2027 Call for Papers, Visual Art & Photography

Conference theme for 2027 – Humans: Structure and Possibility

Plenary Speaker: Professor hagwil hayetsk (Charles Menzies), University of British Columbia

hagwil hayetsk, also known as Charles Menzies is a member of Gitxaała Nation on the north coast of what is now called British Columbia. Charles is a professor of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Born and raised in the resource extraction town of Prince Rupert, Charles was born in a fishing family and worked himself as a commercial fisherman into the mid-1990s. His Gitxaała name, hagwil hayetsk, means enduring copper.  A copper is a form of chiefly property made of copper metal in the form of a shield. This name was placed on him in a feast in Lach Klan (Gitxaała’s home village) that honoured the passing of the late Fred Gamble. The name is part of the house of Ts’bassa/H:el and has a long history of its own.

Plenary Title: A Future Anthropology of Reconciliation – Heeding the Voices of the People of Long Ago

In this presentation I stand alongside the łagyigyet – the people of long ago, our ancestral knowledge keepers – by asking how First Nations and World Indigenous theories and methods are situated within the wider practice of anthropology. Historically anthropology has positioned itself as a comparative social science drawing from Indigenous knowledge to augment and create theories about Indigenous peoples and societies. As a First Nation’s scholar I insist it is not sufficient for researchers to use Indigenous communities as data. Rather, one needs to enact respectful relations with Indigenous theory makers and Indigenous theory making. In this presentation I consider the work of four generations of First Nations anthropologists – how did (or do) they navigate our shared slot of ’native’ anthropologist in a space that prioritizes a foreign gaze.  Building upon work of First Nations scholars we will consider the place of Indigenous intellectual traditions in reframing a future anthropology of reconciliation.

Abstracts may be submitted through January 31, 2027.

We also welcome presentations/papers, posters and films/media/podcasts that are not explicitly tied to the theme, and we encourage SWAA members to present their ongoing work.

   Accepted Formats Include:

• • Photography

  • Paintings and drawings

  • Digital illustrations (non-AI-generated)

  • Sculptural or physical media (submitted as photographs)

AI-generated images will not be accepted.

Artists whose work is accepted must become SWAA members to participate in the exhibition and to be considered for awards.

Artists do not need to be present at the conference to receive an award.

Submission Guidelines:

All Submissions (Required):

• Submitted as .jpg files
• Include a citation placard with:
• Title of the piece
• Artist’s name and institutional affiliation
• Name(s) of any person(s) or object(s) pictured
• Description of the piece and how it relates to the theme
• If the image is of an existing artwork, include: artist name, artwork title, date created, and materials used
• For Physical (Printed) Image Submissions:
  • • Image size: 8.5×11” or larger
    • Preferably mounted on foam core or printed on sturdy paper
    • Placard should also be mounted on foam core

  For Digital Image Submissions:

  • • Save in high resolution suitable for display on a PowerPoint slide
    • Upon acceptance, artists may be asked to submit a higher-resolution version
    • Citation placards will be displayed on a separate slide

If you have something to share, we want to hear from you!