Michael Adler
Executive Director, SMU-in-Taos
Heroy Hall, Room 453
(214)768-2940
madler@smu.edu
Fathoming Community, Identity, and Ancestry in the American SW
Michael Adler develops theoretical and methodological tools to understand the development
of village aggregation in the American Southwest. His research asks:
- What role does the concept of ancestry play in the differentiation of human populations
into separate communities?
- To what extent was competition over resources involved in the creation of the first
"urban" settlements among the ancestral Pueblo peoples of the SW?
- What role did ethnic differentiation play in the differentiation of ancestral Pueblo
communities between A.D. 1250-1450?
Dr. Adler integrates his research into his ongoing educational programs in the SMU
archaeology field school. Recently, his excavations at Chaves-Hummingbird Pueblo near
Albuquerque, NM, marked the third year SMU field school participants have participated in
the ongoing research at this major archaeological site.
One exciting facet of Mike Adler’s research is the active inclusion of descendant
Native American communities from Acoma, Laguna, Hopi and Zuni Pueblos in his research. His
recent National Science Foundation grant enabled him to involve elders from these pueblos
in the investigation of cultural affiliation and ethnic identity from archaeological and
indigenous perspectives.
Toward these ends, his theoretical contributions aim at concepts pertinent to our
changing world including the interaction of ancestry, ethnicity and cultural difference.
Central to these understandings is the concept of cultural affiliation. The question of
"who" created the rich record of human ancestry in the Southwest is much more than just an
academic question or an issue of ethnic pride. Understanding how cultural affiliation is
determined stands as THE central challenge that must be met, since ancestry and cultural
links to the past frame many current social and political issues. If we better understand
how the past is used in justifying, representing, and reproducing present day group
interactions, we will provide a stronger foundation for future understandings of cultural
difference.
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