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NEAA 53rd Annual Meeting
February 28 (preconference tour); March 1-2, 2013
University of Maryland, College Park, MD
“Applying Anthropology: Challenging Perspectives/Creating Alternatives”
Abstract and session submission is now closed. Online preregistration ends February 14, 2013. Walk-in registration will be available at the time of the conference. If you are a presenter and have not registered please contact Mike Roller (mroller@umd.edu) immediately!
****PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE OF PRESENTERS AND SESSIONS AVAILABLE HERE.****
Read the Call for Papers and Register for the conference here.
This Year’s Theme
Applying Anthropology: Challenging Perspectives/Creating Alternatives
While increasingly recognized in the public sphere, the value of anthropology is also sometimes challenged in the political arena. Anthropologists have responded to this critique in different ways. Some note that the discipline enhances critical thinking skills and provides a foundation for many careers. Others note that practitioners of Anthropology can apply its lessons to better understand contemporary issues in areas such as health, heritage and the environment. For some its strength is in its ability to provide a framework for discovering social and environmental justice issues in the past and the present. Some of us see our work as a vehicle to challenge injustices and combat racism and create new alternatives for ourselves and the communities we study. Thinking about the various uses of Anthropology, this year’s theme highlights the many ways we can put our discipline into action to understand, and perhaps improve, the social, political and economic intricacies of our world.
Some Highlights
- Modest Registration fees, discounted for students (includes Conference Fee and NEAA membership dues; Presenters must register in advance and be NEAA members)
- Book exhibit room
- Preconference Tour, Thursday, February 28, 2013, 2:00-4:00 PM Smithsonian Museum Support Center Tour
- Pre-conference behind-the-scenes tour of the facilities at the Smithsonian Museum Support Center in Suitland. The tour will be limited to the first 20 people to reserve a place. Reserve at time of registration or contact Mike Roller to register before February 10. (mroller@umd.edu)
- Conference location provides convenient access to historical sites in Prince Georges County, Maryland and Washington, DC. See the following sites for great ideas of places to visit: http://www.anacostiatrails.org/, http://www.nps.gov/anac/index.htm and http://washington.org/.
Friday, March 1 - Saturday, March 2: Papers, Symposia and Poster Sessions
- March 1, 2013, 4:00 Cash bar and reception
- March 1, 2013, 5:00 First Keynote address from Dorothy Lippert
Dr. Dorothy Lippert is currently a Case Officer in the Repatriation Office of the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution. In her current position, she responds to repatriation requests from Indian tribes for human remains and sacred material. She is Choctaw, currently serves on the Executive of the World Archaeological Congress and is a past member of the Board of Directors for the Society for American Archaeology. She was recently appointed to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.
- March 2, 2013, 5:00 Banquet at Busboys and Poets. Event details and menu available here.
- Keynote address from Erve Chambers, "If It Isn't Real Can It Still Be The Past?"
Erve recently took his family on a five month road trip around the USA, visiting as many tourism towns and tourist traps as they could fit in. His object was to have fun and experience some of the ways in which ideas of heritage and the past have come to shape contemporary tourism initiatives.
Dr. Erve Chambers is a Professor of the Anthropology Department at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he has taught since 1981. He has conducted field research in Thailand, Mexico, and in several parts of the Unites States. Over the years, Erve’s research has evolved from a general interest in regional and urban development to more specific work in tourism and environmental and heritage resource management. He currently has a strong interest in community-based tourism initiatives and in the public delineation, appropriation, and use of heritage resources. Dr. Chambers' current research and theoretical activities focus on issues related to sustainable tourism development.
Lodging, Travel Info, and Local Restaurants and Nightlife
Hotels in the area, some within walking distance have been reserved with a special discount for conference attendees. College Park and the surrounding areas offer a variety of restaurants and bars. This info can be found here.