Anthropological Society of British Columbia

Anthropological Society of British Columbia
Name	Anthropological Society of British Columbia
Formation	1960
Type	Learned society
Location	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Leader title	President

Anthropological Society of British Columbia The Anthropological Society of British Columbia is a provincial learned society based in Vancouver that promotes anthropological research, public outreach, and preservation of cultural heritage across British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest. The Society organizes lectures, conferences, fieldwork support, and publications that connect scholars associated with University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, Royal British Columbia Museum, Museum of Anthropology at UBC, National Museum of the American Indian, Canadian Museum of History, Harvard University, University of Toronto, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Smithsonian Institution, Royal Anthropological Institute, American Anthropological Association, and Society for American Archaeology.

History

The Society was founded in 1960 amid postwar expansion of regional research linked to Gordon Hewson, Harlan I. Smith, Franz Boas, Edward Sapir, Ruth Benedict, James Teit, Marius Barbeau, Emily Carr, Bill Reid, George MacLean, William Duncan, John Swanton, Frederick Starr, Charles Hill-Tout, Thomas McIlwraith, John L. Sorenson, Hilary Stewart and early collaborators from Provincial Archives of British Columbia. Early activities were influenced by field programs associated with Clifford Geertz, Bronisław Malinowski, Margaret Mead, Alfred Kroeber, Lewis Henry Morgan, Edward Tylor, Alexander Morris, Frances Densmore, and curatorial practice at Royal Ontario Museum. Over successive decades the Society responded to developments linked to Indian Act (Canada), Nisga'a Treaty, Delgamuukw v British Columbia, Supreme Court of Canada, Canadian Heritage, Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, and regional policy debates involving Province of British Columbia and municipal partners such as City of Vancouver.

Mission and Activities

The Society’s mission emphasizes documentation and protection of Indigenous cultural materials in collaboration with communities represented by leaders like Chief Dan George, Haida Gwaii, Coast Salish, Gitxsan, Wet'suwet'en, Tlingit, Nuu-chah-nulth, Kwakwaka'wakw, and advocates associated with Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, First Nations Summit, Assembly of First Nations, Native Women's Association of Canada, David Suzuki Foundation, Nature Conservancy of Canada, and scholars from Yukon University. Regular activities include public lectures featuring presenters from University of Alaska Fairbanks, McGill University, University of Victoria, Simon Fraser University Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, Canadian Archaeological Association, Archaeological Society of British Columbia, British Columbia Historical Federation, Vancouver Heritage Foundation, and community workshops with Friends of Ecological Reserves. The Society organizes symposiums tied to anniversaries comparable to Expo 86, commemorations paralleling Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, and training comparable to programs at Canadian Conservation Institute.

Publications

The Society publishes a peer-reviewed journal, monographs, and newsletters distributed to institutions including University of British Columbia Library, Library and Archives Canada, Bancroft Library, Peabody Museum, American Museum of Natural History, British Museum, Royal Anthropological Institute Library and regional repositories such as City of Vancouver Archives. Publications have featured contributions by authors associated with Ottawa, Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Seattle, Portland, and international collaborators from Cambridge (UK), Oxford (UK), Berkeley, Yale University, Princeton University, Columbia University, Stanford University, Duke University, University of Chicago, University of Michigan, McMaster University, Queen's University, Dalhousie University, Memorial University, University of Saskatchewan, University of Alberta, and Western University.

Membership and Organization

Membership comprises academics, Indigenous knowledge-holders, curators, students, and professionals affiliated with University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, University of Victoria, Royal British Columbia Museum, Museums Association of British Columbia, Canadian Museums Association, Canadian Anthropology Society, Friends of Anthropology, and civic partners such as City of Vancouver and Metro Vancouver. The governance structure includes an elected executive, standing committees, and working groups that liaise with legal advisors familiar with Canadian Constitution, Canadian Human Rights Act, and precedent-setting cases like R v Sparrow and R v Gladstone.

Research and Projects

The Society supports archaeological surveys, ethnographic documentation, language revitalization, and repatriation projects in partnership with community stakeholders connected to Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, Haida Nation, Squamish Nation, Tsleil-Waututh Nation, Sto:lo Tribal Council, Kitasoo/Xai'xais, and others. Research initiatives align with methodologies taught at University of British Columbia Department of Anthropology, Simon Fraser University Department of Archaeology, and training modules from Canadian Conservation Institute and Parks Canada. Projects include survey work modeled after studies at Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, comparative analyses referencing Clayoquot Sound, and collaborative field schools resembling programs run by Pennsylvania State University and University of California, Berkeley.

Collaborations and Partnerships

The Society maintains partnerships with museums, universities, Indigenous governments, and cultural organizations including Royal British Columbia Museum, Museum of Anthropology at UBC, Vancouver Art Gallery, Bill Reid Gallery, Simon Fraser University Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, BC Archives, First Peoples' Cultural Council, Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, First Nations Health Authority, Canadian Heritage, Parks Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and international exchanges with Smithsonian Institution, British Museum, National Museum of Denmark, Musée du Quai Branly, Australian Museum, Te Papa Tongarewa, and Tokyo National Museum.

Archives and Collections

The Society curates an archive of field notes, maps, photographs, and recordings deposited with institutional partners such as Royal British Columbia Museum, Museum of Anthropology at UBC, City of Vancouver Archives, Library and Archives Canada, and university special collections at University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University Special Collections, University of Victoria Special Collections, and regional museums across British Columbia. Holdings relate to excavations comparable to sites like Keatley Creek Village, Namu (British Columbia), Rennell Sound, Hecate Strait, Gwaii Haanas, and documentation of material culture paralleling collections at Canadian Museum of History, American Museum of Natural History, and Royal Ontario Museum.

Category:Learned societies of Canada Category:Organizations based in Vancouver