High Plains Society for Applied Anthropology HPSfAA News

Now Available! TAA Journal Volume 45, Number 1-2

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 22:18:49 GMT

The newest edition of our peer-reviewed journal is now available online!

Go to TAA section of our website to download and read!

Want a hard copy for your collection or institution?

Send an email to appliedanthropologist@gmail.com.

Enjoy!

Anthropology Readiness Career Network Session on Youtube!

Sun, 17 Nov 2024 04:15:00 GMT

Hello Fellow High Plainers!

During the 2024 Fall Retreat, we hosted a virtual session with the Anthropology Readiness Career Network (ACRN).

Led by Elizabeth Briody, Riall Nolan, Jennifer Studebaker, and Zahra Malik.

We have posted ACRN's virtual session on Youtube and the video is available here.

https://youtu.be/dJVn0Ud-OUc

Click, listen and learn!

Now Available! TAA Journal, Volume 44, Number 1-2

Sun, 17 Nov 2024 04:00:00 GMT

The newest edition of our peer-reviewed journal is now available online!

Go to TAA section of our website to download and read!

Want a hard copy for your collection or institution?

Send an email to appliedanthropologist@gmail.com.

Enjoy!

TAA Journal, Volume 43, Number 1-2 is Now Available

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 22:30:00 GMT

The newest edition of our peer-reviewed journal is now available online! Go to TAA section of our website to download and read! Want a hard copy for your collection or institution? Send an email to appliedanthropologist@gmail.com. Enjoy!

TAA Journal, Volume 42, Number 1-2 is Now Available!

Sun, 01 Jan 2023 16:30:00 GMT

Bring in the New Year with the newest edition of our journal. Now available in the TAA section of the website!

Volume 1 of The Applied Anthropologist, Edition 41 Now Available!!!

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 00:06:39 GMT

Hello fellow High Plainers,

We are thrilled to announce the release of the TAA 2021, Issue 1.

Click here to DOWNLOAD!

https://hpsfaa.wildapricot.org/resources/Documents/AppliedAnthropologist-2021/Vol.41_No.1-2_2021.pdf

Stay tuned for news about the Spring Conference 2021!

Volume 2 of The Applied Anthropologist, Edition 40 Now Available!!!

Wed, 09 Dec 2020 18:48:45 GMT

Hello Fellow High Plainers, we are excited to announce the release of the Second TAA of 2020. Click here to download!

https://hpsfaa.wildapricot.org/resources/Documents/AppliedAnthropologist-2020/Vol.40_No.2_2020.pdf

Reduced Registration Rates for Fall Retreat and HPSfAA Merchandise!

Mon, 24 Aug 2020 17:12:19 GMT

Hello HPSfAA Folks,

Since we have moved the Fall Retreat to an online format, we have decided to reduce the registration rate to reflect the lack of in-person amenities and decreased cost of not having to rent a physical space.

Reduced Rates:

A. Professional - Member: $35

B. Professional - Member Couple: $55

C. Professional- Non Member: $40

D. Student - Member: $20

E. Student - Non Member: $25

F. Senior - Member: $25

G. Senior - Non Member: $30

Registration for the Virtual Conference is now open!

Fall Retreat Merchandise For Sale!

Maroon HPSfAA Tee-shirts and Pint Glasses. Along with Canvas Bags and Notebooks.

Note: All items will mail via USPS Priority Mail Box, shipping cost is $8. Multiple items can be sent together to reduce shipping cost.

Check out our Online Store for more details!!

Thank you, Saniego

Call for Papers: Fall Retreat Virtual Conference

Mon, 17 Aug 2020 15:34:19 GMT

High Plains Society for Applied Anthropology

Fall Retreat 2020

“Working from Home; Dreaming of Homecoming”

October 2nd- 4th, 2020

Deadline for Abstracts: Sept 1st, 2020

Virtual Videoconference

TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL:

Contact:
Please send proposals via email to Josef Garrett at garret@msudenver.edu

Your proposal must include the following:

Personal Information:
Please include your name, contact information, and any relevant academic or professional affiliations.

Title and Abstract:
Please provide your paper or presentation title and a 100-200 word abstract.

Presentation Type:

Our standard presentation time slots are 45 minutes, including time for questions and discussion following your presentation. Please indicate the length of your presentation.

Additionally, we will be happy to work with you on alternative approaches to presenting your material. For example, you may propose a virtual panel, roundtable discussion, a debate, a workshop, an activity of some sort, a session featuring film or music, or a performance.

Full Call for Papers can be found here.

Call for Papers Volume 40, No. 2 The Applied Anthropologist

Sat, 15 Aug 2020 20:40:51 GMT

Resistance and Response

The Applied Anthropologist is a peer-reviewed publication which has, over the last forty years, maintained a commitment to featuring the work that applied anthropologists, sociologists, educators, and other social scientists engage in our communities, to great effect. While this is always important, in light of current national and global events which are exposing pernicious structures of social and economic inequity, racialized violence, and a resurgence of nationalist rhetoric, it is important to remember that as applied social scientists, we carry the responsibility to bring our work out of the seasonal cycles of research, and instead to stand at all times in solidarity with issues of social justice, human rights, dignity, and equity. Natural disasters and pandemics have correlates as well because the burden of such catastrophes rests more heavily upon those already burdened by injustice. Recognizing the historic times we find ourselves in, the call for vol. 40, no.2 of the journal is Resistance and Response. We are pleased to request full articles, briefs, and commentaries which are in alignment with the long tradition of bringing excluded voices to the table to address social, political, economic, and public health issues that impact communities locally and internationally.

