Alfonso Ortiz

ACTIVIST ANTHROPOLOGIST

Honored January, 1994

Alfonso Ortiz

Traditional teachings of the pueblo way of life guide cultural anthropologist Alfonso Ortiz in all his writing, teaching, and commitments to social service. Born in 1939 and raised at San Juan Pueblo, the MacArthur Fellow says: "I like to balance my life. I like to balance a life of service with the books, articles, and teaching."

His New Perspectives on the Pueblos and The Tewa World break new ground, giving outsiders an intimate understanding of Indian ways. Alfonso has also written extensively on American Indian myths, legends and tribal histories, and served as editor for the Smithsonian Institution's twenty volume Handbook of Native American Indians. A distinguished scholar who has taught at Princeton, Berkeley, Rutgers, Colorado College, Claremont College, and the University of New Mexico (UNM), he remains close to his roots.