Resurgence

The 2026 CASCA conference will take place within the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Wabanaki Confederacy, the land of The People of the Dawn. When juxtaposed to recent and troubling developments in Canada and indeed across the globe, the inherent sense of renewal embedded in this geography compels us, as anthropologists, to consider the human capacity for resurgence and practices of renewal that point us towards a brighter future. How do people and communities respond to the ongoing threats of colonialism, corporate malfeasance, and government malice while forging new forms of social belonging? Can anthropology itself be reoriented towards the emergent possibilities offered by these practices? Anthropology’s goal of dispelling oversimplified narratives, for example, might sit nicely alongside calls for a reorientation of anthropological research. As people appear to increasingly reject modernity, what previous loyalties or communities might be re-embraced or recreated, and how can anthropology gain from and add to such developments? Whether reimagined relations with the land, reconfigurations of social relations, or revitalized political movements, we seek panels and papers that celebrate human creativity, identity and resilience, foregrounding anthropology’s ability for constant renewal.