Forensic anthropologists regularly consult with members of the medicolegal community for their casework. This practice is within the accepted scope of our profession and often goes uninterrogated. However, a growing number of forensic anthropologists are recognizing the need for collaboration beyond structures that can and do cause harm to our communities.
This talk will explore the process of building research and applied networks among forensic anthropologists and more diverse community stakeholders. In diversifying our stakeholders, forensic practitioners may serve as a bridge between community members, organizers, and activists and the larger medicolegal system, while designing research that puts the needs of our communities first.
Centering those often overlooked in our traditional practice of forensic anthropology can provide paths to reduce harm from structurally violent systems, improve outcomes for the identification of socially marginalized group members, and increase accountability within the medicolegal community.
