As a crossroad in the Pacific Northwest, central Washington represents a complex mosaic of voices; voices that we, as anthropologists, are interested in listening to, partnering with, learning from, and understanding. Yet at times, when immersed in the daily demands of our profession, we can mistakenly take these voices for granted – or worse, we become oblivious to their existence. To challenge such tendencies and reiterate the intentional inclusivity that should characterize anthropological practice, the 73rd NWAC’s theme will focus on the importance of forming and celebrating inclusive partnerships with those who reside in our areas of research.

At this coming year’s conference, we want to be mindful to create spaces for the voices of the people we work with so that all attendees will have an opportunity to engage in constructive, inclusive dialogue. Whether this kind of approach is already fundamental to your anthropological practice or not, we invite you to share your partnership experiences and aspirations in this conference by organizing sessions or presentations that open up spaces for the many voices that we anthropologists must hear. We welcome all submitted abstracts and session proposals from archaeology, cultural anthropology, bioanthropology, and linguistic anthropology, regardless of theme, but we encourage you to consider exploring within or reflecting on this year’s theme and the role that building or sustaining inclusive partnerships may have in your work. As anthropologists it is our privilege to attend NWAC every year. In 2020, we want to create an experience where we and the communities with which we collaborate can forge spaces for inclusive dialogue.