Semasiographic Systems of Baja California

I cannot deny that the Indigenous cultures of Baja California have attracted me for a long time. It may be because it is a largely neglected area, or because it straddles the boundary between Native North American and Mexican studies. Maybe it is a romantic pull towards the exploratory nature of my research, but I am growing more and more committed to furthering my studies about this region and its unique Indigenous societies. I will have the opportunity to discuss some preliminary ideas I have about how Baja California shamans communicated with the invisible at the forthcoming Annual Conference of the Association of Art Historians. It is is the first time that I present my anthropological ideas on art to a dedicated art historical crowd. It is at once exciting and terrifying. Art historians are notoriously territorial, and I may need to fight my ground in the academic arena presented by this occasion. I took great pleasure pouring over 18th century Spanish manuscripts, ethnographic notes, and visual analyses and theories. The most exciting part for me is assembling all the ideas and facts together to create a new interpretation of what is known. Hopefully, my ideas about communication via Semasiography will not be met with too much ostracism and opposition. Whatever the case may be, it will be a good testing ground, and look forward to it.