Gary Witherspoon
Encyclopedia
Gary J. Witherspoon is Professor of American Indian studies at the University of Washington
. His area of expertise is the Navajo language
and Navajo culture
.
Born in 1943, in a Mormon
family of Baltimore, Maryland, he attended Ohio State then served on a religious mission
to the Navajo in 1962 for 2 years. This time with the Navajo had a profound impact upon him personally. He married in 1964 and became part of a Navajo family. He received his BS degree in Political Science
from Brigham Young University
in 1966.
Witherspoon's academic career is somewhat unusual from 1966 onward. While working on the Navajo Reservation he attended Arizona State University
until 1968. At the University of Chicago
, he earned his MA and Ph.D. in Anthropology in 1970—only two years after enrolling. After 1 year at Yale University
, Witherspoon returned to the Dine
and focused on research and teaching. His publication record in the early 1970s caught the attention of anthropologists, and he was hired in 1975 by University of Michigan
. In 1979 he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship
. From 1982 to 1987 he lived among the Navajo. He taught and was Director of The Navajo Language Institute, part of the Navajo Academy near Farmington, NM. In 1987 Witherspoon accepted an offer at the University of Washington, where he chairs the American Indian Studies Department.
His book Language and Art in the Navajo Universe is his most significant work. Sheep in Navajo Culture and Social Organization was placed in the centennial version of American Anthropologist
as an example of the best articles in the field of anthropology in last 25 years.
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
. His area of expertise is the Navajo language
Navajo language
Navajo or Navaho is an Athabaskan language spoken in the southwestern United States. It is geographically and linguistically one of the Southern Athabaskan languages .Navajo has more speakers than any other Native American language north of the...
and Navajo culture
Navajo people
The Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the largest single federally recognized tribe of the United States of America. The Navajo Nation has 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the...
.
Born in 1943, in a Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
family of Baltimore, Maryland, he attended Ohio State then served on a religious mission
Missionary (LDS Church)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
to the Navajo in 1962 for 2 years. This time with the Navajo had a profound impact upon him personally. He married in 1964 and became part of a Navajo family. He received his BS degree in Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
from Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
in 1966.
Witherspoon's academic career is somewhat unusual from 1966 onward. While working on the Navajo Reservation he attended Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
until 1968. At the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, he earned his MA and Ph.D. in Anthropology in 1970—only two years after enrolling. After 1 year at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, Witherspoon returned to the Dine
Navajo Nation
The Navajo Nation is a semi-autonomous Native American-governed territory covering , occupying all of northeastern Arizona, the southeastern portion of Utah, and northwestern New Mexico...
and focused on research and teaching. His publication record in the early 1970s caught the attention of anthropologists, and he was hired in 1975 by University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. In 1979 he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
. From 1982 to 1987 he lived among the Navajo. He taught and was Director of The Navajo Language Institute, part of the Navajo Academy near Farmington, NM. In 1987 Witherspoon accepted an offer at the University of Washington, where he chairs the American Indian Studies Department.
His book Language and Art in the Navajo Universe is his most significant work. Sheep in Navajo Culture and Social Organization was placed in the centennial version of American Anthropologist
American Anthropologist
American Anthropologist is the flagship journal of the American Anthropological Association . It is known for publishing a wide range of work in anthropology, including articles on cultural, biological and linguistic anthropology and archeology...
as an example of the best articles in the field of anthropology in last 25 years.
Books Authored
- 1995 Dynamic Symmetry and Holistic Asymmetry in Navajo and Western Art and Cosmology, co-authored with Glen Peterson, Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., New York, N.Y. (April, 1995)
- 1987 Navajo Weaving: Art in its Cultural Context. The Museum of Northern Arizona: Flagstaff, Arizona.
- 1985 Diné Bizaad Bóhoo’aah I. The Navajo Language Institute: Farmington, New Mexico.
- 1977 Language and Art in the Navajo Universe. University of Michigan PressUniversity of Michigan PressThe University of Michigan Press is part of the University of Michigan Library and serves as a primary publishing unit of the University of Michigan, with special responsibility for the creation and promotion of scholarly, educational, and regional books and other materials in digital and print...
: Ann Arbor, Michigan. - 1975 Navajo Kinship and Marriage. University of Chicago PressUniversity of Chicago PressThe University of Chicago Press is the largest university press in the United States. It is operated by the University of Chicago and publishes a wide variety of academic titles, including The Chicago Manual of Style, dozens of academic journals, including Critical Inquiry, and a wide array of...
: Chicago, Illinois - 1969 Navajo Basic Course. Co-authored with Robert Blair and Leon Simmons. Brigham Young University PressBrigham Young University PressBrigham Young University Press is the university press of Brigham Young University .-History:Brigham Young University Press was formed in 1967 through the consolidation of BYU's various publishing activities into one central organization....
: Provo, Utah - 1968 Black Mountain Boy. Co-authored with Veda Carlson. Navajo Curriculum Center: Rough Rock, Arizona.
Selected Journal Articles
- 1980 "Language in Culture and Culture in Language." International Journal of American LinguisticsInternational Journal of American LinguisticsThe International Journal of American Linguistics is an academic journal published by the University of Chicago devoted to the study of the indigenous languages of the Americas. It was established in 1917 by anthropologist Franz Boas...
, 46:1-14. - 1973 "Sheep in Navajo Culture and Social Organization." American AnthropologistAmerican AnthropologistAmerican Anthropologist is the flagship journal of the American Anthropological Association . It is known for publishing a wide range of work in anthropology, including articles on cultural, biological and linguistic anthropology and archeology...
75:1441-1448. - 1971 "Navajo Categories of Objects at Rest." American AnthropologistAmerican AnthropologistAmerican Anthropologist is the flagship journal of the American Anthropological Association . It is known for publishing a wide range of work in anthropology, including articles on cultural, biological and linguistic anthropology and archeology...
73:110-125. - 1970b "The Role of the Social Scientist in Indian Affairs." Journal of American Indian Affairs (Fall) 1:18-23.
- 1970a "A New Look at Navajo Social Organization." American AnthropologistAmerican AnthropologistAmerican Anthropologist is the flagship journal of the American Anthropological Association . It is known for publishing a wide range of work in anthropology, including articles on cultural, biological and linguistic anthropology and archeology...
72:55-65.