Category Archives: authenticity

Turning Indigenous Art on its Head

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

The discussion about ethics and indigenous art at Chicago’s Newberry Library took a swift turn when Jolene Rickard (Tuscarora) presented images from Skeena Reece’s performance art. Reece (Tsimshian, Gitksan, Cree and Metis) describes herself as a “multi-disciplinary artist based on … Continue reading →

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Appropriation vs. Reclamation

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Jolene Rickard (Tuscarora) presented us with images that invited us to think about Indian artifacts—when are they appropriated and when they are merely reclaimed? Her talk, sponsored by the Newberry Library’s D’Arcy McNickle Center in Chicago, focused on the edges … Continue reading →

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Ethics in Indian Country

Posted on October 16, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

The Newberry Library’s D’Arcy McNickle Center in Chicago sponsored a talk this week on indigenous views of ethics, and I was delighted to attend with first daughter Wak-o-apa (Megan). The four presenters discussed perspectives about art, appropriation and sharing from … Continue reading →

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Homoerotica

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

It’s the summer of 1989 and my best pal Michelle Courtney Berry is dragging me to an art exhibit in Washington DC. We’re both students at Cornell, and the graduate faculty convinced us to attend an academic conference in DC … Continue reading →

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Schadenfreude

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

Feelings of Schadenfreude crept into my sinews this week, making me feel delightful contrition in one fell swoop. How superficial to admit I enjoy the misfortune of others: the antithesis of being empathic. But sometimes a situation gels before your … Continue reading →

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The Art of Giving

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

One of my friends is keenly interested in gift-giving. From a sociological perspective, giving gifts reflects important interpersonal ties. Even though my friend says she’d like to teach a class on gift giving, truth is, her interest stems from childhood … Continue reading →

Posted in authenticity, film, framing | Tagged | 2 Comments

Science on the Edge of her Seat

Posted on September 24, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

I advise students on research methods, which often puts me in a tenuous position. My job is to ensure that students learn methods by-the-book but the reality is that researchers tug and pull at methods, adapting and adjusting to circumstances. … Continue reading →

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Science Talk Sees Red

Posted on September 15, 2011 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Michele Bachmann’s recent pronouncement about vaccines is right up my alley because it reveals how we talk about science. In case you missed it, during a recent debate Bachmann scoured Rick Perry, governor of Texas, for requiring that girls in … Continue reading →

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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 →

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