Erin Debenport

Erin Debenport is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She is a core faculty member specializing in linguistic and sociocultural anthropology, with a focus on technologies of language circulation, secrecy, indigeneity, and sovereignty. Her work centers on Indigenous communities in the Pueblo Southwest and the Mexico-Texas-New Mexico border region.

Her research explores how language and text are used to navigate cultural preservation, political visibility, and community resilience. Her notable work includes Fixing the Books: Secrecy, Literacy, and Perfectibility in Indigenous New Mexico (2015), which examines textual control in Pueblo communities. Her current project investigates language as a tool for political viability in El Paso, Texas.

Debenport has collaborated extensively with Kiowa-Tanoan communities on language documentation and revitalization, creating archives and educational materials. Her publications span journals such as Journal of Linguistic Anthropology and American Indian Culture and Research Journal, addressing themes like secrecy, literacy, and Indigenous sovereignty.

Her recent articles (2023–2025) highlight crises in Indigenous language work, digital archiving, and the intersection of secrecy with social facts. She also engages with broader societal issues, including health equity for Native elders and sexual harassment in academia.

Debenport’s research bridges theory and practice, emphasizing ethical collaboration with communities to preserve cultural heritage and assert Indigenous sovereignty.