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| Latin American Association of Anthropology | |
|---|---|
| Name | Latin American Association of Anthropology |
| Abbreviation | LAAA |
| Formation | 20th century |
| Type | Professional association |
| Headquarters | Bogotá |
| Region served | Latin America |
| Language | Spanish, Portuguese |
| Leader title | President |
Latin American Association of Anthropology is a regional professional association linking scholars across Latin America and the Caribbean, with ties to institutions in Europe and North America. It serves as a forum for coordination among university departments, research institutes, museums, and cultural foundations, and interfaces with international agencies and regional bodies. The association convenes conferences, publishes journals and monographs, and advocates for policies affecting indigenous communities, heritage sites, and anthropological training.
Founded during a period of expanding academic networks in the 20th century, the association traces roots to meetings between scholars from Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and Universidad de São Paulo. Early conferences featured participants from British Museum, Smithsonian Institution, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Oxford. Influential figures associated with its emergence include researchers connected to Franz Boas-influenced circles at Columbia University and intellectual currents from José Martí-era institutions, alongside collaborations with leaders tied to Museo Nacional de Antropología (Mexico), Museu de Arte de São Paulo, and the Universidad de La Habana.
Throughout its development the association engaged with policy debates in capitals such as Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile, Lima, Mexico City, and Brasília, interacting with agencies like the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the Inter-American Development Bank. Key historical moments include dialogues shaped by events such as the Cuban Revolution, regional human rights campaigns after the Dirty War (Argentina), and post-conflict reconstruction initiatives following the Guatemalan Civil War. The association’s archives record exchanges with scholars from National Autonomous University of Mexico, FLACSO, Universidad de Costa Rica, and the University of Havana.
The association’s stated goals emphasize support for researchers at Universidade de Brasília, El Colegio de México, Universidad de los Andes (Colombia), and smaller regional colleges; promotion of ethical fieldwork standards aligned with declarations from International Council on Monuments and Sites, World Health Organization guidelines on community research, and protocols endorsed by Assembly of First Nations-linked bodies; preservation of sites such as Machu Picchu, Tikal, Chavín de Huántar, and intangible heritage associated with groups like the Quechua people, Aymara people, Mapuche, and Garifuna. It seeks to foster comparative studies spanning literatures of Gabriel García Márquez, archival projects tied to Simón Bolívar, and interdisciplinary exchange with scholars connected to Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Cambridge, and University of Toronto.
Membership comprises academics from departments at Universidad de Antioquia, curators from Museo del Oro (Bogotá), graduate students supported by fellowships from Ford Foundation, and independent scholars affiliated with think tanks like Latin America Center (LSE). Governance typically includes an elected president, vice-presidents representing subregions such as the Andes, Amazon basin, and the Caribbean, and committees on ethics, publications, and outreach with liaisons to institutions such as Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia and Royal Anthropological Institute. The association maintains working groups focused on topics related to legal frameworks like those enacted by the Organization of American States and regional accords negotiated at summits hosted in Quito and Cartagena.
The association organizes biennial congresses alternating among cities including Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Quito, Havana, Mexico City, and Bogotá, attracting panels chaired by scholars from University of Chicago, University of Michigan, University of Edinburgh, Universidad de Salamanca, and Universidad de Sevilla. The program commonly features symposia on indigenous rights referencing rulings from courts such as the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and comparative workshops drawing participants from Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores en Antropología Social (CIESAS), Instituto Indígena de Colombia, Fundación Nacional Batuta, and community organizations like Consejo de Todas las Tierras. Short courses have been co-hosted with museums such as Museum of Anthropology and History (Guatemala) and labs affiliated with Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology.
The association publishes a peer-reviewed journal and monograph series featuring articles by contributors from El Colegio de Michoacán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, and research teams funded by agencies including the National Science Foundation and European Research Council. Special issues have focused on archaeological projects at Chan Chan, ethnographies of Afro-Brazilian communities, and linguistic documentation involving scholars from Summer Institute of Linguistics collaborations. Research networks coordinate comparative datasets with projects at Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Instituto de Investigaciones Antropológicas (UNAM), and field stations near Amazonas (state), emphasizing reproducible methods developed in collaboration with groups at London School of Economics and Yale University.
Partnerships span regional organizations like FLACSO and multilateral institutions such as Pan American Health Organization, with memoranda of understanding signed with museums including Museo de la Memoria (Uruguay) and cultural funds such as Fundación Rockefeller. The association takes part in joint initiatives with universities including University of Barcelona, University of Leiden, Heidelberg University, and research consortia funded through programs administered by European Commission and Canadian International Development Agency. Collaborative efforts address issues intersecting with legal instruments from Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and advocacy linked to decisions by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
The association has influenced curricula at institutions such as Universidad de Puerto Rico, informed restitution debates related to collections at British Museum and Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, and contributed to policy recommendations adopted in reports by United Nations Development Programme and World Bank country teams. Critics have raised concerns about representation from grassroots groups including Zapatista Army of National Liberation sympathizers and activists from Consejo Nacional Indígena (Mexico), uneven North–South funding flows involving donors such as the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and methodological debates contested in forums with scholars from Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study and Center for Latin American Studies (UChicago). Ongoing reforms aim to broaden participation of underrepresented institutions like Universidad del Valle (Colombia), Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, and community research collectives in the Amazon.
Category:Anthropology organizations