About
David C. Posthumus is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Native American Studies at the University of South Dakota. He specializes in Lakota ontology, ritual, and belief systems, blending ethnography with archival research. His work reinterprets Lakota culture through an animist framework inspired by Philippe Descola's theories. Key works include his 2018 monograph All My Relatives, examining Lakota ontology through the lens of mitákuye oyásʾį ('all my relatives').
His research focuses on the transformation of Indigenous spiritual traditions in contemporary America, particularly under post-Fordist societal pressures. He has conducted fieldwork with the Oglala Lakota and collaborates with institutions like the Red Cloud Indian School. During his 2019 visiting professorship at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), he explored intercultural exchanges between Lakota and European Shamanic practices, aligning with host Jun.-Prof. Mirko Uhlig's research on alternative cultural techniques.
Posthumus has published widely on Lakota healing, historical relations with neighboring tribes, and environmental ontology. He also organized a workshop for JGU's Graduate School on methodological challenges in cross-cultural studies, emphasizing ethical and practical considerations in ethnographic research.
