2003 SANA Annual Report

2003 SANA President's Report

SANA has responded in a variety of ways to the sharp rightward shift in U.S. politics in the last years. In the spring, SANA added its voice to the many opposed to the Bush administration war on Iraq. Shortly after war began, the Board passed the following resolution:

"The Society for the Anthropology of North America opposes the Bush administration's waging pre-emptive war against Iraq. We believe that warfare will be devastating for both the people of Iraq and the United States. Iraqi civilians will bear the brunt of the attacks, and working class people, especially people of color are already paying the price economically in loss of jobs and public services as well as bearing most of the military casualties. But all Americans are already experiencing a loss of civil liberties. More than most, this is a war for the rich fought by the poor and visited on the poor across the globe. SANA is proud to join the voices of peace and justice around the globe."

SANA held its spring meeting jointly with CASCA, the Canadian Anthropological Society, May 8-11 in Halifax Nova Scotia at Dalhousie University. Its theme was ON EDGE: Anthropology in Troubling Times. SANA Program Chair Molly Doane and committee members Vin Lyon-Collo and Dana-Ain Davis, and CASCA chair Lindsay DuBois, and committee members Pauline Gardiner Barber and Hillary Cunningham, put together a powerful program of sessions and keynotes that addressed the current state of neo-liberal politics as well as forces of resistance to it. SANA invited speaker, Laura Nader gave a forceful and very well-received, keynote in which she suggested a number of paths for scholarly engagement by anthropologists.

A number of conference participants from SANA and CASCA met to discuss the ways that by current events and leaders in Washington threatened to undermine many of our hard won political rights. In response, they drew up the "Halifax Declaration" to address concerns about social justice, academic freedom, and the democratic values that are under siege. SANA will also sponsor a meeting for progressive anthropologists, Saturday from 6:15-7:30 (room to be announced). Look for it in the AAA program:

Progressive and Radical Anthropologists Unite!!!

This has been a SANA tradition, part of creating a more international perspective on North American anthropology.

Also at the spring meeting in Halifax, SANA and CASCA finalized plans create a historic historic tri-national meeting of both associations with the Facultad de Ciencias Antropologicas of the Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan in Merida. We will hold a joint meeting of anthropologists from all three North American countries in Merida in the spring of 2005. Dean Francisco Fernandez of the Facultad de Ciencias Antropologicas has issued the formal invitation to CASCA and SANA, and Professor Gabriela Vargas Cetina and Professor Igor Ayora-Diaz have agreed to be the organizers and program chairs for that meeting. So start thinking about sessions!

Finally, SANA's spring meeting for 2004 will be held in Chapel Hill, North Carolina April 30-May2. Don Nonini and incoming SANA President Lee Baker are the hosts. Stay tuned for more information.

About AAA / Join AAA / Jobs & Careers / AAA Meetings / AAA Publications
Sections & Interest Groups / Staff Directory / Anthro Links / Support AAA

Questions or comments? We want to hear from you!
Contact us / AAA Privacy Policy