Deadline for submissions is Thursday October 1^st, 2020.

Please visit https://hpsfaa.wildapricot.org/page-583332for our in-depth style guide, and please feel free to contact our editorial team with any questions you have, as well as to submit manuscripts, at appliedanthropologist@gmail.com. The editorial team and the entirety of the board of the High Plains Society for Applied Anthropology (which sponsors the journal) is proud to stand with the powerful voices demanding the simplest of dignities – to not be murdered, to not be terrorized, to not be unjustly imprisoned, to not have families separated, to not be placed in harm’s way to serve the privilege and profit of others. The efforts to normalize the use of such inhuman tactics by ours or any other country must be interrupted and resisted because history will see clearly the things that we thought it possible to ignore.

Volume 40, No. 1, The Applied Anthropologist represents another fine edition to add to your quarantine reading list!

Mon, 27 Jul 2020 23:43:50 GMT

Hello / Hola, fellow Applied Anthropologists,

While we are cooped up in home/mobile offices reminiscing of days past in the field or on campus, let's take a moment to reflect upon the practical theory that aids us in our applied work by reading about the work and ideas our members are working on or discussing.

Get your hands on the newest release of the TAA Edition 40, No. 1, 2020.

Click here to view and download.

Thanks again to Peter Van Arsdale, Editor-in-Chief, the TAA crew, and the Published Authors for putting together yet another edition of the journal!

All HPSfAA members get access to the digital version while our Institutional Members get one hard copy of this edition mailed to them.

Not a current Member, no worries. Becoming a HPS Member or renewing your membership take just a few minutes of your time.

Saludos from México City, Saniego

Town Hall, Today at 3pm. Youtube Link Here!

Sat, 11 Jul 2020 15:59:52 GMT

HPSfAA will be hosting a town hall today to discuss our current Call for Papers and the Fall Retreat tentative plans: online, hybrid, or in-person. We'd love to hear your thoughts.

https://youtu.be/vBhLfBWFFwg

See you soon!!

Release of The Applied Anthropologist Volume 39, Number 1-2, 2019

Wed, 08 Jan 2020 20:56:05 GMT

HPSfAA is excited to announce the new edition of our journal, The Applied Anthropologist.

The journal is available to all our of members and available through the libraries of our institutional partners and the database EBSCOHOST.

Consider renewing or joining to gain access to TAA Volume 39!.

Thank you to the entire TAA crew, Peter, Andrea, Lucor, Melanie, and Max for all your hard work over the past year putting together this Volume.

Click here to download The Applied Anthropologist Volume 39, Number 1-2, 2019.

¡Congratulations to our newly elected President-elect, Michael Kilman!

Tue, 30 Jul 2019 17:34:34 GMT

After a cordial round of voting, our members have selected a new President-elect, Michael Kilman. Who will be inducted at our Fall Retreat at Ghost Ranch Retreat Center, September 19-22, 2019.

Please join us this Fall in welcoming Michael to the HPSfAA Board.

Saludos, Saniego

!Extra Extra! Newest Edition of The Applied Anthropologist Out Now!

Thu, 13 Jun 2019 20:00:00 GMT

Hello folks on the Front Range and beyond!

HPSfAA is excited to announce the release of the TAA Edition 38, Number 1-2, 2018.

Click here to view and download.

Thanks to Peter Van Arsdale, Editor-in-Chief, the TAA crew, and the Published Authors for putting together yet another fine edition of the journal!

And don't forget all of our Institutional Members get one hard copy of this edition.

Hasta pronto, Saniego

Sweet Grass / Pyatt Studio Deadline to Apply Extended!

Mon, 22 Apr 2019 19:57:22 GMT

Community Development Design/Build Summer Internship

Due to extensive flooding and other natural and human disasters, we have extended the deadline for the summer field school until May 3rd.

Lately, Sweet Grass has been contributing to building and design in Indian Country. It is our desire to work with students who are interested in participating in development with Native Nations in South Dakota and Minnesota. That's why we have partnered with Pyatt Studio and The Building Cooperative this year to provide a comprehensive experience. You do not have to be an architect or engineer or anthropologist to apply. But, being interested in any one or more of the following is a plus: community development, ethnography, ethnobotany, buffalo-caretaking, place-making, design/build, safe and affordable housing, honoring elders, and genuine community-based research and development.

Apply below by May 3rd! There are opportunities for 2 scholarships, and if you are a current student, we can work with your college or university to provide credits for your experience as well.

https://www.tfaforms.com/4709388

Please contact Michael Brydge with any questions!

michael@sweetgrassconsulting.net

SUMMER 2019 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FIELD SCHOOL!

Sat, 02 Feb 2019 03:54:57 GMT

“CHARACTER IS OFTEN DETERMINED NOT BY WHEN WE DO WHAT WE MUST, BUT BY WHEN WE DO WHAT IS VOLUNTARY.”

Looking for an opportunity to practice hands-on ethnographic

methods and gain applied experience and skills?

Sweet Grass Consulting LLC is a team of researchers and community development advocates who provide professional, evaluative and research services that promote and support asset-based development initiatives in economically burdened communities. Sweet Grass Consulting has experience in areas related to strategic action planning and assessment, effective data collection and database development, feasibility and market analyses, impact measurement programs and comprehensive reporting in a variety of mediums. Similarly, SGC implements participatory methods with a focus in Community Development processes and utilizes these methods to achieve community defined goals.

