Category Archives: health

Science of Lies

Posted on September 14, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

There are lies others tell us and there are lies we tell ourselves. What is the science of lies? Recently journalists have invoked neuroscience to explain everything from women’s orgasms to the Republican brain. An article I read this week … Continue reading →

Posted in authenticity, censorship, ethics, framing, health, journalism, news bias, science, science communication, writing | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Jumping Frenchmen and Science

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

I live with a fellow scientist and we share a gallows sense of humor. Gallows as in scaffold for the hangman. This comes in handy as we prepare for autumn’s arrival and a spooky Halloween. The prankster in me allows … Continue reading →

Posted in authenticity, health, science, science communication | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Season of Persuasion

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

As voting season approaches I’m acutely aware of efforts to persuade me. So when I received a colored brochure in the mail yesterday I quickly scanned the cover for the key message. It looked like an ad for a new … Continue reading →

Posted in authenticity, ethics, framing, health, Indian, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Salmon and Sea Lions Face Off

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Native Americans are keenly interested in science. Just ask an Indian fisherman. Here in the Pacific Northwest, tribal fishermen have been embroiled in a controversy over salmon. The most recent tempest has pitted salmon against encroaching sea lions, who feast … Continue reading →

Posted in framing, health, Native Science, risk, salmon, science, science communication, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

When Science Meets Superstition

Posted on July 27, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

We can’t help but be a tad superstitious when it comes to our well-being. Including me. Human nature lets us take credit when good things come our way: we think we somehow deserve it. But when bad juju befalls us, … Continue reading →

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Power of the Story

Posted on July 15, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Stories are important for everyone, and particularly for indigenous people whose traditions have survived through narratives. When I first heard of narrative medicine, I figured that western medicine had taken a page from my Native ancestors. Get the patients to … Continue reading →

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When Science is Exclusive

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

I did a quick double-take while researching a chapter for my book on science and culture. It’s like those visual double-take games in magazines, when they put two pictures side by side and you’re supposed to find the discrepancies from … Continue reading →

Posted in authenticity, framing, health, Indian, journalism, Native Science, science, science communication | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Home is Where the Heart is

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Responses to my conversations about place yielded comments from friends about home being where you find your heart. When I read Native scholars like Vine Deloria Jr. I am struck by his thoughts that culture—“behavior, beliefs, values and symbols” quite … Continue reading →

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Skunk Cabbage

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

We discovered a break in the rain this week and drove to the coast to explore the greenery and found the skunk cabbage in full regalia. You first catch a sniff of mild skunk in the wind and then see, … Continue reading →

Posted in health, Native Science | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

How do Indians Reclaim Science?

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

A handful of scholars—many of them American Indians—have been writing about science from an indigenous perspective, offering ammunition to counter the charge that Indians are anti-science. It comes as no surprise that some American Indians distrust approaches endorsed by science. … Continue reading →

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