The purpose of this research is to explore the potential use of the hyoid bone for sex estimation as a way to increase the accuracy in the identification of deceased transgender individuals from skeletonized remains. Being able to recognize transgender status from the hyoid could be crucial to the positive identification of these individuals to find closure for families and seek justice in situations of foul play. The program Amira 3D 2023 was used to create models of the hyoid bone to measure sexual dimorphic features of the bone in order to increase accuracy of identifying transgender individuals. The results for this pilot study indicate that there is no significant difference between the hyoid length and width measurements or the hyoid index measurements relative to stature of transgender individuals and cisgender males or females.

One of the many ways to learn about past societies is through the study of funerary objects. For cultures that lived during the early medieval period of Britain, especially before the widespread adoption of Christianity, there are few preserved, written records of how people interreacted with each other. Therefore, these types of analyses are especially important for illuminating past cultural practices. While brooches were primarily a way to secure clothing, they provided a secondary aspect of being able to ascertain an individual’s social standing, which community they are associated with, and aspects of their identity. In addition to typologies, here we examine the spatial distribution of brooch placement within the grave in the early medieval burials. This research sheds light on more nuanced aspects of funerary practices, specifically focusing on the individual agency of the deceased as well as the role funeral dress played in signaling social status, identity, and community. Analysis of brooches can inform on mobility, ceremony, and identity more broadly during the 5th-9th centuries, providing insight into a period with little written documentation. (Also presented at the 30th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists)

Despite the country’s extensive erasure and marginalization of Indigenous communities and peoples, one of Mexico’s most beloved and iconic characters of the film industry is La India Maria, a caricature of an Indigenous woman portrayed by Mexican actress Maria Elena Velasco. The films are characterized by their comedic yet stereotypical portrayal of a Mazahua woman’s experience navigating an unfamiliar Mexican urban landscape. Due to the complex nature of the character’s existence and reception such films can be used as a lens through which students can engage with complex themes of Indigeneity within Latin America and its construction or understanding. This study will focus on how La India María films can be used as a pedagogical tool in Chicana/Chicano Studies to discuss and dissect critical Latinx Indigenous identities. This project will employ a qualitative media analysis methodology, focusing on a detailed and critical examination of select La India María films. The films will be analyzed using transnationalism framework, critical Latinx Indigeneities framework, and intersectionality as theoretical lenses. The analysis is expected to reveal that La India María films serve as a platform for the discussion, construction, and reimagination of Indigeneity and Latinx Indigenous communities. The films are likely to depict a range of themes, including the negotiation of Indigenous identity within a predominantly mestizo society, the impact of colonial legacies, and the intersection of gender and ethnicity.