Pyatt Studio is a mission driven firm with a core purpose of improving the quality of peoples lives through design. Pyatt Studio un-derstands that a building is an opportunity to inspire change and enhance the human condition. Their work seeks to leverage these opportunities for the greater public good by looking for ways to promote social, economic and environmental sustainability in their projects. Values such as: a focus on people and place, social impact, participation of all stakeholders, and a willingness to question the status quo inform their approach to each project. The Building Cooperative is a non profit organization established by Pyatt Stu-dio to expand on the firms educational and affordable housing programs.

The collaboration between Sweet Grass Consulting and Pyatt Studio was developed through shared values and understanding of the role ethnogra-phy plays in design and community development. Much of Sweet Grass’ community development work has been related to affordable housing initi-atives and needs assessments. Additionally, Pyatt Studio believes it is imper-ative to incorporate cultural traditions and community engagement into ar-chitecture and design. Integrating the strengths of anthropological field methods and design, this field school aims to provide a multidisciplinary ap-proach to community development and sustainable affordable housing. This field school will provide housing for the underserved Native American community while providing on-site learning collaborations. By using educa-tion and hands-on experiences as a catalyst for change, Sweet Grass and Py-att Studio seek to empower a new generation of community designers, an-thropologists, builders and thinkers for the future.

The field school will take place on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota for 4-5 weeks over the course of this summer. The 4-5 weeks on-site may not be consecutive. If you have scheduling concerns or other concerns, please contact us, we can work out an individual plan to meet your needs. Interns will be responsible for 40-60 hours of work a week. You will experience a mix of structured learning experiences, skill-building shadowing, community engagement, and adventures! The cost of the field school is $3,000. Applying for the field school automatically applies you for one of two $500 scholarships. One $500 scholarship will go to an emerging anthropologist and one will go to an emerging designer.

You will not regret the experiences and growth you will encounter while visiting the rich environment and working with vibrant peo-ple throughout the area!

Download Sweetgrass's Logistic Form Here.

COMPLETE THE APPLICATION HERE:

https://www.tfaforms.com/4709388

DUE APRIL 12, 2019

The Applied Anthropologist Releases Volume 35, No. 2

Tue, 10 May 2016 20:51:19 GMT

Please visit this page to read Volume 35, Number 2 of The Applied Anthropologist Journal!

Student Travel Award Application

Sat, 05 Dec 2015 20:35:10 GMT

If you are a student HPSfAA is offering a travel award.

Apply to receive the award here:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HPSfAA-StudentTravelAward

2016 Spring Conference Call for Papers

Sat, 05 Dec 2015 20:34:42 GMT

High Plains 2016 Spring Conference

Call for Abstracts

April 20-24, 2016

Metropolitan State University Campus, Denver, Colorado

Conference Theme: Unmaking and Making an Unjust World—

Representations and Critiques of Social Justice

Social protest and subversion are at the foundation of Anthropology and the communities who offer subject matter for the discipline. Both academia and community have found many ways to artistically present social movements, resistance, and protest to hegemonic structures of inequality at both individual and community levels. This consists of, but is not limited to: television, radio, internet, music, poetry, literature, theatre, space-occupation, and body-political approaches. What is more, human injustices are broad in spectrum, from culture to sexuality, and from social class to the environment; the challenges are myriad and global. In an attempt to look critically at how social justice is defined and enacted, we invite abstracts for presentation of formal papers dealing with representations of social justice via social mediums such as: television, radio, internet, music, poetry, literature, theatre, space-occupation, and body-political performances. We welcome individual, group, community, academic, government and policy-based demonstrations, presentations, performances and workshops.

Deadline for Submission of Abstract or Presentation Proposals: February 1, 2016 via this survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2016_HPSfAA_Abstract_Submission

From the President's Corner

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:47:26 GMT

Greetings everyone and Happy Holidays. This is the first of which is intended to be a bi-monthly update. Its primary function is to communicate to all the members of our society information on upcoming events, activities and important issues in which we are involved.

To begin, the Annual Ghost Ranch Retreat was very successful. The comment from some attendees was that it was “the best one ever.” This was true in several ways. The papers, panels and roundtable discussions were timely, vibrant and well received. Also, student attendance and participation was our largest group ever. Students from Metropolitan State College, the University of Arizona, Colorado State University, and the University of Colorado at Denver all participated. Clearly, a productive and good time was had by all.

The important upcoming events should be particularly noted. First, the Annual Spring Conference (April 19^th to the 22^nd) will be held on the Colorado State University campus this year. The conference will be held in conjunction with the Northern Colorado Intertribal “Pow Wow” Association (NCIPA) which will offer a number of exciting activities for conference participants. The conference theme this year, “Artistic Expressions and Community Connection,” is a departure from those of the past few years, but represents an important and exciting avenue for participants to explore.

Another important recent development has been the request from the Society for Applied Anthropology to jointly sponsor the 2013 National Conference in Denver. Although there are many details to work out, this clearly shows the respect for our regional group at the national level and, I think, promises to have several positive long term benefits to our organization. Mr. Tom May, Executive Director for SFAA has visited with some of the board members once already and is scheduled to return to Denver in the next month or so to begin work on selecting the conference theme, arranging tours and special events, etc. I should have much more in the way of details to share with you in my next communication.

For now, let me wish you all the very best and happiest of holidays.

Jack Schultz, HPSfAA President

Call for Papers for Spring Conference!

