Chris Butler
Chris Butler is a fourth-year graduate student in the cultural section of the Department of Anthropology who is advised by Prof. Neil Whitehead. Chris plans to undertake ethnohistorical research on the role of fraternal organizations within the Cherokee Nation since the mid-Nineteenth Century. The prominent role of these vibrant organizations prior to the early Twentieth Century throughout the world is under recognized and this topic will develop lines of inquiry into questions of secrecy, native modernities and ritual practice. Currently, Chris is determining the accessibility of relevant archival collections and developing connections and is planning preliminary trips to Oklahoma and Washington , D.C. this fall.
Chris grew up next to his grandparents' farm outside of Cameron , W.Va. , in a rural section of the state's Northern Panhandle. Encouraged by his parents Dave and Connie, Chris pursued a double major in history and sociology from West Virginia University . After graduating in May 2003, he developed his interests in public history and archaeology by completing a graduate certificate in Cultural Resource Management through WVU Department of History. During this period, Chris worked periodically with Horizon Research Consultants of Morgantown, W.Va., on both historical and archaeological projects. Following the completion of his certificate in 2004, Chris moved to Madison , Wis. , to begin his graduate career in cultural anthropology. Chris has been active within the department, serving terms as a graduate representative to the department faculty meetings and as AnthroCircle president. Chris has also spent the past two summers working for the department as an assistant curator for archaeological and ethnographic collections. In his free time, Chris enjoys hunting, shooting sports, gaming, baking pies and reading 1920s pulp fiction.
