Megan Baker
Megan Baker is the recipient of the 2021 AAA Dissertation Fellowship for Historically Underrepresented Persons in Anthropology. This award was created to encourage members of racialized minorities to complete doctoral degrees in anthropology, thereby increasing diversity in the discipline and promoting research on issues of concern among minority populations.
Drawing from original archival research, fieldwork from her master’s thesis on Choctaw economic development, and fieldwork conducted while working with the Choctaw Nation Historic Preservation department, Baker’s dissertation provides clarity on why certain narratives about Oklahoma Choctaws are so pervasive despite their inaccuracy. Her dissertation also serves as an updated tribal history that utilizes a wide range of sources to correct those narratives. Megan is currently pursuing her PhD in anthropology at the University of California – Los Angeles.