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:22:27 GMT

Call for Papers
If you or your community, students, agencies, coalitions, organizations, teams, or colleagues have a story to tell, idea to explore, paper to present, poster to exhibit, research to expand our knowledge or experiences to share, please join us! Please see the conference description below for more information. We encourage you to submit your abstracts and panels.

Please follow this link (https://hpsfaa.wufoo.com/forms/paper-submission/) to fill out the form for a paper, panel, or open forum topic, including an abstract of no more than 250 words.

You must be registered for the conference in order to submit a paper, panel or forum topic

You may also download the form by clicking here and send it to Kathleen Sherman by mail:

Department of Anthropology
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1787

or email (Kathleen.Sherman@colostate.edu).

All submissions are due no later than Monday, January 30, 2012.

Updating your Information

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:02:29 GMT

HPSfAA Members,

HPSfAA is currently moving into the technology era. We have an amazing website and would like to use it to its fullest potential. This includes registration and information about the Spring Conference and Ghost Ranch,the publication of The Applied Anthropologist, Member News, and Blog Posts concerning opportunities including Employment Opportunities,Grants and Research, Student Opportunities, Conferences and Meetings,Call for Contributors, and Service Opportunities. We would like to encourage members to use these resources.

In order to utilize the website to its fullest potential especially in relation to the Spring Conference, Ghost Ranch, and ballots we need everyone's information to be up to date. Please visit the following link: http://hpsfaa.wildapricot.org/Content/Members/MemberProfile.aspx to log in and confirm your information including e-mail, address, phone number, institution and membership details. If you have any problems updating your contact information and/or preferences please contact me and I can assist you in the process.

Thank you for your time!

Regards,
Andrea Akers
Secretary and Interim Webmaster, High Plains Society for Applied Anthropology
Managing Editor, The Applied Anthropologist
Masters Student, Colorado State University
amakers@rams.colostate.edu

2011 Election Results

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:38:24 GMT

Hello HPSfAA Members,

We had a successful election this year. The outcome of the election is as follows:

Shawn Kelley was elected as President-Elect

Ed Knop was elected as the Publications Policy Committee Chair

Steven Stewart and Joanne Moore were elected as Members-at-Large

Peter Van Arsdale was elected as the Editor-in-Chief of The Applied Anthropologist

Andrea Akers was elected as the Interim Webmaster

Please visit: http://hpsfaa.wildapricot.org/Board_Member_List for an updated list of all the current board members.

Thank you for participating in the 2011 Election and we hope to see you at the 2012 Spring Conference in Fort Collins!

Newest Volume of the Applied Anthropologist Available to Members

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:27:55 GMT

We are pleased to be able to present this first volume of The Applied Anthropologist under our editorship. A thirty-year record of publication is significant in any field, and with the changes that have been occurring with electronic media, it is doubly important that we keep pace. This is the first full-scale e-publication to be sponsored by the High Plains Society for Applied Anthropology, and one of the first among peer-reviewed journals of anthropology.

Over the years work by (and about) many of the international leaders in applied anthropology and related social science disciplines has appeared in these pages: Meta Baba, John van Willigen, Robert Hackenberg, John Bodley, Michael Cernea, and Peter Kunstadter are representative. Equally important has been the work of individuals known nationally for their accomplishments: Muriel Crespi, George De Vos, David Fetterman, Tom Greaves, Tony Paredes, and Merrill Singer are representative.

Editors of The Applied Anthropologist and its predecessor, the High Plains Applied Anthropologist, have been particularly pleased to publish the work of researchers, field workers, and activists who are not often in the limelight, yet who have made stellar contributions behind-the-scenes, at the grassroots, or in the classroom. Many have been members of the High Plains Society for Applied Anthropology or other LPOs. Many work outside academia. Some have been members of groups traditionally marginalized or excluded from scientific discourse.

The present volume features the work of applied social scientists and activists who are clearly in the forefront. A complementarity of interests is seen as the articles by Pedro Oliveira and Howard Stein are compared. Both are looking at clinical anthropology through new lens; both rely upon their knowledge of psychology. A complementarity of interests also is seen as the articles by Mark Harvey and Arthur Scarritt are compared. Both are concerned with marginalized peoples and the racialized hierarchies that confront them; both are critical of neoliberalism. All four of these authors are empirically rigorous, as primarily qualitative methods are employed in their endeavors.

Commentaries and integrated sets of book reviews have been a long-standing feature of this journal. The materials included in this volume are exemplary. Riall Nolan tackles the issue of “buried bodies” in the field of development. Why haven’t we, through institutions, been able to translate more of our research into meaningful changes? Whom do we tell? Julie Reyes tackles the issue of a “culture of ethics.” How does this culture emerge institutionally, nurtured by social networks? How can its lessons better be applied by anthropologists? Through a recent book, Walter Littlemoon and Jane Ridgway address boarding school trauma in their recount of a remarkable Lakota life story; Larry Van Horn, Kathleen Sherman, and Kreg Ettenger offer insightful interpretations in turn.

Several colleagues served as peer reviewers for two or more of the articles and commentaries that appear in this volume, and we would like to express our profound thanks: Kreg Ettenger, Ph.D.; Joanne Moore, M.A.; Teresa Tellechea, Ph.D.; Amy Van Arsdale, Ph.D. Moore and Tellechea also serve as Associate Editors.

Please click this link to log in and see the most recent volume of the Applied Anthropologist!

