Category Archives: Indian

Bring Back the Bones

Posted on November 1, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

November marks National Native American Heritage Month, and I pledge to write a blog a day. Here’s the first. Heritage Month was inaugurated in 1990 by President George H. W. Bush, the same year he signed NAGPRA. While National Native … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, Geronimo, Indian, Indian relocation, Indian remains, manifest destiny, native american, native press, Native Science, Redskins, repatriation, rhetoric, writing | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Reconciling Faith

Posted on October 31, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Is it true? One of my students asked me if it’s true that American Indians don’t believe in the land bridge hypothesis. The student is enrolled in a critical race theory class, taught by an American Indian scholar, who told … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, authenticity, ethics, human origin, Indian, Indian relocation, Indian remains, Kennewick Man, native american, native press, Native Science, Osage | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Why American Indians don’t have rights

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

The issue of “rights” in North America entered into conversation when I saw this week that—after 38 years—a judge ruled two ancient skeletons could be given to a California tribe for reburial. Unlike Kennewick Man—which has yet to be returned—a … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, authenticity, framing, Indian, Indian remains, journalism, NAGPRA, Native Science, science, science communication, SKeleton, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Choose the wide lens

Posted on September 5, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Students will stand on their heads when they enter my class in three weeks. I will be urging them to view communication through a wide lens. Most of us find it more fun to examine life through the prism of … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, authenticity, framing, Indian, journalism, Native Science, science, science communication, writing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Because we have no government

Posted on August 25, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

We spent last week visiting Maine, where a relative recently moved into assisted living. My father-in-law combed through papers, photographs, trinkets, cabinets and boxes at our relative’s house, while neighbors sorted through memories to save and give away. We found … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, framing, human origin, Indian, Indian relocation, manifest destiny, native american, native press, Native Science, propaganda, race, Redskins, repatriation, rhetoric, writing | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Down to the bones

Posted on August 15, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery
Posted in american indian, authenticity, framing, Indian, journalism, Native Science, science, science communication, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

You name it, you own it

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

When a 9200-year-old skeleton was uncovered along the Columbia River in 1996 scientists and journalists dubbed the ancestor Kennewick Man. Local tribes bristled at the naming, preferring to call the skeleton The Ancient One, or Oyt.pa.ma.na.tit.tite, according to scholar David … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, authenticity, framing, human origin, Indian, James Chatters, Kennewick Man, NAGPRA, Naia, native american, native press, Native Science, rhetoric, science, science communication | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

About face on Kennewick Man

Posted on July 24, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Turns out American Indians were right all along. A bitter conflict of values, race, sovereignty and politics began two decades ago when a pair of Washington State college students unearthed a skeleton in the Columbia River. Local Indian tribes wanted … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, authenticity, human origin, Indian, Kennewick Man, NAGPRA, native american, native press, Native Science, race, science, science communication | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Redskins: bad for business

Posted on June 26, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

A new argument emerged this week when a pair of researchers claimed the name of the Washington DC football team, The Redskins, is bad for business. Denizens from Indian Country say the name is offensive and denigrates indigenous North Americans. … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, authenticity, framing, Indian, journalism, Native Science, writing | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

A different kind of heirloom

Posted on June 18, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

My relative Leaf gave us an heirloom while we were visiting Oklahoma. It’s the sort of heirloom whose value unfolds in a material way. I’m not talking about materialism—the need to acquire stuff. Rather, this heirloom recalls the past in … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, authenticity, human origin, Indian, Indian relocation, native american, native press, Native Science, Osage, science, science communication | Tagged , | 1 Comment