Carrie Heitman, associate professor of anthropology in the School of Global Integrative Studies, earned the Engaged Anthropology Award from the American Anthropological Association (AAA) for "The Greater Chaco Landscape: Ancestors, Scholarship and Advocacy".
The unique project exists as a published book and an open access volume online through the University Press of Colorado. The website includes films with members of Indigenous tribes; resources related to the mapping technology; and conference videos of anthropological perspectives.
The award honors anthropologists or projects demonstrating a commitment to social justice and community engagement by applying anthropology to address a pressing issue. The project, co-developed with Ruth M. Van Dyke of Binghamton University, was cited for "[examining] an ancient landscape threatened by oil and gas development in the American Southwest."
The AAA is the world's largest scholarly and professional organization of anthropologists, dedicated to advancing human understanding and applying it to the world's most pressing problems.
