Issue Contents

• President’s Letter
• Senior Editor’s Note
• Editor Highlights
• My Focus is Women’s Health, Specifically Menopause, from an Anthropological Lens
• Food Fight: Advancing Anthropological Perspectives 
• “Lend Me Your Ears!” – Women and Visions of Sri Lankan Refugee Solidarity
• Call for Volunteers – Social Media Mavens
• General Call for Volunteers and Publications

President’s letter

Dear NAPA Members, 

This is not the moment any of us expected. 

The last three months have been overwhelming for so many in our field. Job losses, funding disruptions, program suspensions. Acknowledging the political, social, and economic upheavals before us doesn’t do much to alleviate the anxiety. But, we can find strength in our numbers and talents as professional, practicing, and applied anthropologists of NAPA. 

What do I mean by that? I mean that as anthropologists we are distinctly resourceful when it comes to our work and our workplaces. Not only do we have the capacity to pull together long threads of social information, we are creative enough to generate solutions and paths forward. I hope you remain focused on the importance of your contributions at this time. 

In the last couple of weeks, I’ve found myself turning back to episodes of sNAPAshots for guidance and perspective. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, I am replaying episodes highlighting women in anthropology. Among them, women like Marietta Baba, Anahid Matossian, Eshe Lewis, Natalie Muyres, Cathleen Crain, and many others have tackled wicked problems throughout their careers. Season 4 of sNAPAshots starts on April 1st and will spotlight seven professional, practicing, and applied (PPA) anthropologists with personal, professional, and inspiring histories. I invite you to rediscover the sNAPAshots series this spring. 

But what else am I doing to keep the uncertainty at bay? In addition to working with NAPA, I am hosting the second year of a program that I launched with my state archaeological society: “Diggin’ Up Your Future: Learning and Networking in Cultural Resources Management.” For this program, I am rallying archaeologists, students, and instructors to take part in a regional job fair. This event welcomes heritage professionals from archaeology, architectural history, heritage management, public history, and related sectors. Like the annual NAPA Careers Expo, good conversations and expanded learning are emphasized. As we navigate the months ahead, it is a modest but intuitive and concrete way to support our colleagues and job seekers. Perhaps this idea will encourage other creative ways to connect anthro-minded networks where you live and work!

This moment is challenging for many of us. But PPA anthropologists have the ability to shape our circumstances for the better. From resharing job opportunities on social feeds to volunteering for  NAPA committees, we can each lend a hand in ways and places that fit, creating a positive impact. If you are in need of more resources, be sure to connect with NAPA at PracticingAnthropology.org or our social media channels. Also, you can find me on LinkedIn and Bluesky (@drdirt07.bsky.social), where I’ll be sharing NAPA content and more!

With best wishes, 

Suanna Selby Crowley, PhD, RPA

NAPA President

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Contributions

Senior Editor’s Note

Author: Joshua Liggett, MS, LSSBB, CPHQ
Communications Committee Co-Chair

I am excited to have our first issue published under the new editorial structure for NAPA Notes!

In addition to updates from the president, we’ve incorporated a number of new voices that weave through our theme of Women’s History Month, touching on lived experiences and thoughts from integral members of the National Association for the Practice of Anthropology, and of society at large.

Please enjoy this issue and consider contributing to future issues of NAPA Notes!

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Editor Highlights

Author: Jacqueline Woodruff

My anthropology story starts with my interest in the Maya as a child and a keen desire to visit Mexico and see the ruins, meet the people, and experience their culture. 

However, my path to anthropology has been a non-traditional one, taking me first through chemistry labs and manufacturing plants, into the worlds of hospital and clinical research environments, and into several corporate spaces, as a chemist and scientist, observing and participating in cultures large and small, national and global – how they work and what they value. I have been involved in many types of customer-focused applications. To do this, I studied the usage of things. We could call this the search for material culture, rituals, stories, histories and theories behind how and why things work and why they fit a human need.

