Elizabeth Weiss: Indigenous Myths and Cancel Culture vs Science in Anthropology
Feb 28, 2025
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Elizabeth Weiss, an anthropologist and author of "On the Warpath," advocates for keeping ideology out of science. She discusses the absurdities in anthropology, like a session on skeleton sex being canceled due to gender debates. Weiss addresses the complications of repatriating ancient bones to tenuous genetic descendants, and how she lost her curatorial position over her stance. She critiques the mix of modern myth with scientific inquiry, emphasizing the need for open dialogue in the face of cancel culture and academic censorship.
Elizabeth Weiss argues that ideology should not interfere with scientific research, particularly in the study of ancient human remains.
She highlights the trend of censorship in academia, which threatens intellectual freedom and the integrity of scientific discourse.
Weiss emphasizes the growing pressure within universities to conform to political correctness, compromising the quality of education and scholarly rigor.
Her experiences with professional cancellation drive home the urgent need to protect scientific integrity against ideological encroachment in anthropology.
Deep dives
The Role of Ideology in Anthropology
The podcast discusses the impact of ideology on scientific research, particularly highlighting Elizabeth Weiss's stance against allowing indigenous creation myths to interfere with the study of ancient human remains. Weiss argues that science should remain secular and not be influenced by any religious beliefs, including those of indigenous cultures. This perspective has resulted in significant backlash against her, leading to her cancellation from various academic platforms and institutions. The discussion emphasizes the need for a clear separation between scientific inquiry and ideological beliefs to advance understanding in anthropology.
The Consequences of Scientific Censorship
Weiss shares her experiences with being censored for her views on the importance of studying human remains to understand human evolution. After voicing her opinions on the significance of sex determination in anthropology, she faced backlash that culminated in the removal of her presentations from academic conferences. This trend of censorship worries her, as it threatens intellectual freedom and the integrity of scientific discourse. She warns that the interference of ideologically motivated agendas can have detrimental effects on the progress of anthropology and related fields.
Personal Origins and Academic Journey
The podcast dives into Elizabeth Weiss's early life and educational journey, emphasizing how her upbringing sparked her interest in anthropology and human evolution. Coming from an army family, her exposure to diverse cultures fueled her curiosity about human behavior and biology. Weiss also discusses her academic achievements, including her PhD research at the University of Arkansas, which combined environmental dynamics with anthropology. This foundational background set the stage for her future work in curating ancient human remains.
Challenges in Academic Institutions
The discussion touches on the increasing pressure within academia to conform to political correctness, particularly in courses like ethnic studies. Weiss points out how the requirement for ethnic studies and the pressure to align with activist narratives lead to a dilution of scholarly rigor. Faculty and students alike are feeling the weight of this shift, which often prioritizes ideology over empirical evidence. This challenge poses risks not only to academic freedom but also to the quality of education provided to students.
Indigenous Knowledge vs. Scientific Evidence
Weiss highlights the troubling trend of prioritizing indigenous knowledge systems over scientific evidence in contemporary academic and museum settings. She illustrates how museums, such as the American Museum of Natural History, are adopting narratives that prioritize myths and traditional beliefs over empirical research. This shift is concerning because it undermines the scientific method and distorts historical accuracy. Weiss advocates for a balanced approach that respects cultural narratives while maintaining a commitment to evidence-based science.
Cancellations and Legal Battles
Throughout the podcast, Weiss recounts her experiences with professional cancellations due to her outspoken views on repatriation and indigenous rights. These cancellations forced her to seek legal counsel to protect her academic freedom and access to research materials. The discussions reveal the psychological toll that such professional strife can take on scholars dedicated to their fields. The legal battles emphasize the need for transparency and dialogue in academia, especially regarding contentious issues.
Retirement and New Opportunities
Ultimately, Weiss describes her decision to retire from academia as a means of reclaiming her ability to pursue research without ideological constraints. She discusses the relief that came with leaving a toxic environment where her scholarly work was continually undermined. Embracing retirement opened new avenues for her, including writing and engaging with a broader public audience to advocate for scientific rigor. Weiss remains committed to her research interests and hopes to inspire conversations about the importance of evidence in anthropology.
The Future of Anthropology and Scientific Integrity
The podcast concludes with Weiss reflecting on the current state of anthropology and the urgent need to protect scientific integrity against ideological pressures. She calls for a renewed commitment to empirical research and an emphasis on education that values critical thinking and open debate. Weiss's experiences serve as a cautionary tale against the encroachment of ideology in science, underscoring the importance of maintaining a space for diverse perspectives in academic discourse. She remains hopeful that future generations of anthropologists will uphold the principles of scientific inquiry.
Elizabeth Weiss's recent book, On the Warpath, chronicles her efforts to keep anthropology from falling prey to ideology, even as she curated a collection of ancient skeletons at San Jose State University. She and I had a chance to discuss her new book, and some of the ridiculous ways in which myth and superstition, and modern PC nonsense are intruding on the scientific study of humans and their ancestry. These included having a session the sex of skeletons being cancelled from a meeting of the American Anthropological Association because its leadership now insisted sex isn’t binary, and the fact that the American Museum of Natural History warns visitors that certain artifacts have powerful supernatural characteristics.
Many of her efforts have been to fight inappropriate repatriation of ancient bones to groups whose genetic relationship to these distant hominid ancestors is tenuous at best. It was this that caused her to lose her curations position at her University and eventually to retire from academia.
It was a pleasure to talk common sense, and the importance of science for our understanding of the human condition with her. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.
As always, an ad-free video version of this podcast is also available to paid Critical Mass subscribers. Your subscriptions support the non-profit Origins Project Foundation, which produces the podcast. The audio version is available free on the Critical Mass site and on all podcast sites, and the video version will also be available on the Origins Project YouTube.
