Author Archives: Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

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About Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Professor and researcher who studies science communication, particularly issues that impact American Indians. Dr. Coleman is an enrolled citizen of the Osage Nation.

The Inner Voice of Optimism

Posted on November 13, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

What was life like for our ancestors 100 years ago? That’s about three generations—from my grandmother to me. In many ways Ecko’s life was simpler with no cell phones and freeways. But it was also tough, thanks to tuberculosis and … Continue reading →

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Authenticity

Posted on November 13, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

One of my students has been researching authenticity and reported in class that the group that wears the authenticity veil defines what constitutes authenticity. In other words, it’s up to the group. That makes sense for skaters and hipsters but … Continue reading →

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The Sound of Seed

Posted on November 12, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

I’ve settled on the couch in our warm living room near the gas fireplace, a hot cup of tea beside me along with a fistful of reading. There’s a sudden POP and I hear a sound like beads dancing on … Continue reading →

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Embracing the Crow

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

In summer and fall mornings a flock of crows—a murder of crows—flies over our roof, headed north toward the Columbia River. We reckon they’re flying toward food. They shout at one another and sometimes a sentinel squats in a high … Continue reading →

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Who Deserves a Proper Burial?

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

My work discussing the bones of American Indians doesn’t spring from a morbid fascination with the dead. Instead I am interested in the biopolitics about bones and how conversations emerge about human remains. Biopolitics refers to the infusion of politics … Continue reading →

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Black Hawk’s Skull

Posted on November 8, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Science is often deployed to meet political ends but we don’t always recognize when. Phrenology emerged as a pseudo-scientific way to define race through empirical means. Scientists used painstaking measurements to show how the landscape of the skull—its ridges and … Continue reading →

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All in Your Head

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

I’ve been exploring how science has affected policies and attitudes regarding American Indians. We know that reservation life and boarding schools weighed heavily on Native peoples. Few, however, have spent time uncovering how science has been deployed to serve political … Continue reading →

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Science and Trust: What’s Rational?

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

The disenfranchised among us have a history of distrusting science. Some scientists just don’t get it: how can you overlook evolution? Climate change? Diabetes? Native Americans—and African-Americans and Hispanics—can point to specific examples when the mantle of science caused harm.

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Dammit, Jim, I’m a Doctor, Not a Scientist

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

The refrain from the original Star Trek physician, Bones, has arisen like Lazarus from the mortuary of old TV shows. But this time it’s politicians. When asked their opinions of, say, climate change, politicians of late have demurred. “I’m not … Continue reading →

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Tobacco Cure

Posted on November 2, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

The question was innocent enough. My beloved asked me where the expression, “Blowing smoke up your arse” comes from. Thanks to the internet the answer came swiftly. The story begins in Indian Country (as all stories do during Native American … Continue reading →

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