The common thread of interest in my career is three-fold:(i) researching long-term dynamics of NeoTropical Forest Cultures and their surrounding landscapes (both natural and social) in the longue durée across the historical divide (AD 1492); (ii) material and intangible cultural heritage of Indigenous Peoples and African diaspora communities; whilst (iii) applying my findings in socially relevant ways.

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Training

I have been trained in the USA at the University of Florida, Department of Anthropology in the holistic four-field Anthropology approach (socio-cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, archaeology, and physical anthropology).

 

Fieldwork

From 1996 to 2020, I have conducted over 40 months of fieldwork in French Guiana, Suriname, and Guyana, consisting of 17 field trips ranging from 1 to 7 months.

 

Research & Academia

I have held teaching and/or research positions at the University of Florida (USA), Leiden University (the Netherlands), Oxford University (UK) and University College London (UK). I have organized and participated in several international symposia and exhibitions.

 

My interests cover a broad range of topics including the below and how these all are inherently intertwining:

• material culture

• intangible heritage

• social memory

• oral history

• digital repatriation

• identity

• ethno-astronomy

• historical ecology, and

• decolonization.