Françoise Dussart

Françoise Dussart is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology and the Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University of Connecticut. She holds a Ph.D. from the Australian National University (1989). Her research focuses on Australian Aboriginal society, Indigenous art, ritual practices, and health equity. She has authored seminal works such as The Politics of Ritual in an Aboriginal Settlement (2000) and co-edited volumes on Indigenous cosmologies and land rights.

Her academic career includes over 40 peer-reviewed publications spanning anthropology, art history, and medical studies. Notable awards include the 2012 National Faculty Mentor of the Year and the 2001 Honorable Mention from the American Association of Museums. Dussart’s work bridges theory and practice, addressing topics like gender dynamics in Warlpiri rituals, Indigenous health challenges, and the global circulation of Aboriginal art.

Her teaching spans undergraduate and graduate courses on social anthropology, gender studies, and Indigenous rights. She actively collaborates with Indigenous communities in Australia and Canada, emphasizing cross-cultural dialogue and decolonizing methodologies. Recent research explores entangled ontologies in neo-settler states and the socio-political dimensions of Indigenous art movements.