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Graduate Studies Information

Jen Shannon joined the Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Department of Anthropology and the Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Museum of Natural History in August of 2009.ÌýAs a Curator and Associate Professor ofÌýCultural Anthropology, Jen conducts ethnographic fieldwork as well as collections research, works on exhibits and collaborative projects in the museum, and teaches courses and advises students in the Museum and Field Studies program and in the Department of Anthropology.ÌýÌýJen worked as a Lead Researcher in the Curatorial department at the National Museum of the American Indian before earning a PhD in Sociocultural Anthropology at Cornell University.ÌýShe is a consultant to the National Museum of the American Indian, co-host ofÌý, author ofÌýÌý(SAR Press 2014), and co-producer ofÌý.Ìý

Research Focus

Jen practices collaborative anthropology.ÌýThe demands, activism, and participation of Indigenous peoples have shaped her practice and moved collaborative anthropology to the center of our discipline in North America. Collaborative anthropology is not only with and for Indigenous peoples, b​ut they have been key in shaping its development and prominence in our field. It can be practiced anywhere with anyone. Collaborative anthropology, and shared authority, often means her research takes unexpected turns-- resulting in her working on things she would never have anticipated... like leading video workshops and co-authoring comic books!Ìý

Jen's researchÌýis committed to facilitating and disseminating more diverse and inclusive representations and understandings of history and contemporary lives, particularly through collaboration with Indigenous peoples.ÌýÌýHer work involves connecting Native Nations to museum collections through repatriation consultations, co-directed research projects, digitizing tangible and intangible heritage, and oral history projects. She has worked with diverse indigenous peoples--from Chicago to Nunavut to Taiwan, most recently with the Campo Kumeyaay Nation in California and the Mandan Hidatsa Arikara Nation in North Dakota.