hagwil hayetsk (Charles Menzies) is a member of Gitxaała Nation. He is currently a professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC.
Dr. hagwil hayetsk (Menzies) served as an elected member of the UBC Board of Governors 2017-2020 and returns for the 2023-2026 term. Menzies is also an elected joint-faculties senator on the UBC Vancouver Senate 2020-2026.
Dr. hagwil hayetsk (Menzies)’ primary research interests are the production of anthropological films, natural resource management (primarily fisheries related), political economy, contemporary First Nations’ issues, maritime anthropology and the archaeology of north coast BC. He has conducted field research in, and has produced films concerning, north coastal BC, Canada (including archaeological research); Brittany, France; and Donegal, Ireland.
His current research project, Laxyuup Gitxaaɫa, combines archaeological and socio-cultural anthropology to document the traditional territory of Gitxaaɫa Nation. Other projects include founding and directing the Ethnographic Film Unit at UBC, establishing the online journal New Proposals, and acting as the coordinator of an ecological anthropology research group at UBC, Forests and Oceans for the Future
Graduate student mentorship and supervision is a key focus of Dr. hagwil hayetsk’s scholarly practice. Typically, master’s students work with projects that he has underway or that are closely associated thematically. Doctoral students, while focusing on projects with affinities to his research, pursue more independent projects. He’s had the privilege of working with a great number of outstanding students. Many of their projects are focused on natural resource management (fisheries and forestry), others explore the dynamics of municipal politics, local development projects at UBC, climate change artists, and food security. Today these scholars are working in NGO’s, government agencies, universities, and colleges around the world.
B.A.(Simon Fraser University), M.A. (York University), M.Phil., Ph.D. (Anthropology Program, the Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York).
