Category Archives: authenticity

Rifle Report

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

I took a break from writing on the culture of science and American Indians with a retreat to a zen monastery in the Oregon countryside. Purpose was to clear my head and spend time with my beloved for an unplugged … Continue reading →

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The Contrarian Sioux

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

I’ve had to release the notion that all Indians are community-minded. While anthropologists correctly note cultures are classified by their communitarian versus individualistic values, there’s plentiful evidence that indigenous folk have an independent streak. The Sioux, for example, tolerated individuals … Continue reading →

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Rosie Red Top

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

My indatsay, John, shows me a sepia photograph of his family at their home on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The place bears the indelicate name of Stinking Water Creek. Relatives stare at the camera while a white-haired elder sits on … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, authenticity, Francis Parkman, Henri Chatillion, Lakota, native american, Native Science, science, science communication | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Crazy Horse: Tiyospaye

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Larry McMurtry—who wrote Lonesome Dove, The Last Picture Show and Terms of Endearment—penned a biography of Crazy Horse that proved a solid summer read. McMurtry writes about my relatives in the book Crazy Horse (Penguin-Viking, 1999). He says Crazy Horse … Continue reading →

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Being Tonto

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

Finally got up the nerve to see The Lone Ranger. The movie earned jibes from Indian Country and was slammed by the critics all summer. My Facebook pals panned the film so I figure I can’t critique it without viewing … Continue reading →

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Real Science. Really.

Posted on August 16, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

The mummy exhibit is billed as Real Science. Calling the Mummies of the World display Real Science legitimizes the practice of stuffing dead people under glass and taking them on the road for show-and-tell. Never occurred to me it would … Continue reading →

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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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Belief+Doubt=Sanity

Posted on August 10, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Artist Barbara Kruger plays with words. Her installation at the Hirschhorn Museum in Washington DC invites you to think: it’s called Belief+Doubt. Plastered on the museum walls and archways are bold words colored in red, white and black. Turns of … Continue reading →

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Who will be the watchdog?

Posted on July 10, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

My guilty pleasure is rejoicing in investigative journalism. What a pity the pleasure isn’t the venerable New York Times or 60 Minutes. It’s Newsroom: a scripted, created—invented–story of journalism that airs on cable but I have to wait until it … Continue reading →

Posted in authenticity, cinema, ethics, film, framing, His Girl Friday, journalism, news bias, Portland, Pulitzer, Rosalind Rusell, social media, writing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in american indian, authenticity, ethics, health, Indian, Lakota, native american, Native Science, neuroscience, science, science communication | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment