Owen H. Jones

Dr. Owen H. Jones is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Latin American Studies at Soka University of America. A specialist in Indigenous legal structures and colonial history, his research focuses on K’iche’ Maya communities in Guatemala and their interactions with Spanish colonial law. He is fluent in Yukatek Maya, K’iche’ Maya, and Spanish, and currently works on a book project, K’iche’ Justice: Legal Culture and Practice in Local and Regional Law in Colonial Highland Guatemala, under review at the University of Texas Press.

Education:

• Ph.D. in History, University of California, Riverside (2009)
• M.A. and B.A. in History and Spanish, University of California, Riverside (2002, 2000)

Research Interests: Dr. Jones examines Indigenous legal agency in colonial contexts, including Indigenous justices’ roles in court systems, literacy practices, and the evolution of legal discourse. His work bridges ethnohistory and legal studies, emphasizing how Indigenous communities negotiated colonial power structures.

Awards & Grants:

• Marcoux Fellowship for Latin American History Research
• UC MEXUS Dissertation Fellowship
• NEH Summer Institute Participant (2014)

Teaching & Service: Courses taught include Introduction to Latin American Studies and Introduction to the Pacific Basin. He has held academic positions at Sinclair Community College (2017–2024), Southeast Missouri State University, Valdosta State University, and the University of North Carolina, Wilmington.