We are pleased to introduce Solsiré Cusicanqui, who has joined the CMRS Center for Early Global Studies (CMRS-CEGS) as a Postdoctoral Fellow within the “Race in the Global Past through Native Lenses” Mellon-funded project. Professor Zrinka Stahuljak, Director of CMRS-CEGS, is the project’s principal investigator (PI), and Professor Shannon Speed, Director of the UCLA American Indian Studies Center, is its co-PI.
Cusicanqui received her PhD in Anthropology from Harvard University, where she taught as a College Fellow. She is a Peruvian archaeologist, and for over ten years, she has directed archaeological and cultural heritage projects that connect the past and the present through community-based and reflexive archaeology. Rather than a one-sided process, reflexive archaeology encourages archaeologists and local communities to reflect together on what it means to generate knowledge in archaeology, how it’s produced, and the importance of valuing the descendants of those who created the archaeological remains.
This Fall, Cusicanqui joined CMRS-CEGS and the UCLA Fowler Museum, where her work focuses on Indigenous American and Pacific Islander artifacts in the museum’s collections. She works closely with Erica Jones, the Senior Curator of African Arts and Manager of Curatorial Affairs at the museum, and Silvia Forni, the museum’s Director. She will soon begin collaborating with Professor Stella Nair, the Director of the Andean Laboratory at the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology.
In the next two years, Cusicanqui’s research will focus on unraveling the complex dynamics of the early colonial period, particularly the interactions between Indigenous populations and the emerging colonial order.
Cusicanqui aspires to “develop projects that honor and revalue the ancestral knowledge of Andean and Amazonian communities across South America, bridging connections between present-day communities and their heritage. This includes highlighting diverse cultural knowledge and transmission practices, from the materiality of objects to workshops that revitalize these traditions.”
She also aims to create community-based programs and workshops, continue researching, and curate exhibitions celebrating the region’s rich cultural heritage. She plans to involve UCLA students in these heritage initiatives to “foster a deeper connection to the cultural wealth.” In Los Angeles specifically, Cusicanqui intends to organize events for Peruvian residents in California and the broader Latino community, promoting cultural awareness and connection.
Cusicanqui’s past and ongoing projects include excavation, laboratory analysis, and site preservation. These activities are “anchored in a community-centered approach that prioritizes heritage education and reflexive archaeology.” She hopes to continue her project in Cajamarca, Peru, and publish the archaeological findings from recent years as part of her doctoral thesis.
On April 9, 2025, Cusicanqui will lecture at the Cotsen Institute at UCLA to discuss her ongoing archaeological and heritage work in Cajamarca.