Mitchell Rigert, MA
Qualitative Analyst
Mitchell joined Memory Keepers in July, 2024 as a Qualitative Analyst. He recently graduated from Northern Illinois University with a M.A. in Anthropology and a graduate certificate in Southeast Asian Studies. Using multi-sited ethnographic methods and a political ecology framework, he conducted his thesis research in Thailand focusing on the role of Indigenous Pgaz k’Nyau (Karen) youth in sustaining the customary practice of rotational farming (swidden agriculture) amid restrictive state forest policy. More broadly, his academic interests encompass the intersections of identity, collective representation, grassroots activism, media, and Indigeneity. Outside of work, Mitchell enjoys walking and jogging in natural areas, listening to the radio, playing his guitars, spending time with family, and hanging around with his black cat Raven.