Roy Wagner (1938–2018)

Roy Wagner at University of Virginia in 2009. (Photograph by Johannes Neurath) Wagner, a visionary theorist cultural meaning and creativity, died on September 10, 2018, his home Charlottesville, Virginia. He was known for work kinship, ritual, myth Papua New Guinea experiments representing anthropological thought as “reciprocity perspectives” that helped to inspire the “ontological turn” well reverse, symmetrical, cross anthropologies. Born October 2, 1938, grew up Central European immigrant community Cleveland's west side. His parents were both children German-speaking immigrants from Metzenseifen (now Medzev), near Slovakia's border with Hungary. father, Richard Robert hardworking organization man who became chief police. socially reserved mother, Florence Helen (Mueller) raised younger sister, Nancy Elliott, widely read intellectual humanist. It introduced anthropology when he teenager through books written Alfred Kroeber. An avid science fiction fan coming age after World War II, fascinated atomic scientists like Albert Einstein J. Oppenheimer, aspired be an astrophysicist. But arrived Harvard scholarship, soon changed major medieval history (Macfarlane, 2011). Reading Oswald Spengler (1927, 21), engrossed Spengler's critique Eurocentrism pluralism sweeping vision which “there is not one [art and] physics, but many,” each culture having its own unique “possibilities self-expression.” In 1961, started graduate study Chicago, where mentor kinship maven David Schneider. The two very close, speaking corresponding frequently until Schneider's death 1995. Wagner's dissertation fieldsite determined grant received Native Religions Project organized James Watson Kenneth Read Washington. They sent 25-year-old had never traveled outside United States, particularly isolated part Highlands along Papua-New frontier. Mt. Karimui towering, dormant volcano girdled high-altitude plateau lushly rainforested cut deep gorges. Cool, wet, cloudy, this tropical forest 3,000 Daribi people lived two-story, barrel-roofed longhouses surrounded their large swidden food gardens (Wagner, 1967, 9). area accessible foreigners only small plane lengthy treks, been subject de facto colonial rule or three years 1979). Here, would social structure, religion village Kurube. befriended Kagoiano Bapo, host, “informant, analyst, companion, confidant” x; 2012, S161). Living Kurube late 1963 into 1965, learned language forged relationships Kagoiano's clan relatives. One these knowledge-keeper Yapenugiai, field mentor. experienced orator, dream interpreter, healer, hunter, spirit medium delighted fine points lore liked say, master whom apprenticed 1972, xii; 1978, 12; S163). While field, Schneider him manuscript lecture “Some Muddles Models,” criticized structural-functionalist descent theory, then dominant theory “imposing our way thinking systems” (Schneider, 28–29; see also Bashkow, 1991, 230). Karimui, carefully essay 11 times over (he said counted them), took it model doctoral thesis, described structure terms concepts. This innovation inasmuch earlier anthropologists studied societies them lineage-based clans subclans, using models derived British research Africa (Barnes, 1962). Moreover, concepts formed Indigenous (1967, 1977) put par theories anthropologists, arguing similar (and, indeed, inversion of) “alliance theory” Claude Lévi-Strauss. Upon receiving PhD 1966, hired assistant professor Southern Illinois University, met Brenda Sue Geilhausen, department secretary. married June 1968 left next month year Karimui. just published book, Curse Souw 1967), featuring glowing foreword drawings poetry. When couple returned Guinea, began new job Northwestern daughter, Erika, son, Jonathan, born. (Sue divorced 1994.) Northwestern, clashed Paul Bohannan was, it, “thrown out.” 1974, first chair Department Anthropology Virginia, joint sociology splitting.1 1974–1979 1982–1986 teach there 44 years, died. 1970s, substitution paired elements pervasive device rhetoric ritual. speaker brings together elements, sago palm, figure speech, juxtaposition can reveal characteristics are otherwise unapparent (Rumsey, 2002, 4). element alternately stand hide other, used magically influence other symbolically manipulating differences similarities. analogical mode observed, same familiar figures speech metaphor metonymy, all symbolism works relationship resemblance between signifier signified. 1972 monograph, Habu: Innovation Meaning Religion, explain creativity origin myths, rain magic, naming practices, interpretation, poetry lament, mourning rituals. turned itself, describe how experience construct “cultures,” others, tandem. editing book series textbook publisher Prentice-Hall, urged write textbook. result Invention Culture, introduces preexisting “cultures” process personally different ways living interpret analogically. Reasoning archetypal scenario solitary ethnographer immersed unfamiliar society, explains fieldworker's ingrained expectations situation they dealing leads “culture” home. “invent” cultures “equivalent entities” analogically linked: concept “draws invisible equal sign” realms 1975, 3, Arising does experience, no understanding absolutely objective. continually reworking refining criticizing improving recursively light deepening conscientious fieldworkers will themselves affected analogy culture: may come “realize new. . possibilities life, fact undergo personality change” (4). For part, reciprocally studying fieldworker, constructing analogies, thereby inventing fieldworker invents theirs. doing “reverse anthropology” (11, 31). Building teacher (1968) Euro-American assumption “blood” natural, (1975, 46, 49, 141–42, 149; 21–23) argued everywhere treat some symbols (like blood) unalterable givens reality, while accepting others creations humans responsible. ethnographic record shows, what counts “given,” opposed created, varies greatly across cultures, proving perception itself constructed culture, usually supporting status quo. Analyzing key explicating myths technique propounded 1978 Lethal Speech: Myth Symbolic Obviation taught many course Mythodology. Similar structuralism Lévi-Strauss vogue, “discovery procedure,” termed starts analysis transformations form myth's plot (Wagner 13). A succession situations supplant another turn. make sense, any adjacent pair must meaningfully substitutable. (For example, eagle flies off infant nurtures substituting for, i.e., analogous to, infant's parents.) idiom, state affairs obviated successor state. Speech, explicate stories Yapenugiai narrated (11–15). found that, addition themselves, successive often analogous, good story tends circle back beginning so initial end states too. diagrammed such “obviation sequences” triangles within triangles. created analyses throughout subsequent work, analyzing manner processual sequences (see, e.g., 1986b). Papuan “wandering hero” tales mythic hero journeys lands group another, creating prominent features landscape activities. Each owns hero's place land, storytellers say things like, “to find out happened next, ask land went area.” Such Australian “Dreamings,” wide swathe southern south (1972, 20; 1996) pieced 400 miles. Kurube, 1964. Guinea. most profound contributions questioning basic scientific “social group.” Souw, showed do have culturally distinctive units, apply unexpected ways. individuals descend common ancestor share “blood,” apparently English-like idiom standard expects, use commonality define members single descent-based group, since, everyone shares tie else. Instead, membership participates exchanges meat wealth. Individuals exchange become clan, differentiating unit give receive. As result, clan's “constantly changing”: dividing, amalgamating, dispersing, regrouping 182). Taking argument further now-classic chapter “Are There Social Groups Highlands?” answered “no.” True, names groups sometimes talk if groups. descent, nor truly determine individual marry. Rather, reverse: marriage acts take place, “elicit” group's 107–11). entailed improvisatory, generated person's historically informed ultimately creative political choices Anthropologists, suggested, tended project preconceptions about onto societies. way, administrative officers tried “straighten out” build settlements consolidated “into clear-cut, Western-style groups”—only foreign-impelled units quickly disintegrated (114, 119). summer 1979, brought Erika Jonathan second fieldsite, Bakan village, north-central coast Ireland, did fieldwork nine months later among Barok. resulting Asiwinarong: Ethos, Image, Power Usen Barok Ireland 1986a), developed ideas obviation, elicited action. leaders generate power “eliciting” collectivities. craft decompose artful images encompass, bound, “contain” collectivities power, increase personal rhetorical performances, deceptions, ritualized tricks induce awesome revelation shift perspective figure-ground reversal. identifying elicitation, containment, modes activity, “New Melanesian Ethnography,” movement emphasizing forms involve (see Scott, 2007). long, productive Marilyn Strathern, similarly dialogs (in particular regard gender), comparing respective presumptions “given” nature (Strathern, 1980, 1988; McKinnon, 2017, 160–64). fall 1986, spent semester visiting fellow Strathern's institution, Manchester. Over 30 continued writing increasingly shifted describing ethnographically abstracting exploring lessons might knowledge creation, human condition. course, path upon now ramifying complexity self-referentiality. 