Homer Barnett

Homer Garner Barnett (1906 in Bisbee, Arizona – May 9, 1985) was an American anthropologist, thinker, fieldworker, and teacher.

He began his studies at Stanford in civil engineering but soon quit to rethink his major. When he returned to Stanford it was as a liberal arts major with an emphasis on philosophy. He graduated in 1927. He later attended the University of California, Berkeley for his Ph.D., granted in 1938. His specialization was culture change and applied anthropology.

As a student, Barnett did field work among the American Indians of Oregon, Washington, and northwestern California, particularly the Yurok, Hupa, Yakima, and several small groups of the Oregon coast. Some research concerned diverse ethnological matters but focused primarily on the Indian Shaker religion and the potlatch. The latter was the subject of his doctoral dissertation.

In 1939 after receiving his Ph.D. he began working at the University of New Mexico as the field director of the Jemez Archeological Field School. Soon after this position ended he moved on to the University of Oregon. Here he became the second member of the Anthropology department, along with Luther Cressman. After serving for a few years during World War II, Barnett returned to the University of Oregon and continued to study Pacific cultures.

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