Eventually, I made it to Mexico, led by an anthropologist family friend. On a special tour just for me, we trekked through the jungle to see what I will never forget, a newly discovered city from the past. Remembering makes me emotional even as I write this – recalling her telling me, as we paused on a hill, to look out ahead (where I initially saw nothing but leaves) and then suddenly, above the top of the trees, a temple came into focus. I could barely wait to descend the hill. We arrived at the infrastructure of a temple and a water system that once brought activity to those silent streets.

Long after my visit to Mexico, my determination to become a practicing anthropologist continued. Recently, I returned to school for my master’s degree. Connecting my past and my present, I now do independent research as a medical anthropologist using anthropological methods and life-long acquired research skills to help improve people’s health and wellness experiences and outcomes. 

I often say, “It’s never too late to live your dream” and to become what you wanted to be when you grow up. 

Author: Suzanne Hanchett

Dr. Hanchett is a social/cultural anthropologist with a PhD from Columbia University. She did her dissertation research in Karnataka State, India, and taught at Queens College (City University of New York), Bard College, and Barnard College from 1969 to 1979. From 1979 to 1991 she worked as a practicing anthropologist, focusing on community development, reproductive health, teen pregnancy, and child welfare in New York City. Since 1991 she has worked as an applied anthropologist in international development, mainly in Bangladesh, on gender and development, and on water and sanitation issues as a consultant to organizations such as UNICEF, CARE, WaterAid, the World Health Organization, and others. She has written a number of articles for peer-reviewed journals (many available at researchgate.net), and she is the author of three self-published books based on her work in India and Bangladesh (devresbooks.com).

She is a Fellow of the American Anthropological Association and the Society for Applied Anthropology, a NAPA member, and Co-President of the International Women’s Anthropology Conference (IWAC).

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My Focus is Women’s Health, Specifically Menopause, from an Anthropological Lens

Author: Suzette Chang

March is Women’s History Month.  This month honors the achievements of women.  These human beings are inventors, collaborators, nurturers, professionals, organizers; and the list goes on. Women’s thoughts and words are a powerful, necessary, and unique component of the human experience. We are all things human. For various reasons–historic, cultural, biological, and linguistic–we are overlooked and misunderstood by society at large.  This said, I shall use an anthropological lens to peel back a few layers of our identity and offer some underestimated perspectives on what it can mean to be a woman experiencing one women’s health issue, menopause.  I want you to take this journey with me.  It is time for anthropologists (academic and practicing) “to do something,” in Michelle Obama’s words.  So, before delving into one layer of the thick descriptions of women and “a pause,” let me explain why this topic is important personally and professionally for me.

 I remember my first conversations regarding menopause.  Ten-year-old Suzette had the pleasure to sit and listen to seasoned adult women (females ages 70-80) talk about “hot flashes.”  Puberty was knocking on my door at that time meaning, my body parts began to shift/develop and transition; but menstruation was not yet a part of my monthly experience.  These wise women spoke knowledge to my mother; my mom experienced “hot flashes”; hence the reason for the conversation.  The aged humans shared their experiences regarding how to manage hot flashes organically. Their advice was that a great way to reduce, if not eliminate hot flashes and/or night sweats was to reduce processed sugar intake.  Of course, my understanding regarding this topic was extremely limited. Yet I remember those moments very well.  

What was also very powerful for 10-year-old Suzette was, who was not present in that conversation: namely, men.  During the next 40+ years of my life, I observed that those discussions continued among females. (My observation skills began at an early age.) Men were consistently absent.  But most humans that practice understanding the female body and women’s health are men.  From a young age I thought, “How people with no specific experience of women’s health speak about, study, understand, practice, advise, manage, or make recommendations about that experience for that community?“ It seemed unethical to me,  similar to the “armchair anthropologists” who went into communities without deeply engaging with the humans in those communities and wrote and published ethnographic works, to wide acclaim. How can you speak about something you don’t know?! This is my rhetorical and literal question. The younger and older Suzette thinks, “Make it make sense, because it does not!”  