1982, (taught annually 36 years) novels Carlos Castaneda, narrate apprenticeship purported Yaqui Indian shaman southwest States Mexico.2 himself shaman, comparison. With close colleague Edith (Edie) Turner engaged shamanistic experiments, interpreted people's dreams, auras. teaching additional staple courses fiction, literature fantasy, philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein's games, highlighted fantastical paradoxes puzzles writings Jorge Luis Borges, whose logic-defying style adopted articles (e.g., 2001, 2010, 2018). trickster, staging mind-bending, shifts mysticism playfully confound tired Western distinctions fantasy wisdom matter, culture. employed devices Daribi, Barok, Guinean orators adept indirectly, surface discourse covering alluding deeper meanings skilled listeners. language, oratory called porigi po (the remote intentions) “talk turns spoken.”3 much writing. loved folding idea especially linear “time,” stretching refolding taffy, leaving reader tied knot. final visit 2000. Accompanied student Michael Wesch, arriving hours mentor, passed away. Early morning burial, awoke saw black bird tent. kauwari, actions lead mortality creation game birds animals 40). Returning tent notes, fell asleep dreamed possessed trickster “perched my shoulders, wings upraised, pouring head” 55–56). communication Yapenugiai. Like great shamans, and, myth, “place-soul” merged landscape, sending dreams aid (58). departed shaman's last lesson longtime white friend. 2011, Shaffner accompanied Brazil, Culture Portuguese translation. Manaus, Rio Janeiro, elsewhere, Amazonian leaders, students, scholars inspiration ideal should equals (Rizoma Audiovisual, 2022). commented trip highlight life. long career, generations including Sandra Bamford, Jaimie Pearl Bloom,4 Tatiana Chudakova, Johnson Clay, Doug Dalton, Gary Dunham, Matthew Engelke, John Farella, Marianne (Mimi) George, Alma Gottlieb, Joe Hellweg, Chris Hewlett, Barbara Jones, Alex King, Roger Magazine, Anjana Mebane-Cruz, Charles Piot, Alessandro Questa, Joel Robbins, Giancarlo Rolando, Margo Smith, Elizabeth Stassinos, Wesch.5 supported students generously support him, strikingly generous reviewer scholars, innumerable supportive reviews tenure letters. Many knew remember approaching office door hearing sound typing archaic mechanical typewriter within. conversation wander history, initiation rites, Mayan calendrics, quantum number Bigfoot, Grimms’ Fairy Tales, baseball, chess, cats, Kant, Hegel, Wittgenstein, Gregory Bateson, Escher drawings, Russian choral music, Chinese painting, Coyote stories, Māori cosmology, Castaneda shamanism. Talking could your day. trains uncannily untouched hurry. seem impractical, otherworldly. And yet police chief's son politically savvy effective. 1968, neighboring Gumine region, scarce population burgeoning, entering lands, looting forests, force, intimidation, deceit access resources. man, carried shiny badge pretended official, welcomed hospitably credulous who, knowing scarcity, underestimated threat posed. claimed belonged ancestors “in time Adam Eve,” retain without pay 1971, 29). complained administration, eventually dispatched bona fide officer forced impostor leave. surprised learn, however, administration officials actively encouraging land-hungry around resettle density thousandfold less. Administrators even planning 40-mile-long road rugged hasten move (Hicks, 1971). Foreseeing exploitation, dispossession, misery store people, sounded alarm. incisive exposé magazine high-profile Council Affairs, sought keep “untouched,” forestall “ethnocide” 27). rebutted rationalizations resettlement inevitable, “greatest greatest number,” settlers help “progress” (30, bring “senseless misfortune” centuries settler dispossession Americas, Africa, India, Polynesia, Australia (30). tipped newspaper reporter planned program, confronted Administrator traveling investigate. Soon “crisis” impending “subjugation” making headlines Sydney program shelved. Still today, reached vehicular road, though being built, construction begun earnest 2020—coincidentally, since (Nii, 2019; Tabie, 2020a, 2020b). Dulley, Kelly Luciani, 2010; Pitarch Kelly, Credited anticipating “conceptual reflexivity” ontological turn (Holbraad Pedersen, 70), forward “symmetric” Brazilian (Abaeté Network, 2005; Viveiros Castro Goldman, 2012), exemplified (Santos Dias, 2009) Núcleo Estudos da Amazônia Indígena (NEAI) Federal Amazonas heart Amazon rainforest region.6 woven scholar museum curator Andrew Moutu (2013). ways, continues send living. papers currently Ann Arbor, Michigan, care Shaffner, plans transfer Chicago Special Collections Research Center Regenstein Library. sources, we drawn recollections, Bashkow's notes conversations Roy, Roy's presentation biography seminar 30, 2015. We typed sheets miscellany—letters, sonnets, philosophical musings, syllabi, prompts—that presented us years. benefited colleagues friends Ellen Contini-Morava, Fred Damon, Eve Danziger, Iracema Jeffrey Hantman, Dawn Houston (formerly Hayes), Louis-Klein, Susan Gilton Mendes dos Santos, George Mentore, Peter Metcalf, Jack Morava, Sapir, Wesch. thank aforementioned Lise Dobrin, Marcio Handler, Yu-chien Huang, Dan Jorgensen, Jon reading drafts. Our special thanks go Wagner.