Georgia Ennis

Georgia Ennis is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at Western Carolina University’s College of Arts and Sciences. Her work bridges linguistic anthropology, environmental studies, and Indigenous media scholarship, focusing on language reclamation and cultural sustainability in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

• PhD, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Her research explores how Amazonian Kichwa communities use radio, social media, and multimodal ethnography to resist linguistic oppression and sustain cultural practices amid settler colonialism and environmental challenges. She critiques standardized language revitalization efforts like Unified Kichwa, emphasizing community-driven approaches.

Ennis’s publications (2019–2025) examine multimodal chronotopes, affective technology in media activism, and collaborative research with Indigenous midwives. Her book Rainforest Radio highlights transformative community media initiatives as models for global language revitalization efforts.

She collaborates with the Association of Kichwa Midwives of Upper Napo (AMUPAKIN), producing multimedia works like Ñukanchi Sacha Kawsaywa Aylluchiskamanda to document relationships with forest and river ecosystems. Her projects leverage film, drawing, and digital platforms to preserve oral traditions and intergenerational knowledge.