Dear Colleagues,



Inspired by the general conference theme of Landscapes, Entrepôts, and Global Currents, we are interested in building a session for the 2018 SHA meeting focused on placemaking amongst diaspora peoples.  We hope that some of you might join us to discuss how various peoples, whether forcibly moved by slavery, displaced by colonialism, or scattered from their homeland by some other force, create places and landscapes in new locales.



Session Title:

Placemaking Within (the) Diaspora: Creating and Living Novel Landscapes and Places



Abstract:

This session will look at how distinctive cultural landscapes and places are created by diaspora peoples. All people, through their daily lives and ordinary/common practices, create places. This session will examine how archaeology can get at the creation of place and the relationships between people and locales. More specifically, we will discuss what those relationships look like for people who have experienced displacement, kidnapping, or other forces that caused them to leave their homeland; and how the creation of new places in turn shapes meaning, practice, and people themselves. The session offers a common ground for people at various stages of research, a forum for for cross-cultural comparison, and an opportunity to reflect on how we interpret the making and living of place. Some themes may include placemaking within borderlands, power and resistance in placemaking, and creation of places that reinforce ancestral or traditional ties.



In light of the June 30th deadline, we would appreciate a rapid response from those interested.





We look forward to hearing from you!



Liz Ibarrola ([log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>) and Amber Grafft-Weiss ([log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>)