An Advanced Approach to Anthropology by Emmaly Wiederholt

An Advanced Approach to

ANTHROPOLOGY

By Emmaly Wiederholt Photos Courtesy of the School for Advanced Research

T

ucked away on Garcia Street is the School for Advanced Research (SAR), an institution devoted to supporting synergies between the social sciences and Native American art. Housed on the eightacre estate of legendary 1920s-era White sisters Amelia Elizabeth and Martha Root, SAR offers seminars, lectures, field trips, Native American artist residencies, rotating scholar positions and an unparalleled Native American art collection, making it a leading force in the field of anthropology today.

SAR has been around, in one form or another, for 110 years. Founded in 1907 as the School of American Archeology, virtually every major site in the region—including Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde and Bandelier—was connected to the organization.

As archeology became assimilated into mainstream science, the mission of the organization changed with the times, and was renamed the School of American Research. Douglas Schwartz became president in 1967 and brought new energy to the enterprise, which was accelerated by Elizabeth White’s bequest of her property. (Previously, SAR had been housed downtown.) With the infusion of new energy, a new name, and a new campus, SAR expanded its breadth to become the tour de force in anthropology it is today.

“What’s exciting about SAR is how it brings together scholars and artists from various backgrounds to get the friction that results from different points of view,” says President Michael F. Brown. “Because of where we are based, we inevitably have scholars who speak to Southwestern topics, but we might also have a scholar whose work focuses on Bolivia or Bulgaria. However, their research interests— which might be anything from water to healthcare to economic development—overlap. Synergy comes from bringing together someone who is, for example, studying family systems in China with someone who is writing about Native American kinship. They learn from each other and challenge each other.”

One of the most important books to come out of SAR is “Writing Culture: The Poetics

TOP: 2013 Dubin Fellow Glenda McKay (Ingalik-Athabascan).

Photo by Jason S. Ordaz MIDDLE: 2015 King Fellow Marlowe Katoney (Diné).

Photo by Elysia Poon BOTTOM: 2015 Dubin Fellow Melissa Melero (Northern Paiute).

Photo by Elysia Poon

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Petit point coin pin, artist unknown, Zuni Pueblo, c. 1950, cat. no. SAR.1989-7-163.

Photo by Addison Doty.

Basketry installation, “The Bingo One,” Linda Aguilar (Chumash) (2011 Dobkin Fellow), 2011, cat. no. SAR.2011-10-1A-Q. Photo by Addison Doty.

Water jar, unknown artist, Zuni Pueblo, 1880-1890, cat. no.

SAR.1978-1-145.

Photo by Addison Doty.

2016 Dobkin Fellow Kathleen Wall (Jemez Pueblo) Photo by Elysia Poon.

and Politics of Ethnography,” edited by James Clifford and George E. Marcus, which critiques the relationship between the anthropologist and the people being studied. Another book, “Senses of Place,” edited by Steven Feld and Keith H. Basso, problematizes the idea of place. These are just two examples of the seminal literature that has come out of SAR, and also demonstrates SAR’s current progressive approach to research. “SAR has played a significant role in the movement to recognize that indigenous peoples should be regarded as experts on their own cultural systems,” reflects Brown.

One of the most lauded aspects of SAR is its collection of over 12,000 historic and contemporary objects from Native American tribes throughout the Southwest. The collection includes Pueblo ceramics, Navajo and Pueblo textiles, wooden and stone carvings, jewelry, basketry and two-dimensional art.

“It’s one of the best collections of Native American art that exists anywhere,” says Brian Vallo, Director of SAR’s Indian Arts Research Center. Vallo distinguishes that the collection’s purpose is research, as opposed to exhibition, though visitors can arrange a tour. The collection was originally created to serve the academic community, and was amassed as a preservation effort. In fact, many ceramic pieces were specifically commissioned by SAR from Pueblo masters, including San Ildefonso’s Maria Martinez, Santa Clara’s Margaret Tafoya, and Acoma’s Marie Z. Chino and Lucy Lewis.

Vallo characterizes SAR as prioritizing engagement with the source communities from which the objects in the collection derive. “In our recent history, we have established strong working relationships with the tribal communities,” Vallo describes. “The outcome enhances the collection’s documentation, as well as allows us to open our doors so the artists, educators, scholars and leaders from the communities can engage with the materials.”

TOP: “Basket Dance,” Awa Tsireh (Alfonso Roybal) (San Ildefonso Pueblo), c. 1918, cat. no. IAF.P1.

Photo by Addison Doty.

BOTTOM LEFT & RIGHT: Indian Arts Researcher Center, Vault One Photos by Jennifer Day.

One recent project to come out of SAR is a set of guidelines for facilitating collaboration between museums and source communities. The guidelines help communities gain access to museum collections, breaking down the old paradigm of artifacts being preserved behind glass or closed doors. Vallo says the goal is to open those barriers and create strategies for communication, for the care of the collections, for the documentation associated with the objects, and for physical access, which might include loans for arts revitalization projects or travelling educational exhibitions. “These guidelines are free, and we have gained so much positive feedback from communities and tribal museums,” Vallo explains.

Looking to the future, both Brown and Vallo see SAR expanding on its current philosophical approach to working alongside communities. “We have established programs centered around a wide spectrum of community engagement,” says Vallo. “We have worked hard to establish partnerships with a network of museums and institutions, allowing us to increase exposure of our collection and research, while also bringing partners to the table to think about how our work can positively impact policy, academics, and the tribal communities themselves.”

For more information or to become a member, visit sarweb.org.