The Global Research Unit for Indigenous Peoples and Cultural Diversity (GRID) at the Ainu and Indigenous Peoples Research Center, Hokkaido University, will hold a lecture entitled "Indigenous Peoples and Cultural Anthropology: While Being Aware of the Paradox of Knowledge Originating in Colonialism" on Friday, June 19, 2026.

Lecture Summary

Cultural anthropology, which investigates the lives and cultures of indigenous peoples through fieldwork, has long been central to research on indigenous peoples. However, amidst the movement towards decolonization since the latter half of the 20th century, its nature has been forced to undergo significant transformation. This lecture will review the history of the development of cultural anthropology and consider its future direction.

Instructor Introduction

Yoshinobu Ota was born in Sapporo in 1954. In 1987, he completed his doctoral studies at the University of Michigan in the United States (receiving a Ph.D.). From 1998 to 2013, he investigated the reality of the Mayan (Kaqchikel) language revival movement in the Republic of Guatemala in Central America. His numerous books and edited works include "Ethnographic Intervention in Modernity," "History as a Ghost," "Anthropology and Decolonization," "The Philosophy of Transposition," and "The Anthropology of Political Identity."

Date and time: Friday, June 19, 2026 16:30–18:00
Location: Room W201, 2nd Floor, Humanities and Social Sciences Integrated Education and Research Building, Hokkaido University

Participation fee: Free
Capacity: 60 people (first-come, first-served)

For more details, please click here. *This will take you to the Hokkaido University Ainu and Indigenous Studies Center website.