Elizabeth Weiss faced controversy over her determination that archaeological remains were legitimate objects of scientific inquiry, not totems of political activism. Frances Widdowson faced controversy over her insistence that the rumors of mass graves at Canadian native residential schools were unfounded. Neither of their academic institutions supported them in their simple desire for intellectual freedom, and both have left their academic positions: been cancelled.
Elizabeth Weiss and Frances Widdowson recently sat down for a conversation at the National Association of Scholars' home office in Manhattan for a conversation about their quests for academic freedom. Their discussion was recorded on 23 August 2024.