[Aztlan] 2012 Conference Trailer

[Sid Hollander]

I hope I didn't give the impression that I was supporting one group over the
other.  I am a retired educator and have much respect for many educators at
all levels.  I use what little talents I have to continue to educate myself
and others in my retirement.  It has been my good fortune to study the Maya
as a lay person since first discovering Merida in the 60's. (Goodness, Bars
and Dots to go with Babylonian and Egyptian numeration and SMSG - if you are
old enough) .  I too have experience with many archaeologists and have given
much volunteer time working with them.  I have gained greatly from the
experience.

This being said, I maintain that anthropologists, in general, have done and
continue to do a "D" grade in promoting their field outside of their field.
Rightly so, anthropologists should be (and are) commended for the bringing
attention to the field through Glyphic workshops. This number  is wonderful
but compared to the public at large it is a ripple in the ocean.  I hear
(only here and  after the fact) that this production/movie/TV is not
historically 'this and that' and  nobody asked us or they did and then they
changed it. All reactive!  And all of work gone into sophisticated papers
that take years to produce.  Couldn't some school, prof etc. promote a
'paper' or series of 'papers' that didn't have to be published on paper. One
that combined the talents of anthropology student(s) working with students
from the Schools of Computer Science (graphics), Education, Language,
Astronomy and other to produce  material of mass appeal that is both
educational  and entertaining (not mutually exclusive)?  A shame, such a
multi disciplinarian field working in a vacuum.  Need some titles?
*What is an Anthropologist?
*The  Maya Calendar; How does it work?
*What the Anthropologists KNOW and DON'T KNOW about 2012? (there is
still/always time)
*How do _________ Fit into Anthropology ( Pick one or more for a series..
Biology, Computer Science, Astronomers, Medical, Business, Artist, ...)
"Dig This" The computer sim of how to dig this site. Involves all aspects of
planning, scheduling, safety and the correct approach . If it caves in you
lose. If you break the artifact you lose. And you can't win until you
publish OR share your data with all.  Here's one (watch your toes) that I
never understood.  Well, I understand it the anthropologist don't. Digging
and publishing are two different talents and they come in various degrees of
personal expertise in any one individual.  Why  does the field insist that
the same person does both (at the expense of the field in many cases)?

Can you imagine the contribution to the field of Anthropology if 5% of the
papers were not written and that effort directed to some of the above? And
not to mention the experience gained between sundry disciplines.

I did say that the ProfessionalAs were the cargadors of academic rigor but
that's what separates you.  Without it,  you are the same. Accept your
burden.

-- 
Sid Hollander
Merida, Yucatan