This and several other experiences have provided a platform for me to connect with anthropology, or more importantly, the practice of anthropology. Absorbing the conversations these women had about women’s health, specifically menopause, was fascinating.  Those women did not know that their discussions were an introduction to anthropology for me. As they blended their experiences with female biology, sharing stories of how they had “paused,” they used language that created a safe space for my mother to share details and connect culturally with them as other as familiar “country girls from the south.” In retrospect, understanding all this made them “practicing anthropologists” for me.  Fast forward, it became clear to me that anthropology, as the deep, multi-dimensional study of human beings, is an exploration of human diversity in time and space, a study of the whole human condition. 

Exploring our diversity means seeking to understand our histories and our present through the collective lens of archeology/biology/culture/language – and thus, I am a traditionalist.  To explore us is to accept how we shift, adapt and change. Knowing what was applicable and necessary during our past may not be effective now. But how can we know if we don’t have those conversations? In the case of women experiencing menopause, what did your mother or other seasoned adults tell you about menopause? What antidotes were you given?  Did you take their advice and use the antidotes?  What were the results? I am also a firm believer that we can be our best “test-dummies,” using safe and reasonable methods such as removing processed sugar from our diets, to determine if hot-flashes will go away or be reduced.  

As anthropologists, both academic and practicing, we must lead the charge and educate the public regarding women’s health. Anthropology is the only discipline that blends the natural and social sciences (for my old-school folks, it’s the “hard and soft sciences”) in order to explain why humans do what we do and why we-are-what-we-are.  Circling back to my mom, she did accept and execute the advice of those older women.  The cultural bond they created sustained my mother for many years because they often spoke about “female stuff.” Sharing their wisdom and knowledge caused my mom to reduce her connections with western medicine. She chose to believe that natural remedies and limited consumption of Snicker bars would assist her with those unpredictable moments in which sweat poured from her head. This worked for her, so she was and is pleased with her choice to listen.  As she approaches 90 years of age, I often wonder what her life might have been like if she had not engaged with the wisdom of those aged female practicing anthropologists. 

As I come to the end of my perspective on anthropology and women’s health, I ask you to take a moment to reflect and think.  Know that everything regarding a human being can be described/explained and understood with anthropology. And ask yourself what, within the context of women’s health, can you speak about with other women through the lens of anthropology? How can you make it personal and allow others to connect with you regarding this topic? What information do you have that can help someone else manage difficult health issues? Also, how can you use anthropology as a tool for advocacy and outreach, helping others to understand that anthropology can truly make sustainable change? After you complete snowballing this process of structured questions that allows you to apply anthropological methods, let me know about your experience by sending an email to me at schang@thickdescriptions.org.

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Food Fight: Advancing Anthropological Perspectives  

Author: Tanya Rodriguez

Seat at The Table

Food is often referred to as a “love language,” but love can be a volatile affair. Major climatic events, inflation, avian flu, and the cessation of USAID funding are just a few converging variables straining our relationships with food, domestically and globally. Anthropologists, working across various sectors, are uniquely positioned to elucidate these complex food relationships.We play a crucial role in advocating for and implementing policies, processes, and innovations that foster more equitable, sustainable, and culturally relevant food systems.

The future of food is rapidly evolving, from synthetic data and soy-pork hybrids to 3D-printed meats, GLP-1 diets, and debates over ultra-processed foods and the “food shaming” narratives they provoke. Anthropologists must be ready for the next wave of food-related challenges, both theoretical and practical. By applying anthropological perspectives, we deepen the food discourse with holistic, human-centered insights, spanning the gap between the archaeological record and modern consumption. Few disciplines offer such a broad and deep understanding.

As a full-time anthropologist for a major food company, my role can be precarious, often drawing ire from those who believe “good” food and “big” food are antithetical. However, being embedded in the food industry affords me a seat at the table where I wield an anthropological perspective helping forge the future of food. As we delve deeper into the complexities of food systems, it is crucial to recognize the historical and cultural ghosts that haunt our present-day food landscape. These ‘hungry ghosts’ reveal the lingering impacts of colonization and inequality, shaping our current challenges and opportunities. 

