Bonjour! 

I am delighted to have the opportunity to say a few words about my vision of CASCA here in our Culture newsletter. I think that now, more than ever, pulling together to support anthropology in Canada is critically important. Academics are under attack south of the border and anthropology departments, because they stand for social justice, critical compassion, mutual understanding, and academic freedom, are in the direct line of fire. When the opportunity came to serve as CASCA president, I was humbled and excited. To be honest, as an immigrant from the United States, while I attended CASCA in my first few years at Dalhousie University over 20 years ago, I was always drawn to the AAA meetings because of the opportunity to meet up with my undergraduate and graduate school friends as well as my professors and mentors. But, over the years, as I began to settle in Canada—raising my kids, supervising honours and graduate students, and quickly embracing Canadian culture and values—I made more friends in departments across the country and learned more about Canadian anthropology. In the last 12 months, after the American elections, Canadians have embraced and celebrated being Canadian more than I have ever experienced in my 23 years in the country, and I have joined them, proud to be Canadian and excited about what anthropology can continue to offer to our students and Canadian culture more generally. 

As I stated in my brief address at last year’s CASCA meeting in Montreal, I feel empowered by Canadian anthropology right now. Last winter I taught the History of Anthropological Theory where we watched a video of our esteemed former president, Monica Heller, introducing the 2013 AAA President’s address by Leith Mullings. In her introduction Monica reminded us that we can accomplish most when we speak with a united voice. This does not mean that we are necessarily all in agreement, but that we recognize our common commitment—to anthropology and to each other, first and foremost. In the video, Leith goes on to discuss why anthropology matters and looked at important links to the context of racism in the US. Not much has changed today when we think about gendered violence and other forms of harm that people of colour experience daily. During class last semester I was reminded that anthropological theory and methodology are more important than ever in contributing nuanced solutions to problems around the world through education, outreach, and advocacy. And this is done through our voices, nos langues, our sub-disciplines, our interest groups.

Understanding is one of the most important features of anthropology. Nothing that surprises or vexes us about our current context is natural—so I take comfort in our disciplinary strength in examining the explicit as well as the implicit and the confluences of the two which might help us make sense of this baffling cultural moment. Our classrooms allow us the opportunity to listen to our students’ voices and to help them see that their experiences, like all humans, matter. In a convocation address I gave at Dalhousie in June 2025, and in a paper I have presented last December in Vietnam, I argue that anthropology best reminds us that our human experiences are valuable. Artificial Intelligence will never have human experience and all the layered magnificence of our lived lives. The curiosity and wonder that propels us, as anthropologists, highlights the very essence of why an undergraduate education matters. We should remind our students—and ourselves—of the discipline’s strength—and responsibility during times of unrest. Anthropology helps us recognize civil society not as a political association but as an ethos of humanity which restrains and retrains citizens from harming one another. 

At CASCA I also offered an anecdote about my son’s observations regarding the importance of anthropology. When I was a visiting Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Germany after completing my PhD, I returned to rural Russia for 6 weeks of research. Since my son had been only 10 months old when I went to Russia for my PhD research, and then he was almost 6, this was really the first time he was able to experience me “in the field”. After spending the better part of a hot and humid day with me, we sat on the porch of my friend Lida’s house eating apples after having interviewed her. Finlay suddenly turned to me and said, “Now I know what you do?” I was surprised and curious, asking, “What’s that?” To which he replied, “You walk around and talk to people. Well, you visit people. That’s nice.” He saw that I spend time with people, I ask them how they are doing, I spent more time than he cared for us to spend when he knew at the end of the day we could go get an ice cream cone. But, like my son did, I think it is a useful time to reflect on our intention, as anthropologists, to shore up our voices and use them to support each other and those who might benefit from our collective efforts. So, I ask, who might most explicitly benefit from our efforts than our students? 

In a paper I presented in Vietnam last winter, I said that our students are going to be able to demonstrate that their training in anthropology has prepared them to use their experiences to enrich their future work goals. I have recently sent an email to department chairs in anthropology across Canada asking them to connect me to their student societies, if they have them. I am excited about gaining a better understanding about student societies across the country and how we might support them. Part of my vision is in creating a better network of student societies because I think that now is the time to engage, support, and promote our students more than ever. The job market in Canada right now is dismal; therefore, we have to help our students recognize and articulate the value they have received in their anthropological education. The way critical empathy and understanding and, continuing to walk around and visit people, might make all the difference in the world. I want to thank you all for the work that you do in teaching our students when your workloads are increasing and your opportunities for advancement are more laden with untenable expectations. As I see it, CASCA is in a position to grow stronger and to provide more support for our membership. I hope to contribute to this while asking for your support as we move forward. Merci beaucoup and thank you.

Liesl Gambold