Tuesday Tap Talks with Franklin & Marshall College

Welcome to our new Tuesday Tap Talk series with F&M professors who will share their expertise, wisdom & interests with the West Art community.

Please join us for our Tuesday Tap Talk Series with West Art, the bar will be open downstairs with beverages to satisfy a range of palettes. 

October 13th 7pm w Professor Scott Smith

'The People of the Water – Archaeology and Film in the High Andes' 

Scott Smith, Professor of Anthropology and Maribel Pérez Arias, Visiting Scholar of Anthropology; Chair, World Languages and Social Sciences Department at the Stone Independent School

Over the past two decades Scott and Maribel's collaborative project has used archaeology to trace the almost 3,000-year history of the residents of the Iruhito community who have long lived their lives in and through the Desaguadero River in the Bolivian Andes. Known as qhas suñi, qut suñi or “people of the water”, the Urus are an ethnic minority that has historically centered their lives on the lakes and rivers of the Andes, fishing, hunting waterfowl, and harvesting aquatic reeds. Today, the community’s relationship to the river is under pressure. The creation of a dam upriver has caused parts of the river to become obstructed, rendering large areas unnavigable. This situation is complicated by droughts that have increased in frequency and severity, causing the river to contract dramatically, and by overfishing. Scott and Maribel will discuss their ongoing research and collaboration with the residents of Iruhito. In addition, they will preview an early portion of a documentary exploring the community’s relationship to the river and oral history, a collaboration with Jeremy Moss, Associate Professor of Film, Film & Media.