Hungry Ghosts in the Food Landscape

The Empowerment and Advocacy standard in NAPA’s Disciplinary Standards stresses the importance of accuracy and representation in our work. Anthropologists in food systems must therefore address both historical and current complexities. Food nourishes both body and spirit, showcasing cultural foodways and fostering community. However, it can also be weaponized to undermine these same values.

The theme of the American Anthropological Association’s 2025 Annual Meeting is “Ghosts,” inviting us to explore “how the past lingers in the present and how the unseen shapes our everyday realities” (https://annualmeeting.americananthro.org/). The food landscape is full of such ghosts, both friendly and otherwise. Colonization extends beyond territorial conquest—it permeates the body and the palate, leaving behind hungry specters. Native foods have often been disparaged and replaced with more “civilized” fare, a culinary genocide that engendered contemporary food sovereignty and equity movements. Consumers who prioritize value are often mischaracterized as unconcerned with health when making tough decisions about affordable, shelf-stable foods that stretch limited resources. Therefore, part of the broader “food fight” is to exorcise the food landscape by demystifying marginalized communities and recognizing their resistance, ingenuity, and ability to nourish themselves despite pervasive structural inequalities.

In many ways, my job requires me to exorcize “old think” and push forward new perspectives. On one level, I advocate for consumer voices, even when they conflict with business initiatives, ensuring that consumer needs and desires shape brand campaigns, product updates, and innovations. On a broader scale, my role involves tracing the history of food and envisioning its future. This demands foresight and storytelling grounded in anthropology. I guide brand teams on historical culinary journeys, exploring migrant paths and global influences to better understand the legacy of our brands. We celebrate women, multicultural, and value-driven consumers as innovators, not reactionaries. The role of AI and synthetic consumers is explored, debated, and thoughtfully applied. While anthropology isn’t the sole discipline consulted, its insights anchor these discussions.This same level of care is extended to the communities we serve.

Setting A New Table 

Few things are as haunting as hunger. According to the USDA, in 2023, 47.4 million people in the U.S. lived in food-insecure households, unsure of where their next meal would come from. Addressing this reality requires multiple interventions and approaches. With my employer’s support, I applied my training in anthropology and social work to combat hunger in Southern Minnesota by:

• Partnership:  Collaborating with a local social service agency focused on eradicating food insecurity.
• Education: Teaming up with the agency to speak to local high school art students about the physical, emotional and mental impacts of food insecurity.
• Advocacy:  Creating thought-provoking artwork, from sculpted hands to photographs of threadbare refrigerators, spotlighting food insecurity, the art students auctioned pieces to raise money for local food pantries. 
• Training: To help seed the next generation of food advocates, I facilitated a short, food-based field school to introduce immigrant high school students to ethnography and the power of representation. 
• Testimony: Sharing my lived experience growing up food insecure allowed me to further humanize the issue to the students and model coping skills. 

In Southern Minnesota, numerous agents are fighting to defeat hunger, and collectively we are gaining ground. Looking ahead, the future of food presents both challenges and opportunities that demand innovative solutions and continued advocacy. 

The Future of Food 

When I hear consumer stories of suitcases filled with peanut butter crossing borders or balikbayan boxes sent to family in the Philippines, I’m reminded that food is more than sustenance—it’s a love language that transcends geography and culture. As anthropologists, we have a unique responsibility to document, preserve, and celebrate this connection. At the same time, we must address pressing issues such as inequity, food sovereignty, food deserts, waste, and sustainability.

The future of food is in our hands. By leveraging our knowledge and passion, we can create a more equitable and sustainable food system. Let us continue to advocate, innovate, and collaborate to ensure that everyone has a seat at the table. As Margaret Mead wisely said, ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.’ Together, we can make the future of food as bright as we envision.

