Those of us who work in/on Oceania will be interested to learn that the American Anthropological Association's Melanesia Interest Group has expanded its mandate to include all of Oceania, and is now the Pacific Interest Group.
The purpose of the Pacific Interest Group (PIG) is as follows:
a) to publicize the full range of Anthropology related to the study of Oceania or the Pacific Islands to the largest possible audience inside and outside the American Anthropological Association (AAA).
b) to explore and develop the connections between Anthropology and Pacific Studies, including exploring topics that both cut across regions and engage current debates within the four fields of anthropology.
c) to provide an informal vehicle for bringing together scholars with interests in Oceania in order to exchange information (thus complementing existing area organizations), to strengthen social networks and personal contacts, and to discuss the changing place of Pacific Studies, Pacific History, and Geography within the discipline of Anthropology.
Many of our ASAA/NZ members regularly travel to the US to participate in the annual AAA meetings of the AAA. If you are planning to attend or present a paper at the 2017 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., PIG is a wonderful space to network and share ideas. PIG also runs a Facebook page that is open to all.
