Sally Weaver (August 24, 1940 in Ontario – May 5, 1993 in Cambridge, Ontario, was a Canadian anthropologist, the first Canadian woman with an anthropology PhD,[1] a former chair of the University of Waterloo Anthropology Department, and an authority on Canadian First Nations.[2]
Sally Weaver | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 24, 1940 |
| Died | May 5, 1993 (aged 52) Cambridge, Ontario, Canada |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Citizenship | Canadian |
| Alma mater | University of Toronto |
| Known for | Authority on Canadian First Nations, Iroquois |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Anthropology |
| Institutions | University of Waterloo |
Early life and education edit
Not much is known or recorded about Weaver's early life, beyond her birthplace of Fort Erie, Ontario,[1] and limited background on her university studies at the University of Toronto. She earned an honors Bachelor of Arts (anthropology) in 1963, a Master of Arts in 1964, and she completed her PhD in 1967, all at the University of Toronto. Weaver was the first woman to earn a PhD in Anthropology both from the University of Toronto and, more broadly, in Canada.[1]
Career edit
Weaver joined the University of Waterloo Department of Sociology and Anthropology in the fall of 1966.[1] She is credited with helping develop and grow the University of Waterloo anthropology program from a subset of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology in 1966 to a fully independent Department of Anthropology in 1976.[1] Weaver served as the department's first chair from 1976 to 1979.[1][3] Weaver was instrumental in founding the Canadian Ethnology Society in 1974, now the Canadian Anthropological Society (CASCA), serving as president from 1975-76.
Author edit
Weaver's first book, developed from her doctoral thesis, Medicine and Politics among the Grand River Iroquois: a study of the non-conservatives, was published in 1972.[4]
Honors and awards edit
Weaver was a respected scholar and recipient of several awards throughout her career.[1][5] In 1992, shortly before Weaver's death, the Society for Applied Anthropology in Canada established the Weaver-Trembley award in honor of her work and another well-known Canadian anthropologist, Mark Adélard-Tremblay.[5][6]
Death and legacy edit
Weaver died of cancer at 52, in her home at Cambridge, Ontario, Canada.[1] Upon her death, a tuition award was established in her name to recognize her 27 years of service in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Waterloo and her international acclaim as a scholar of applied anthropology.[3]
In November, 1995, the University of Waterloo (UW) Library acquired Weaver's working library and papers, a collection that was certified as a Canadian Heritage Cultural Property in 1994, "a testament to the scholarly and historical value of the collection."[5]
"Woman with a Heart" bookplate edit
When her working library and papers were acquired by the UW Library, Tom Hill, a native artist and then director of the Woodland Cultural Centre in Ontario, designed a special bookplate that would be included in all of Weaver's books.[5] The bookplate featured an etching of a photograph of a "Woman with a Heart" wampum belt. The photograph was intended to be "a reflection of Dr. Weaver's lifetime determination and dedication to promote justice and recognition for Indigenous Peoples."[5]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h Abler, Thomas S. (1993). "Sally M. Weaver, 1940-1993". Anthropologica. 35 (1): 117–120 – via JSTOR.
- ^ https://uwaterloo.ca/graduate-studies-postdoctoral-affairs/awards/sally-weaver-graduate-scholarship
- ^ a b "Sally Weaver Award". University of Waterloo: Anthropology. 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
- ^ https://ehrafworldcultures.yale.edu/cultures/nm09/documents/066
- ^ a b c d e "Anthropologist's Papers and Working Library Donated to the UW Library". University of Waterloo Library Newsletter vol. 26, no.4. UWaterloo Special Collections and Archives. November 1, 1995. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ Varley, Emma (2022). "Weaver-Tremblay Award 2023". Canadian Anthropology Society/La Societé Canadienne D'Anthropologie. Retrieved March 31, 2023.