Nicholas Barron

Nicholas Barron is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). His research focuses on historical anthropology, colonial/imperial studies, Indigenous politics, and the history of anthropology in North America. He explores how Indigenous communities leverage anthropological scholarship and institutions to advance cultural and political agendas, particularly in the US Southwest and California. His current project examines the intersection of applied anthropology, Indigenous rights advocacy, and federal Indian policy since WWII.

Education: PhD (2019), MA (2015) in Anthropology from the University of New Mexico; BA (2012) in Anthropology from UC Santa Cruz; General Education (2010) from West Valley College.

Research Interests include: imperialism, recognition politics, Yaqui tribal sovereignty, and the co-production of anthropological knowledge with Indigenous communities. He critiques liberal frameworks in federal recognition processes and traces anthropological complicity in colonial governance structures.

Barron serves as Managing Editor for the History of Anthropology Review, Book Reviews Editor for Anthropology and Humanism, and co-organizer of the History of Anthropology Working Group at the Consortium for History of Science, Technology, and Medicine. His work bridges historical scholarship with contemporary Indigenous activism, emphasizing decolonial methodologies.

Publications span peer-reviewed articles in History and Anthropology, BEROSE, and edited volumes, alongside critical book reviews interrogating disciplinary histories. His forthcoming book manuscript with University of Nebraska Press examines the entanglements of anthropology with Indigenous rights movements.