Officer of the Order of Canada
Awarded on: 2016-11-18
Invested on: 2017-11-17
Richard Borshay Lee transformed anthropology’s understanding of hunter-gatherers and forced the reassessment of long-held assumptions about social evolution. Professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, he was among the first to demonstrate how the Ju/'hoansi people of southern Africa were in possession of a highly refined culture and secure mode of subsistence. In recent years, he has shifted his focus to the detrimental effects of the HIV/AIDS crisis, and his efforts to fight the disease have included the establishment of medical partnerships between Canadian and African institutions.