Free Republic

An anthropology professor is suing San Jose State University in federal court in California, claiming the school smeared her as a racist and colonialist, and punished her because she’s been critical of a federal antiquities law. The legal complaint (pdf) in the case, Weiss v. Perez, court file 5:22-cv-641, was filed on Jan. 31 with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The lead defendant, Stephen Perez, is being sued in his official capacity as interim president of San Jose State University (SJSU). The public university “retaliated against” SJSU professor Elizabeth Weiss “for her views,” attorney Daniel...

The latest issue of the SAA Archaeological record has an article in it by Elizabeth Weiss of SJ State university, on the effects that NAGPRA and repatriation generally have had on osteological research. Happily, I found a copy online (looks to be a more detailed article actually) with non-sub access: NAGPRA Before and After. Weiss argues from an analysis of publications in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology from before and after NAGPRA was enacted that fewer osteological studies were done, fewer sites were used, and fewer geographic locations were examined (all p<0.01). She also says that much research has...