Category Archives: authenticity

We Are All Connected

Posted on December 25, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

I heard a story this week that illuminates the connection we have to one another. Aspen trees, I am told, appear to be separate towers in wooded forests but are, in fact, connected at their roots. The trees create an … Continue reading →

Posted in authenticity, Uncategorized, writing | 6 Comments

Revisiting the Blogosphere

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

The confluence of several experiences got me to thinking more deeply about journalism. The first epiphany occurred after I wrote an opinion piece for the local Oregon daily that generated ire from several bloggers. The piece concerned a lawsuit surrounding … Continue reading →

Posted in authenticity, news bias | 5 Comments

Displaying the Dead

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

Johan Reinhard made “the discovery of a lifetime” when he unearthed a frozen mummy in 1995 in the Peruvian mountains. The book by the National Geographic Society, Discovering the Inca Ice Maiden, describes the “find” as “an amazing adventure” as … Continue reading →

Posted in authenticity, ethics, Kennewick Man, repatriation | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Indian Thanksgiving

Posted on November 23, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

My family always celebrated Thanksgiving, no matter if we were in Teheran, London or Salinas, California. And while we grew up knowing we were descendents of Osage and Lakota forebears, it wasn’t until college that I came to appreciate native … Continue reading →

Posted in authenticity, Indian, Osage | 2 Comments

Spendthrift

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Just got an email from my credit card company asking me to pledge to “shop small” this holiday season. My first thought was that this is a clever way to endear people like me: you won’t catch me lining up … Continue reading →

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On Being Silent

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

The slew of mean-spirited responses to my recent editorial got me thinking about being silenced. A book about being silenced changed the way I look at relationships. I’ve been tempted to give copies to all my girlfriends but it feels … Continue reading →

Posted in authenticity, health, writing | Tagged | 2 Comments

I Didn’t Get the Memo

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

A few years ago, my husband (former) and I were having dinner with a couple—accomplished and sane—and I admired the woman’s ring. She said it was a 10-year anniversary present from her spouse: a diamond. I didn’t get the memo.

Posted in authenticity | 2 Comments

Authenticity and Identity

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

One of the key aspects of the political debates surrounding Kennewick Man invokes Indian authenticity, particularly in light that some (not all) anthropologists judged the 9,400-year-old skeleton as Caucasoid, a term that quickly transformed in media coverage as “Caucasian.”

Posted in authenticity, framing, human origin, Indian, journalism, Kennewick Man, Native Science | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Deciphering the Real Indian

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

American Indians face a double whammy when it comes to authenticity: how do you know what is real? As a die-hard empiricist, I never thought I would turn to critical theorists to illuminate American Indian authenticity. But here I am.

Posted in authenticity, cinema, Francis Parkman | Tagged | 2 Comments

Faux Indians and Halloween

Posted on October 29, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

In my insular world of email and Facebook there’s a load of chatter about Indian costumes worn at Halloween. After searching the internet, I found plentiful websites that sell Native American “costumes” as “part of the American Halloween scene” where … Continue reading →

Posted in authenticity, Indian, Osage | Tagged , | 2 Comments