Indigenous Women and Intellectual Traditions in Anthropology: Audra Simpson Talk

Indigenous women are among the underrepresented voices in contemporary anthropology, and throughout its history. They were more likely to be the subjects of research into an ethnographic present, always portrayed in exotic terms and without agency. Perhaps in reaction to earlier studies Indigenous people are among the critics of the work that anthropologists produce. Despite this troubled relationship, Audra Simpson has adopted a discipline that exists to explore the human condition.
The current generation of anthropologists accept that research does not occur independent of the researcher’s perspective. Thus, indigeneity will inevitably direct the course of inquiry for anthropology conducted by Indigenous people. In this conversation, Dr. Simpson reflected upon her career as an anthropologist. She discussed the tropes, trends and themes that inform her research and how she contributes to the discourse of modern anthropology.