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.

Bike Ride

Posted on September 10, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

You can’t be depressed riding a bike. Thanks goodness it’s a downhill ride to my work and most drivers are patient as I peddle through the intersections at a tortoise pace.

Posted in health, writing | Tagged , | Leave a comment

When Names Aren’t What They Seem

Posted on September 9, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

I discovered that family names can be invented, forgotten and even lost in the branches of the family tree.

Posted in authenticity, Francis Parkman, Henri Chatillion, Indian, Lakota | Tagged , | 4 Comments

When the Ball Changes in Mid-Air

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

The trouble with mental catch, Adam Gopnik writes, is that the ball you throw changes in mid-air into another. Gopnik is speaking metaphorically in his short story The Rookie. He’s telling his son a bedtime tale and the intent gets … Continue reading →

Posted in authenticity, ethics, framing, Indian, journalism, news bias | Tagged | Leave a comment

Redskins: The Elephant in the Room

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

The PR flacks are earning their salaries this week as Beacon Press promotes a new book that reveals the backstory about how owner George Preston Marshall refused to integrate the Washington DC football team called The Redskins.

Posted in authenticity, framing, Indian, journalism, news bias, writing | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Sunday, Hompa Wakonta

Posted on September 4, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Listening to Osage language tapes I hear that Sunday is called God Day: hompa Wakonta. I lack training in linguistics, but my best guess is that names for days-of-the-week were introduced to the Osage people by non-Indians.

Posted in authenticity, journalism, Osage | 1 Comment

Living in the Moment

Posted on September 3, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Summer is waning in the Pacific Northwest. It’s getting darker earlier. The morning chill of autumn is right around the corner. I avoid planning for the fall blues and instead try to live in the moment.

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Tribal Fishers

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

When I visited Cascade Locks this summer I found a half-dozen booths where salmon was sold alongside fresh cherries, just picked that morning. One of the fishers, a young Yakama man, said that he didn’t feel strongly about the sea … Continue reading →

Posted in Indian, journalism, Native Science, news bias, salmon, science, science communication | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Salmon People

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

I identify with the bear people as revealed in yesterday’s blog: the feeling is woven through my genes but not in my daily life. Every day I think and write about salmon, the focus of my current study about how … Continue reading →

Posted in Indian, journalism, Native Science, news bias, salmon, science, science communication | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Bear People

Posted on August 31, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

A recent radio story talked about how a man approached a wild bear because he wanted take a photo with him and the bear.

Posted in authenticity, framing, Francis Parkman, journalism, Osage | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Primed to Kvetch

Posted on August 30, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

One of our graduate students wrote a crisp and tidy thesis about the effects of photography on sympathy and we’re just about ready send off her findings for review.

Posted in authenticity, film, framing, health, journalism, news bias, risk, science | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment