The Institute of Prairie and Indigenous Archaeology (IPIA) is an Indigenous-led institute with a commitment to continuing to support Indigenous-engaged archaeological research, to developing pedagogical approaches to integrating Indigenous ways of knowing and being into archaeological teaching and training, and to changing cultural heritage policies in response to the needs of Indigenous communities in western Canada. The IPIA is the first of its kind in Canada and the first Institute focused on Indigenous archaeology in the world.
The IPIA Guide to Good Relations
As part of the IPIA's continued efforts to build a healthy community and increase the accessibility and safety of our research and teaching spaces, we have developed the IPIA Guide to Good Relations. This document serves as an outline and overview of the principles of our work and the concrete ways we enact those principles.
To learn more about the Guide to Good Relations and see a public verstion of the Guide, visit this page.
Upcoming Conference - Upholding Indigenous Heritage Rights: Towards a National Framework
October 8, 2025
IPIA Director Dr. Kisha Supernant is the inaugural recipient of the Peter & Doris Kule Memorial Conference Fund. A collaboration between the IPIA, the Indigenous Heritage Circle, and the Indigenous Council of the Canadian Museums Association, a conference will be held in Edmonton in September 2026 to discuss the development of a national framework for Indigenous cultural heritage rights within Canada.
Class of ‘25: Using community-driven archaeology to explore Indigenous removal
June 3, 2025 - Caroline Barlott
Liam Wadsworth is an Anthropology PhD graduate who seeks to amplify once-silenced voices.
February 7, 2025 - Jillian Kestler-D'Amours
See a new article in Al Jazeera about confronting residential school denialism, featuring quotes from IPIA Director Dr. Kisha Supernant.