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“Lend Me Your Ears!” – Women and Visions of Sri Lankan Refugee Solidarity

Author: Phillip Strickland

In March 2024, I had the privilege of taking part in a multidisciplinary study abroad program in Tamil Nadu, India. As graduate students in applied anthropology, public health, and public health policy, we all had academic interests in studying health and wellbeing from Chennai to the Western Ghats. Far from a perfunctory opportunity for cultural exposure, this program encouraged students to critically consider the systemic coevolution of healthcare, labor, culture, and subsistence; all with a marked emphasis on the roles that NGOs and local activists take in addressing issues in these areas.

While we were there, we visited one such NGO: the Organization for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation (OfERR) in Chennai. On its website, OfERR is described as “a non profit, non political humanitarian organization of Sri Lankan refugees whose mission is to speak up for the rights of other such refugees and to provide them peace, dignity and empowerment.” There is also a section labeled “Empowering Women,” which delves into the organization’s commitment to the advocacy of women’s rights.

Our group was in Chennai on International Women’s Day, and we were told that this was an important occasion for OfERR. We were delighted to find that this was no exaggeration, as we were treated with an insightful lecture on the origins of OfERR, and the indispensable roles that Sri Lankan Tamil women have played in maintaining the fortitude and integrity of the organization. Among other things, from economic sustainability to food production, women were lauded for stepping up to the challenges wrought by humanitarian crises wrought from the Sri Lankan Civil War from 1983-2009, as well as hazardous phenomena like the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. This was followed by live recitations of songs, accompanied by lively raps of drums.

One of these songs was titled “Lend Me Your Ears!” I have taken the license of editing and adapting an English translation of this song below. The song evokes an ethos of optimism and dignity, listing the myriad feats and inspiring visions of cottage industries undertaken by Sri Lankan refugee women. One gets the sense that there is an allegorical mien about the description of materials involved in craft production. The song affirms that “waste” may, in fact, have hidden potential in the eyes and hands of skilled artisans. Viewed this way, the song is not only an ode to the creative faculties of Sri Lankan refugees, but a testament to the women who have learned to perfect and pass on these crafts.

“Lend Me Your Ears!”

Oh, our Tamils of Eelam, please listen.

Join us, unitedly we will serve our brethren.

It is these works and crafts that

are going to serve us in good stead

when we return to our land.

And our land will blossom rich and beautiful.

Not just the education we receive in schools is education,

even the various handicrafts we learn is also education,

we learn many crafts by merely looking at how they are done.

And when our young women take to these crafts,

these crafts attain a special significance.

Many crafts they learn using palm leaves

and turn out useful, beautiful products.

And when they get back to their land,

every home will be made into a handicraft factory,

and this will keep them going,

only working from their homes.

Once the bunches have matured off the plantation trees,

the stem need not be thrown to the garbage pits.

The tissues from the trunks are made useful.

Fibers for joining flowers for garlands,

potentialities of these fibers are immense,

to make textiles of silk also,

in the world of tomorrow.

Let us learn to cut and stitch garments of various forms

and instruct the others to do the same and live well.

Caring for our fellow beings,

we will take on projects, make a living,

and lift our heads aloft,

live our lives in grace and dignity –

our women will give us the lead.

Original lyrics: Eelathu Ratnam

English translation: V. Kailayapilla

Edited and adapted by Phillip C. Strickland

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Call for Volunteers

NAPA Communications – Social Media Mavens

Want to be at the center of the NAPA action? Want to know what we’re doing first and share that with the field? Become part of NAPA’s volunteer information communication hub and promote real world job opportunities and content across NAPA’s social media! Visit our contact portal and inquire today!

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General Call for Volunteers and Publications

Interested in joining our team, but not sure which committee is right for you? Checkout our general volunteer application and one of our coordinators will connect you with the ones that best align with your interests and skill sets!

If you’d like to publish something with NAPA either in NAPA Notes, AnthroNews, or on our website or social media, visit our submission page and let us know.

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