Category Archives: american indian

Groping for meaning in science

Posted on August 11, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

My colleagues and I have been groping with the idea of Native Science. One reason is our earnest attempt to legitimize American Indian perspectives–whether it’s science, story-telling, art or language.

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Dirt in my shoes

Posted on August 9, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

How did I start on this path? Dirt in my shoes. I’m speaking about my research at a meeting attended by communication and journalism researchers and teachers. Each of us on the panel is describing what we can learn from … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, Indian, journalism, Lakota, native american, Native Science, science, science communication | 2 Comments

Growing tobacco, staying connected

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

I cannot tell you why I decided to grow tobacco. I cannot tell you because I don’t understand myself. Early spring a photo of a white trumpet flower caught my eye while rifling through seed packets at the garden shop.

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Tobacco as medicine

Posted on July 12, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

When I opened the envelope I found another envelope tucked inside, filled with tiny specks like dark grains of sand. They were carefully bundled in cellophane because one gust would cast them to the wind. I opened the packet and … Continue reading →

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Listen to healing

Posted on June 29, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

I listened to the medicine men talk about the power of self-persuasion. They agreed that focusing on bad health can sometimes lead to bad health. Your attitude can make a difference and you can set yourself up to indulge in … Continue reading →

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OK: Hokahey

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

The most prominent misunderstanding about native people living in North America is that we are all the same. Truth is, life at Rosebud is different from life at Gallup. We visited relatives in June in South Dakota, where we attended … Continue reading →

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

May your gander be proper

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

My propaganda students presented final projects in class yesterday, showing how propaganda can be subtle or overt. And always present. Students sliced through the veneer of million dollar campaigns that convince you to drink milk, vote Republican, quit smoking and … Continue reading →

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Remembering Maria Tallchief

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

When someone mentioned ballet my mother would chime in that a famous ballerina came from her American Indian community. Maria Tallchief. We learned this week that Tallchief passed on. She and her sister Marjorie came from a prominent Osage family, … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, authenticity, film, Indian, journalism, native american, Native Science, Osage, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

I Can’t Understand Your Story

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Telling your story has always been important. Imagine your elders camped by a fire telling stories. Indian Country holds stories dear.

Posted in american indian, framing, Native Science, science, science communication, social media, writing | Tagged | 2 Comments

Defining Race

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

The conversation turned to race. My talk Wednesday at the Newberry focussed on Native and scientific perspectives, particularly over Kennewick Man–the 9300-year-old skeleton discovered in the Columbia River. During the question and answer session one guest asked if Kennewick Man … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, authenticity, ethics, framing, human origin, Indian, journalism, Kennewick Man, native american, Native Science, news bias, repatriation, science, science communication, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment