Department of Anthropology

The Department of Anthropology faculty conduct ethnographic and archaeological as well as biological research that brings hard-won fieldwork to the development of cutting edge social and cultural theories. Our students and faculty work around the globe: from Ithaca, India and Indonesia to the Caribbean and Central America; from Japan, Africa and Nepal to China and the Caucasus; and from the circumpolar North to the Global South.

Statement from the Anthropology Core Faculty

This year has been declared a year of “free expression” at Cornell. In this spirit, the faculty of the Department of Anthropology at Cornell University stands behind all faculty, staff, and students who speak up about ongoing violence and oppression—whether in Palestine/Israel, China, Nagorno-Karabakh, the United States, or elsewhere—including those whose words do not echo those of the university administration. As scholars, we have a responsibility to bring critical analysis and historical context to bear on matters of pressing public concern. As teachers, we wish to express our support for students and fellow educators who have both loved ones and research commitments in Palestine/Israel. We also support members of our community who face reprisal for voicing their positions on the conflict.

Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' (the Cayuga Nation). The Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' are members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, an alliance of six sovereign Nations with a historic and contemporary presence on this land. The Confederacy precedes the establishment of Cornell University, New York State, and the United States of America. We acknowledge the painful history of Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' dispossession, and honor the ongoing connection of Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' people, past and present, to these lands and waters. This land acknowledgment has been reviewed and approved by the traditional Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' leadership.