Category Archives: native american

Narcissistic norms

Posted on December 31, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Growing up abroad we learned to respect local customs. As kids we were instructed to withhold judgment—that our Western lenses don’t always allow a clear vision. I spent my adolescence in the third world, where women cloaked their bodies and … Continue reading →

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Show me your indigenous people

Posted on December 29, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

We hoped our journey to Sri Lanka would find us within indigenous communities. We thought the best approach would be driving through the villages far outside the main cities. Earlier this week we walked through a village to the entrance … Continue reading →

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

Think before you tweet

Posted on November 29, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

The headline reads: Cher blasts Thanksgiving. The celebrity apparently tweeted the holiday signals the devastation of Indian peoples. So she doesn’t honor the holiday. When I was in high school I shared her feelings. I rejected materialism, capitalism, marriage—and anything … Continue reading →

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Let’s get rid of the Redskins’ name

Posted on November 21, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Talk about cognitive dissonance. A story circulating on Facebook lauds Dan Maffei, a democratic congressional representative from New York, who asks fellow legislators to rid the Washington Redskins of its name. American Indians and others detest the use of Redskins … Continue reading →

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Race explained

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

A public exhibit on race invites you to examine your beliefs. The exhibit declares there is no real scientific rationale for the word race and then walks visitors through a series of videos and narratives describing how race has been … Continue reading →

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When words aren’t what they seem

Posted on November 10, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

How fortuitous that Native American Heritage Month comes at a time when I’ve been invited to write a book chapter about my work in Native Science. Below I’ve woven together words that describe what I do for the book’s editors … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, authenticity, ethics, framing, human origin, Indian, Kennewick Man, NAGPRA, native american, Native Science, neuroscience, repatriation, salmon, science, science communication | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

It’s in the name

Posted on November 8, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Beloved and I traipsed down to the county office this week to fill out the forms, show our identification cards and hand over 60 bucks for an Oregon marriage license. The clerk asked if I wanted to change my name. … Continue reading →

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Depends where you look

Posted on November 7, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

I realize talking with relatives who live on the rez that it all depends on your perspective. The path differs from one intersection to the next. For example, elderly relatives were dissuaded in their youth from showing segments of their … Continue reading →

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Return to tradition

Posted on November 6, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

We arrived just in time for the last few songs at a November gathering in Gray Horse under the scaffold of the newly built roundhouse. Drummers kept a beat while dancers circled under the arbor as a cool breeze invited … Continue reading →

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Roadkill

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Dog. Opossum. Raccoon. Armadillo. We counted roadkill on the Oklahoma roads. An armadillo lay belly-up, with only the curve of its shell terra-bound. As we passed the armadillo a bald eagle circled ahead, making slow moons above the armored animal … Continue reading →

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