--Peter Van Arsdale, Editor-in-Chief

--Andrea Akers, Managing Editor

Ghost Ranch Program

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:06:14 GMT

High Plains Society for Applied

Anthropology

Ghost Ranch Retreat 2011

September 30-October 2

Ghost Ranch,

Abiquiu, New Mexico

Conference Program

Friday, September 30

4:00 Arrival and Registration

5:30 – 6:30 Dinner

7:00 – 8:00 Story Circle Roundtable Discussion: “The Good, Bad and Ugly from Field and Work Experiences”

8:00 Social Hour

Saturday, October 1

7:30 – 8:30 Breakfast

9:00 – 11:30 Panel Discussion: “Artistic Expression and Community Connections”

· Howard Stein, Katy Little

12:00 –1:00 Lunch

1:00 – 5:30 Free Time

1:00 – 2:30 Closed Board Meeting

3:30 – 5:00 Student Panel: “What We Need to Get Where We Want to Go”

· Joe Garrett, Kathleen Van Vlack

5:30 – 6:30 Dinner

6:30 – 8:00 Evening Session: Presentation of the “Poet Laureate” Award

Universityof Arizona Presentation

· Kathleen Van Vlack, Rich Stoffle

8:00 Social Hour

Sunday, October 2

9:00 – 11:00 Panel Discussion: “Dilemmas of the Contemporary Practitioner”

· Rebecca Forgash, Ed Knop, Peter Van Arsdale

11:00 –12:00 Open Board Meeting

12:00 Adjournment

The Applied Anthropologist - New Leadership and Call for Submissions

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 14:27:55 GMT

We are happy to announce that Peter Van Arsdale has been appointed Editor-in-Chief, Andrea Akers as Managing Editor, and Joanne Moore and Teresa Tellechea as Associate Editors of the Applied Anthropologist, the journal for HPSfAA.

The Applied Anthropologist is actively soliciting full-length articles (up to 5000 words), commentaries, and "best student papers," and some book reviews. E-mail inquiries or manuscripts to: Peter Van Arsdale pvanarsd@du.edu or Andrea Akersamakers@rams.colostate.edu.

In addition the Applied Anthropologist is compiling a special issue to commemorate Friedl Lang to be published in early 2012. Manuscripts for this special issue should touch on topics important to him in his career (e.g., E. African tribal development, New Guinea community dynamics, American Indian socio-economics, and/or the Bavarian "Passion Play"). Articles should follow the author guidelines located on the website and should be no more than 5,000 words. The deadline for submission is December 1^st, 2011. Interested persons should contact Peter or Andrea immediately.

2011 Spring Conference

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:37:25 GMT

More than 50 people attended this year’s Spring Conference held at the Metropolitan State College of Denver on the Auraria Higher Education Campus in the Tivoli Student Union building from April 14 – 17, 2011. Presenters ranged from Metropolitan State College of Denver, Northern Colorado University, and Colorado State University.

The MSCD Student Anthropological Society, ALPACA was essential to the success of the conference and many thanks go out to them and their mentor President-Elect, Dr. Jack Schultz. President Kathleen Sherman acted as program chair for the conference for the last time as starting in July Dr. Jack Schultz will become President.

Highlights of the conference included the presentation of the annual awards on Saturday afternoon. The Omer C. Stewart Memorial Award, named after a founding member of HPSfAA, was awarded to Michael Burney, an applied archaeologist and student of Omer Stewart. Kreg Ettenger, whose participation in the new website and the Society's journal, the Applied Anthropologist, is invaluable, was honored with the Bristlecone Pine Award, which recognizes long and meritorious service to the organization. The Martha and Friedl Lang Student Award went to the MSCD’s Student Anthropological Society, ALPACA. President Robert Bellamy accepted the award.

The keynote presentation was given by David White Bull, an Oglala Lakota from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. He is a Loan Officer for The Lakota Funds, a Community Development Financial Institution. He is also a member of the Native American Church in Kyle, SD and spoke on his experience with the Church in memory of Omer Stewart and his work with religious freedom, especially the use of peyote for Native American Nations. David White Bull and his two young sons performed a Native American Church song for the audience.

A major issue at the conference was the possibility of partnering with the Society for Applied Anthropology (SfAA) for the 2013 Spring Conference. This partnership will provide HPSfAA with exposure to the larger population of Applied Anthropologists and will allow students to be exposed to a larger conference. In addition this partnership will be driven by issues that are important to the region and will be decided by HPSfAA. In accordance with the large amount of planning and time required for the 2013 Spring Conference the 2012 Spring Conference might be held at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado.

All in all, the 2011 Spring Conference was a successful and satisfying event, with great student participation and a wide range of high-quality presentations. Plans for Ghost Ranch are underway and will be held from September 30^th – October 3^rd, 2011 in Abiquiu, New Mexico. Hope to see you all there!

Thursday April 14th, 2011

HPSfAA Board Meeting - 4/14/11

Friday April 15th, 2011

Michael Brydge - CSU

"Decision Making Influences of Farmers and Ranchers in Weld County, CO"

AJ Oscarson - MSCD

"Addressing Sustainable Housing in Latin American and the Caribbean"

Sally McBeth - MSCD

"Ute Ethnobotany Project: A Collaborative Approach in Applied Anthropology"

Robert Bellamy - MSCD

"Raising Difference in Coastal Kenya"

Emilia Gonzales - Clements

Fifth Sun Development Fund

"Identifying, Measuring and Improving Quality of Life: A Brief Overview and Insights from a Northern Mexico Case Study"

PANEL: Addressing the Medical Needs of the Somali Population in Greeley, CO

MSCD Undergraduate Students

Saturday April 16th, 2011

Andrea Akers - CSU

"Lakota Women [the anti-systemic link in the capitalist world-system]

Tourism, Anthropology and Quality of Life: Interdisciplinary Perspectives Panel

Julie Reyes - MSCD

"The Role of Sustainable Tourism in Neoliberal Policies and Poverty Reduction Strategies: Do They Adequately Address Quality of Life?"

