Background

The structure under which archaeology in Canada is governed and undertaken is fragmented due to history, geography and venue of practice (eg academia, avocational organisation, museum, private company). Canada is a multicultural and bilingual society by law (Canadian Multiculturalism Act (RSC, 1985, c 24); Official Languages Act RSC, 1988, c 31), with different linguistic and cultural regions. As a result, the jurisdiction for cultural heritage has been safeguarded regionally, ie at the provincial or territorial level (Moore 1997, 126, 238). There are ten provinces and three territories, each of which has separate heritage legislation and guidelines for archaeology. Museums, universities and avocational groups for archaeology in each province or territory also developed regionally, without a national focus. The federal government is responsible for national import and export legislation as it relates to artefacts, relations with First Nations and archaeological heritage on federal lands such as National Parks and National Historic Sites through the Parks Canada Agency and the Archaeological Survey of Canada (Burley 1994, 83). The national museum — currently called The Canadian Museum of Civilization (CMC) — is a crown corporation. There is no national heritage legislation.

Public archaeology in Canada developed in this fragmented environment. The term ‘public archaeology’ has been broadly defined in the Canadian context as ‘virtually all professional archaeology … funded directly or indirectly with public monies and mandated by publicly supported legislation’ (Smardz and Smith 2000, 27).