"That Ancient People": Exploring an Ideology of Rock Art at Tsul'Kalu Rock
This thesis is analysis of multiple forms of language - conversation, text, signage - that demonstrate features of what I call an ideology of rock art. These features are culturally informed ideologies of temporality, language, and indigenous personhood that come together and aid in the production of knowledge at a rock art site. The consequential aspect of the ideology of rock art is that it is contingent upon a horizon of temporality, such that people and cultures beyond the temporal horizon are idealized as a homogenous ‘past’. This thesis demonstrates that visitors drew upon this ideology to make sense of the 1,548 Cherokee-made petroglyphs on Tsul’Kalu Rock; positioning the Cherokee as people of a past time. Moreover, this thesis looks at how language on an individual level, a discursive level, and a bureaucratic level work together to contribute to an adverse othering of the Cherokee. The analysis presented contributes to an ongoing discussion within anthropology about the ways in which we can promote indigenous voices and perspectives in our work. The ideology of rock art is one way that indigenous people are devalued today but demonstrates a tangible site for positive change.
Cherokee, Ideologies, Indigenous Perspectives, Language, Rock Art, Temporality
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