Rebecca Forgash - MSCD

"Tourism, Local/Global Cultural Production, and Quality of Life in Okinawa, Japan"

Enrique Maestas - MSCD

"Ethnography and Tourism"

Helle Sorensen - MSCD

"Viking Village Ecotourism"

MSCD - F.I.R.M.

Undergraduate Research Program

Stephen Stewart - MSCD

"What I Learned from My Father, Omer Stewart"

Keynote Speaker: David White Bull

Oglala Lakota Native American Church Member and The Lakota Funds Loan Officer

"The Native American Church and Community Development"

David White Bull and his Sons performing a Native American Church Song

Peter VanArsdale speaking about Omer Stewart

Deward Walker speaking about Omer Stewart

Awards Ceremony

The Omer Stewart Award

Michael Burney - Recipient

Michael Burney's Acceptance Speech

President Kathy Sherman announcing Kreg Ettenger as the receiver of the Bristlecone Pine Award over the phone

Martha and Freidl Lang Student Award

MSCD ALPACA Student Anthropological Society

Sunday April 17th, 2011

Howard Stein

University of Oklahoma Health Services Center

"Poetry of Applied Anthropology as Life Quality Enhancement: Some Examples from American BioMedicine"

Greg Batchelder - CSU

"Participation in a Support Group for People Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder: Impacts on Perceived Quality of Life"

Joanne Peetz Moore

"Perceptions of Higher Education as a Path to a Higher Quality of Life Among Students in Gansu Province, China"

The Applied Anthropologist

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 05:39:01 GMT

Due to a series of publishing problems, Volume 30 (2010) of The Applied Anthropologist has been considerably delayed. No issues have been sent out since spring of 2010, which was when the Fall 2009 issue was published.

We are working on putting out a combined issue for Volume 30 (numbers 1 and 2) with a scheduled publication date of September 2011. This will be the last regularly printed issue of The Applied Anthropologist. After that we will be switching to digital publishing as approved by the board and members.

We are considering options that would allow individuals to print on-demand versions of each Volume at the end of each publishing year. We will keep you posted on this and other matters with the journal in the coming months.

Kreg Ettenger, PPC Chair and Interim TAA editor

All domain names now point to Wild Apricot!

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 05:34:58 GMT

The transition of the HPSfAA website to this new Wild Apricot-hosted site is now almost complete. As of this week, all of our registered domain names--hpsfaa.org, hpsfaa.net, and hpsfaa.com--now point to this site. They can be used with or without the www.

The old website, hosted by ArielIMS in Boulder, is no longer operational. All content from that site has been transferred to this site, or is in the process of being transferred.

We are still working on one big item--the posting of all back issues of the journal on this new site. We had a hitch when a student volunteer was no longer able to continue this process, but hope to have most back issues up by April.

Kreg Ettenger, Webmaster

Death of Michael J. Higgins

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:35:49 GMT

Michael J. Higgins, one of the founding members of the High Plains Society for Applied Anthropology has passed away. Michael Higgins, Ph.D. was a Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University of Northern Colorado having taught anthropology for over 25 years. During his tenure as professor he served as the chair of the Anthropology department as well as the Black Studies department and the Women’s Study department. Dr. Higgins was a prolific writer, authoring numerous scholarly articles and several distinguished books in the field of anthropology. The following link is to a blog where friends and colleagues are posting memories for his family. His obituary is in the Greeley paper from February 4th, 2011.

http://memoriesofmichaelhiggins.blogspot.com/

Report on Ghost Ranch Retreat

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 20:50:21 GMT

The members of the High Plains Society for Applied Anthropology had an intellectually stimulating and reinvigorating retreat at the Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico on October 1-3. Outstanding presentations were made on topics of collaborative research methodology, oral histories, cultural landscapes, cultural affiliation, ecology and culture, gender and economy, and cultural identity. There were robust discussions about the ideals and realities of community collaboration, and the role of field schools in implementing social welfare programs. The Executive Director of the Society for Applied Anthropology also attended to explore the possibility of a joint meeting with SfAA in 2013. The group left enthusiastic for the upcoming Spring Conference of HPSfAA April 15-17, 2010 in Denver. The Spring Conference theme will be the role of applied anthropology in improving quality of life, with a subtheme of the legacy of Omer Stewart. Many thanks to all the Ghost Ranch presenters and participants! See everyone in April.

Report on 2010 Conference

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 03:17:18 GMT

Over 60 participants, many of them new to HPSfAA, attended the annual meetings in Denver from April 22-25. Students from the Metropolitan State College of Denver, as well as UC-Denver, Colorado State, Northern Colorado, Arizona State, Arizona and other area universities, made up a large part of the attendance and also presented a good number of the papers.

Metro State students, under the guidance of President-Elect Jack Schultz, helped to organize and run the event. President Kathleen Sherman acted as program chair, overseeing the first year with two full days and one half day of presentations. For the fourth year in a row, the conference was held on the Auraria Higher Education Campus, in the Tivoli Student Union Building. Many thanks go to Jack, his students, the anthropology department and Metro State for playing hosts once again.

