Tribute to Jane H. Hill

I came across Hill’s work only a month back in an introductory course in linguistic anthropology and realized immediately how stunningly original her ideas are.

It's just too soon and so hard to imagine that the brilliant presence Jane brought to every occasion is gone. I feel so grateful to have known her and to have learned from her. Peace to her family..

Jane was one of my mentors in the field of linguistic anthropology when I studied in ANLI doctoral program at U of Arizona. I was lucky to be her student and learned much from her. She was a giant in the field and a role model in academia. Inspired by her knowledge and devotion to the field, I have seen further. She was the kind of scholar and educator I wish to become. It's so sad she has left us in this world, but her scholarly legacy and inspiration will continue having impact on us. Thank you for making difference in my life and helping me see further, dear Jane. Rest in peace.

I never got to take a class with Dr. Hill while studying at UA, but I wish I had. She was already known as a treasure of knowledge and experience two decades ago when I arrived in Tucson. She is respected enormously.

During my time at UA I took every class I could with Jane and on her recommendation (and assistance) went into the linganth program at NAU under Jim Wilce. She left an indelible change in me through her classes and conversations outside of class hours. I’ll miss her grace, generosity, and wit (especially chatting about pop culture). My heartfelt sympathies to her colleagues, friends, and especially her family. She touched many lives and will be fiercely missed!

may she rest in peace.

What a tremendous loss. I'm so sorry I never got to know her during my semester teaching at the U of A; she wasn't doing well then health-wise. Her work has been inspirational for both my research and my teaching. Let's make sure it lives on in all of us!

Jane inspired me to think Big Thoughts and make my work matter. A scholar's scholar, but I knew from my first semester in grad school that she was also funny and irreverent and caring. It's insufficient to call her inspirational. She was so, so much more--a model for us all, but a model I dare say most of us will fail to emulate, however hard we may try.

So sorry to hear of Jane’s passing. I learned a lot from her scholarship and her editorial work. I was fortunate to spend a lovely day with her and her husband when they visited Sydney in 2001. RIP

Jane Hill, Unlike most people I admire, I am glad I got to know you. And to learn from you. Your made anthropology a better discipline and the wider world a better place. With admiration, respect, and gratitude, thank you.

A brilliant light has just gone out in this world. But you left us with so much to contemplate. I'm deeply grateful I had the chance to take your Semiotics class before you retired.

Jane, you left us too soon. I still have so many questions I want to ask, and things I want to show and discuss with you. I can’t believe I’ll never see you at FOUA again, or bump into you on campus towing your roller case of work and ready to make a sardonic crack about whatever happened to be outrageous at the moment. I learned so much from you and felt so inspired to be your colleague and to get to see you teaching and learning and discovering. Aman ne tevote, lios enchi hiokoe uttttttttesia.

Many beautiful tributes here. A beacon of integrity, scholarship, and good humor for me and so many others, for so many years.

Jane Hill was a model supervisor. She was inspiring in the breadth and insatiability of her curiosity and seemed to know everything. Yet she was always humble, warm and available whenever we needed to talk things over. She gave her students confidence in their own ideas. Her influence on her students is immense but her real legacy is in the work she did that has opened the minds of so many who never had the pleasure of talking with her. Rest in peace, Jane. And my condolences to Ken and the rest of the family.

Jane fue un gran ejemplo para todos nosotros, una persona no solo brillante, honesta, humilde, y otras serie de cualidades... Fue sobre todo un gran ser humano, generosa, solidaria, respetuosa, ¡te vamos a extrañar! Pero tu huellas imborrable en nuestros corazones... Nimitstlasohtla!

Please honor Jane Hill. Her work brought me from a dark racist place—I am thankful for her service.

Jane was for me more than a teacher, mentor, collegue or friend. Since 1987 Jane and Ken have been a great friends. I am proud of beening his student in the UofA. She help me a lot during my studies at Arizona. She had a great humor and we laugth always. Jane was very relaxed, dinamic, and a great person. We edited a book together and loved linguistic anthropology, besides Uto-Aztecan Language and culture . Jane was an important collegue in the Firends of Uto-Aztecas. Conference and loved too much Mexico and mexicans, specially Indigenous people. Her contributions in Mexico has been very important in all sense. I will miss her a lot.

Jane fue una gran lingüista, una persona generosa y yo fui una de las afortunadas que no solo la conoció sino que me sentí apoyada y reconocida por sus comentarios y opiniones sobre mi trabajo. Ójala existieran más personas como ella.

We have all learned from Jane Hill's foundational work, and I will continue to teach her work to my students so that they benefit from her brilliant mind and devotion to social justice . She was so very insightful, and in my personal interactions with her while I was a student at the University of Arizona, she was also disarming, genuine, and funny.

Jane was a powerful role model for me. In addition inspiring me with her superb scholarship, she showed me how to negotiate the service side of academia with integrity and courage. She will be greatly missed.