The Journal of Anthropological Research is hosting a discussion on southwestern cultural diversity as part of the XXVI Journal of Anthropological Research Distinguished Lecture Series. Dr. Regna Darnell, Distinguished University Professor and former chair of the Anthropology Department at the University of Western Ontario, will be speaking on "Benedictine Visionings of Southwestern Cultural Diversity: Beyond Relativism" at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 7 in the UNM Anthropology Lecture Hall (room 163).
Photo: Dr. Regna Darnell
This lecture will focus on the cultural anthropologist Ruth Benedict and her role in interpreting southwestern Native American societies from the Boasian "culture and personality" perspective.
"Professor Darnell is one of the leading historians of American Anthropology of her generation and is especially well known for her studies of Franz Boas and his students, including Ruth Benedict – famous for her "culture and personality studies in the early-to-mid 20th century,” said Lawrence Straus, Ph.D., editor of the Journal of Anthropological Research.
“Darnell also works on Native American, also known as "First Nations,” languages and cultures in Canada, particularly in the Great Lakes region, where she is interested in the relationships between life on the reservations and in the cities. She is a prolific author and dynamic speaker."
At noon on Feb. 8, Darnell will be presenting a separate seminar in Anthropology room 178 on "Nomadic Legacies: Native North American Residential Mobility and Decision-Making," examining the patterns of movement by Canadian First People tribes between Canadian cities and reservations.
Darnell has written a vast number of books, articles and reviews in the field of Anthropology and is editor of numerous volumes on the history of anthropology, Canadian First Nations and Native American cultures and languages, as well as biographical sketches of many prominent figures in anthropology. Her recent research foci include the relationship between reservations and cities in the lives of urban Canadian First Peoples, and cross-cultural studies of ecosystem health. In addition to this work, she has completed linguistic research in Gambia (West Africa). She knows several languages, including Cree, Slavey and Mohawk.
Darnell is a recipient of the American Anthropology Association's Franz Boas Award for Exemplary Service to Anthropology and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Darnell was also recently given one of the first Canadian Premier's Discovery Awards for the Social Sciences and Humanities.
The Distinguished Lectures are published in JAR, which has been published quarterly by UNM since 1945. Its Web site is: JAR Lecture.
For more information about the Journal of Anthropological Research and the JAR Lecture Series, please call 277-4544.
Media Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: bhendrix@unm.edu