Highlights of the conference included the presentation of the annual awards on Saturday afternoon. Deward Walker, a founding member of the Society and 10-year editor of the Society's journal, then called the High Plains Applied Anthropologist, was honored with the Bristlecone Pine Award, which recognizes long and meritorious service to the organization. The Omer C. Stewart Memorial Award, named after another founding member, was given to David and Emilia González-Clements, who work together on applied issues including alternative energy development. The Martha and Friedl Lang Student Award went to Ben Jewell, a Ph.D. candidate at Arizona State and current Newsletter Editor of the HPSfAA.

Presenters and attendees came from as far away as Portland, Oregon, and Portland, Maine, with strong showings from Arizona as well as northern Colorado. An intrepid group from Mesa State, led by Dr. Clare Boulanger, made the difficult trek over the mountains in the middle of a spring blizzard that dumped a foot or more of snow in the foothills and passes. Adding insult to injury, a suspected gas leak during their evening presentations forced them to abandon their session, which was made up in part the following day.

The keynote presentation was given by Ava Hamilton, an Arapaho filmmaker and President of the Native American Producers Alliance. In addition to speaking about Native filmmaking and the appropriation of Native culture by mainstream media, she showed her short documentary Indians for Indians: A Radio Program, about a Native-run radio station in Oklahoma. The talk was the centerpiece of a conference that featured several presentations about video, photography and other media made by or with indigenous peoples.

A major issue at the conference was the future of the High Plains Society's journal, and the possibility of switching to an online publishing format. The high costs of printing and mailing were two factors discussed, along with current trends in academic publishing and research. Students in particular stressed that for them, electronic access to journals was crucial. Increasing readership of the journal was discussed as a major factor for many Society members. More information about this issue will be shared in a planned discussion forum on this website, with members able to contribute their points of view.

All in all, the 2010 Annual Conference was a successful and satisfying event, with great student participation and a wide range of high-quality presentations. Plans are currently underway for next year's conference, which might involve a change of venue after four years in Denver. Be sure to check back for more information!

Conference Photos

Dr. Deward Walker, a founder of of the High Plains Society for
Applied Anthropology and former editor of its journal, receives
the Bristlecone Pine Award from President Kathy Sherman.

David González-Clements shows the Pueblo wedding vase
given to him and his wife Emilia (left), co-winners of the
Omer C. Stewart Memorial Award in Applied Anthropology.

Ben Jewell, winner of the Martha and Friedl Lang Student Award
in Applied Anthropology, gives his acceptance speech.

Most presentations took place in the Tivoli Tower (shown),
although the conference spread through three rooms in the
sprawling Tivoli Student Union Building of the Auraria Higher
Education Campus in downtown Denver. The building, now
used for student services, stores, restaurants, computer labs
and meeting rooms, used to house the Tivoli Brewery.

Please send additional conference photos as medium-size jpeg files to webmaster@hpsfaa.org.

Bristlecone Pine Award Winner Announced

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 21:59:24 GMT

Deward Walker, Professor of Anthropology and Ethnic Studies, and Associate Chair of Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado, has been awarded the Bristlecone Pine Award by the HPSfAA Awards Committee. The award recognizes an individual who is distinguished for length of service and admirable dedication to HPSfAA, whether as an officer, board member or volunteer.

Professor Walker served as Editor for the High Plains Applied Anthropologist (now The Applied Anthropologist), the HPSfAA's professional journal, for ten years in the 1990s and 2000s. He has also served as Editor for Human Organization, Northwest Anthropological Research Notes, and numerous other publications. Dr. Walker received the High Plains Society's Omer C. Stewart Memorial Award in 1995. He remains an avid supporter of the organization, often bringing his students to the annual conference.

The Bristlecone Pine Award was first given to Merun Nasser, HPSfAA Treasurer, at the 2008 Annual Conference for her many years of organizational support and financial oversight for the Society. In 2009, Finance Committee Chair and Archivist Carla Littlefield received the award for her long dedication to the Society.

Gottfried and Martha Lang Student Award Winner Announced

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 21:50:37 GMT

The winner of the 2010 Gottfried and Martha Lang Student Award in Applied Anthropology has been announced by the Awards Committee. He is Benjamin Jewell, a Ph.D. candidate at Arizona State University and the Newsletter Editor for HPSfAA.

The Gottfried and Martha Lang Student Award was established in honor of Friedl Lang, Professor Emeritus of the University of Colorado, and his wife, Martha, to acknowledge their contributions to students as well as to the HPSfAA. Recipients present their paper or research project at the annual conference; may publish their paper in The Applied Anthropologist; and receive a framed award certificate, free room and board for the conference; one year’s membership in HPSfAA; and a $100 prize.

The Awards Ceremony of the High Plains Society will be held during the Annual Business Meeting on Saturday, April 24th, 3:45-5:00 pm, in the Tivoli Student Union Building of the Auraria Higher Education Campus, Denver, Colorado.

Ava Hamilton to give Keynote Address

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 00:54:49 GMT

Ava Hamilton, an Arapaho Filmmaker and President of the Native American Producers Alliance, will give the Keynote Address at the 2010 Annual Meetings. Her talk will be on Saturday, April 24th, 11:45 am to 12:30 pm in Room 640 of the Tivoli Student Union Building. The topic is "Telling Our Stories Through Film."

