Monthly Archives: November 2013

Think before you tweet

Posted on November 29, 2013 by Cynthia Coleman Emery

The headline reads: Cher blasts Thanksgiving. The celebrity apparently tweeted the holiday signals the devastation of Indian peoples. So she doesn’t honor the holiday. When I was in high school I shared her feelings. I rejected materialism, capitalism, marriage—and anything … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, authenticity, Indian, native american, native press, Native Science | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Let’s get rid of the Redskins’ name

Posted on November 21, 2013 by Cynthia Coleman Emery

Talk about cognitive dissonance. A story circulating on Facebook lauds Dan Maffei, a democratic congressional representative from New York, who asks fellow legislators to rid the Washington Redskins of its name. American Indians and others detest the use of Redskins … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, authenticity, ethics, Indian, journalism, native american, native press, Native Science, Redskins, science, science communication | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Race explained

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Cynthia Coleman Emery

A public exhibit on race invites you to examine your beliefs. The exhibit declares there is no real scientific rationale for the word race and then walks visitors through a series of videos and narratives describing how race has been … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, authenticity, human origin, Indian, Indian relocation, journalism, Lakota, manifest destiny, native american, native press, Native Science, race, science, science communication | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Manufactroversy

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Cynthia Coleman Emery

Here’s a word to stitch into your vocabulary pocket. Manufactroversy. The word means a manufactured controversy. And what an elegant word to share with my propaganda, persuasion and framing students.

Posted in american indian, authenticity, ethics, framing, human origin, Indian, journalism, Kennewick Man, Lakota, NAGPRA, Native Science, neuroscience, risk, science, science communication, writing | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Tribal rights

Posted on November 15, 2013 by Cynthia Coleman Emery

What would be a good elevator speech for my talk today? As I jet to Seattle to speak about science and public policy to a group of experts, I figure I’m not giving a lecture. I’m telling a story. The … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, authenticity, framing, Indian, journalism, Kennewick Man, Uncategorized, writing | Leave a comment

Justice? It depends

Posted on November 12, 2013 by Cynthia Coleman Emery

Scholars have long debated the tenets that underpin justice. Interesting that a word we take for granted—justice—would roll over like a tumbleweed, subject to interpretations. Definitions have emerged from many quarters—from St. Augustine, John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Emmanuel Kant, Jeremy … Continue reading →

Posted in Indian, Native Science, science, science communication | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

When words aren’t what they seem

Posted on November 10, 2013 by Cynthia Coleman Emery

How fortuitous that Native American Heritage Month comes at a time when I’ve been invited to write a book chapter about my work in Native Science. Below I’ve woven together words that describe what I do for the book’s editors … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, authenticity, ethics, framing, human origin, Indian, Kennewick Man, NAGPRA, native american, Native Science, neuroscience, repatriation, salmon, science, science communication | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

It’s in the name

Posted on November 8, 2013 by Cynthia Coleman Emery

Beloved and I traipsed down to the county office this week to fill out the forms, show our identification cards and hand over 60 bucks for an Oregon marriage license. The clerk asked if I wanted to change my name. … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, authenticity, Indian, Lakota, native american, native press, Native Science, writing | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Depends where you look

Posted on November 7, 2013 by Cynthia Coleman Emery

I realize talking with relatives who live on the rez that it all depends on your perspective. The path differs from one intersection to the next. For example, elderly relatives were dissuaded in their youth from showing segments of their … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, authenticity, Indian, native american, native press, Native Science, Osage | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Return to tradition

Posted on November 6, 2013 by Cynthia Coleman Emery

We arrived just in time for the last few songs at a November gathering in Gray Horse under the scaffold of the newly built roundhouse. Drummers kept a beat while dancers circled under the arbor as a cool breeze invited … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, Indian, Indian relocation, journalism, Kennewick Man, Lakota, native american, native press, Native Science, writing | Tagged , | Leave a comment