Category Archives: native american

Indians under glass

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

The Indian exhibit currently underway at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City takes an unexpected turn. The Plains Indians: Artists of Earth and Sky assumes a soft approach. There’s an Osage pipe, a beaded dress from the … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, authenticity, framing, Indian, Indian relocation, Metropolitan Museum of Art, native american, Native American Heritage Month, native press, Native Science, Osage, Plains Indians: Artists of Earth and Sky, propaganda, repatriation | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Do ancestors deserve respect?

Posted on April 12, 2015 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

I didn’t expect to find a full house Friday night for an hour-long, black-and-white, silent movie from the 1920s. But Portlanders came in droves to see the West Coast premiere of a newly restored, colorized version of John Noel’s hand-cranked … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, authenticity, epic of everest, everest, framing, george mallory, Indian, Kennewick Man, native american, Native Science, science, science communication, writing | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

When is a person not a person?

Posted on March 24, 2015 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

  There’s a Buddhist story where the sage tells her pupils about a master craftsman who creates artisan carriages. She describes the carriages in detail, from the quality of the polished wood to the smoothness of the wheels. But what … Continue reading →

Posted in authenticity, communication, Indian, Indian remains, native american, native press, Native Science, repatriation, science communication, writing | Tagged | 3 Comments

Crazy Horse’s Law

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Maybe we should call it Crazy Horse’s Law. Mainstream North American culture brings some truths that we all acknowledge but rarely question. Take Murphy’s Law. The suspicious part of our shared-American cultural nature presumes that no matter how much we … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, authenticity, crazy horse, Indian, Indian remains, murphys law, native american, native press, Native Science, science, science communication | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

I didn’t grow up in your country

Posted on February 20, 2015 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Sometimes my college students need to set me straight about schooling in North America. I didn’t grow up in your country, I confess. Students scratch their heads: how can you be part American Indian and be from somewhere else?

Posted in american indian, communication, Dutch, family values, Holland, native american, native press, Native Science, writing | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Super Bowl relarity

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

You have to keep your sense of humor when it comes to mass media. As scholars we take media seriously but the Möbius folds of our reality—what Jean Baudrillard correctly called hyperreality—illustrate how messages, agendas, persuasion and propaganda get tucked … Continue reading →

Posted in ethics, framing, journalism, native american, native press, Native Science, rhetoric | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Uncle Silverback

Posted on January 24, 2015 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Uncles are important in my family. My mother had two brothers and my father had four, and uncles would hang out at our house, bringing doughnuts and helping with weekend chores. In the Osage language the word for father is … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, communication, family values, Indian, native american | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pie Five Days

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

We started a new tradition in November. I call it Pie Five Days. My symbol for Pie Five Days is an open hand: the symbol Osages use to adorn clothing and blankets, and the same symbol school children use to … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, Indian, journalism, native american, Native American Heritage Month, native press, Native Science, Osage, Thanksgiving | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Is Nothing Sacred?

Posted on November 15, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Spend an evening with the 1491s and you will think nothing is sacred. The troupe of American Indian actors, artists, improvisers and clowns poke fun at tradition while simultaneously stripping away stereotypes aimed at indigenous peoples, including the stereotypes held … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, authenticity, Indian, native american, Native American Heritage Month, native press, Native Science, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Who Deserves a Proper Burial?

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

My work discussing the bones of American Indians doesn’t spring from a morbid fascination with the dead. Instead I am interested in the biopolitics about bones and how conversations emerge about human remains. Biopolitics refers to the infusion of politics … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, native american, native press | Tagged , , | Leave a comment