Hamilton grew up on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming and now lives in Boulder. She attended Southwestern State University in Oklahoma and the University of Colorado, Boulder, and trained at the Anthropology Film Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Her directing credits include Everything Has a Spirit (1992), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and won best documentary at the 1994 American Indian Film and Video Competition. The film deals with issues such as access to and protection of sacred rites and the use of peyote in the Native American Church. More recently she directed Indians for Indians: A Radio Program (2005), a profile of the oldest continuous Native radio program in the United States.

Hamilton is critical of non-Native filmmakers who appropriate Native stories, and of traditional depictions of Native Americans in film. She is a strong advocate of Native Americans telling their own stories through film and other media, and maintaining control over their oral histories and intellectual property.

Spring 2010 Newsletter

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 02:29:53 GMT

To download a Word version of the Spring newsletter, click HERE. For a pdf version, please click HERE.

Ghost Ranch 2009

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:16:57 GMT

The 2009 Ghost Ranch Retreat was held the weekend of October 2-4. This annual event allows members to get together for a long weekend in the beautiful and relaxed atmosphere of the Ghost Ranch near Abiquiu, New Mexico. For more information on the 2010 retreat, stay tuned!

Report on 2009 Conference

Fri, 29 May 2009 16:36:07 GMT

2009 Annual Conference: New Approaches to Familiar Issues

by Ben Jewell, Newsletter Editor

The annual HPSFAA Spring conference, held once again at Metro State College’s Auraria Campus in Denver, was the first under the direction of incoming president Kathleen Pickering and signaled not only a changing of the guards, but a turning point in the history of our organization. The theme was Development and Sustainability: Recognizing New Resources and Hearing New Voices. As we approach the 30th anniversary of the beginnings of the HPSFAA, we witness not so much a shift in issues that are important to us as social scientists or applied anthropologists, but perhaps the cementing of our recognition of the importance of incorporating the voices of those with whom we have spent our careers trying to make more audible.

By including local people from the communities in which we work, we have taken an important step towards our stated objectives of disseminating the body of knowledge accumulated through the application of principles that explain and improve human relations. Since 2007, the annual Spring Conference has included presentations from members of the Pine Ridge and Wounded Knee communities; activists fighting land rights issues in Native American communities; and this year, Ernest House Jr., executive secretary for the Colorado commission on Indian affairs and member of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe of Colorado.

For those in attendance at the 2007 conference, the presentation by Walter Little Moon and Jane Ridgway about the issues facing residents of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation was a moving reminder that often the most articulate statements heard in anthropology are those that come from the people themselves. This year was no different. Many of the most memorable ideas and discussions came from people who are not anthropologists, but have similarly dedicated themselves to understanding the complexities of the political, social and economic conditions under which their people live.

Films and Social Change

Not only did we have the opportunity to hear new voices, but we were also treated to new methods of delivering those voices. Friday evening was capped by the presentation of two films about issues facing Native American communities. Bradley Morse’s film, A Film Dedicated to the Memory of Nicholas Blacksmith, traces the tragic death of a young Oglala Lakota teenager who was killed in a collision with an automobile while riding his bike on the highway near his home. The film details the dangerous conditions under which Lakota children must navigate their way to and from school programs, forcing them to utilize a busy two-lane highway with no shoulder or bike path.

In the process of making the film, Morse talked to the Blacksmith and other families and questioned teenagers about their perceptions of bike safety. The awareness raised by the film and the efforts of local residents eventually led to the creation of a paved bike path and Morse has continued to provide voice to local Pine Ridge residents by assisting them with producing their own films about issues they feel are important.

The second film of the evening, The Sacred Site of Bear Butte and Development Conflicts, by Mark St. Pierre and Tilda Long Soldier, focused on the ongoing battle over preservation of the sacred site of Bear Butte. A site of spiritual and cultural importance for numerous tribal groups in the Northern Great Plains, Bear Butte is also a popular tourist destination for attendees of the annual Sturgis biker rally in South Dakota, which in turn makes the area a site for potential economic development.

Board Changes

Dr. Jack Schultz has been elected as the next HPSfAA President, and will serve the next two years as President-elect. A professor of anthropology at Metro State College since 1991, Dr. Schultz has had a long career as a member of the Society and an applied anthropologist. Dr. Schultz’s research has taken him to Chad and Cameroon while working for USAID, to West Africa, the Philippines and with nine different Native American and First Nation communities in the United States and Canada.

The board appointed a replacement for the Secretary position after Amanda Israel’s departure to the West Coast. We want to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to Amanda for her years of service to the Society as Secretary and conference organizer, and to wish her all the best in her future endeavors. Jack Omstead, currently Kathy Pickering’s assistant, has been selected to replace Amanda as Secretary. Jack graduated Summa Cum Laude from Metropolitan State College of Denver with a BA in anthropology and history and has recently been accepted to a teach for America position beginning this fall at Manual High School where he will teach 10th graders.

Finally, Mark St. Pierre has been elected as Member-at-Large. Mark has had a long career as a community development expert and a college teacher and has lived and worked in Indian Country for 38 years. A founding member of the Pine Ridge Area Chamber of Commerce, Mark has successfully implemented numerous economic development projects at Pine Ridge and elsewhere, and is currently developing the Cloud Horse Arts Institute with his wife Tilda Long Soldier. The Cloud Horse Institute teaches Lakota youth traditional life skills and seeks to preserve traditional and contemporary Lakota arts, from painting and beadwork to film and theater.

Best wishes to all of the incoming board members and a sincere ‘thank-you’ to all who have served as a board member. We look forward to an exciting year ahead as we mark our 30th year as an organization, and plot a course for the next 30!