James Mooney (1861-1921), who worked for the Bureau of American Ethnology (now the Smithsonian Institution) is a major figure in American ethnography. His research and publications on the histories, languages, and cultures of Native American groups introduced an objective perspective and appreciation for diverse cultures within the United States, including the Kiowa, Sioux, and, most especially, the Cherokee, where his research involved long periods of residence with the Cherokee including those in Oklahoma and the Eastern Band. His contributions to American anthropology, especially that of the US Southeast, is substantial.
The James Mooney Award
The purpose of the James Mooney Award is to recognize and thereby encourage distinguished anthropological scholarship on the South and Southerners. Presented annually, the award includes a $500 cash prize and certificate of recognition to be presented to the winning author at an awards ceremony.
In addition, an Honorable Mention Award includes a certificate of recognition. The winning presses will also receive certificates of recognition and will be granted free exhibit space at the Society’s annual meeting and, for one year, free advertising space for the winning books in the Southern Anthropologist.
Eligibility Requirements
To be considered for the 2024 James Mooney Award (presented in 2022), a book must have been published in 2023 or 2024. Judges welcome works on the South or Southern peoples and cultures (past or present) in, of, or from the region. Books may be from any subfield of anthropology or from other disciplines so long as the primary perspective of the work is anthropological. Co-authored books may be nominated, but edited volumes may not. The nomination must clearly be for a single book, even if it builds on prior work by the author or others. Titles should be submitted for consideration by December 31, 2024 to Mooney Prize Coordinator, Marjorie Snipes at msnipes@westga.edu.
Nomination and Submission Procedures
Nominations for the 2024 James Mooney Award may be submitted by a press or an individual. The nomination, by letter or email, should include a letter briefly describing the subject, identifying the anthropological significance of the work, and giving the name, address, and telephone number of the author. The letter of nomination should be accompanied by three copies of the book, one for each member of the selection committee; digital copies are welcome. In lieu of submitting book copies, individuals may submit a brief summary or review of the nominated book. The Mooney Coordinator may then opt to seek copies from the publisher.
An unsuccessful title may be re-submitted once. A book is eligible for nomination twice over a two-year window. Please send submissions to Daniel W. Ingersoll, the Mooney Award Press Coordinator, whose address is below.
Books will be judged by a committee of anthropologists from different specialties in the discipline. The winner will be announced at the 2025 annual meeting of the SAS.
Contacts
Kate Ingersoll, Mooney Committee Chair (for additional information)
4409 Salt Marsh Lane
Chincoteague, VA 23336
Phone: 240-434-3689
Email: clockersfancy@gmail.com
Daniel W. Ingersoll, Jr., Mooney Award Press Coordinator (send books)
4409 Salt Marsh Lane
Chincoteague, VA 23336
Phone: 240-434-3691
Email: dwingersoll@smcm.edu