Growing up, Joe learned Choctaw traditional philosophy and culture during stays with his Choctaw-speaking grandparents in southeastern Oklahoma and was encouraged by them to respect and preserve indigenous history. He received a B.A. in anthropology from the University of Oklahoma in 1973, cultivating an interest in material culture. The same year, Joe went to France to...