Category Archives: Native Science

Mummies: what’s sacred? Private?

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Seems museums have dodged flak for placing dead folks on display. And the current iteration of mummy-memorabilia is no exception.

Posted in framing, Native Science, science, science communication | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Groping for meaning in science

Posted on August 11, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

My colleagues and I have been groping with the idea of Native Science. One reason is our earnest attempt to legitimize American Indian perspectives–whether it’s science, story-telling, art or language.

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Belief+Doubt=Sanity

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

Artist Barbara Kruger plays with words. Her installation at the Hirschhorn Museum in Washington DC invites you to think: it’s called Belief+Doubt. Plastered on the museum walls and archways are bold words colored in red, white and black. Turns of … Continue reading →

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Dirt in my shoes

Posted on August 9, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

How did I start on this path? Dirt in my shoes. I’m speaking about my research at a meeting attended by communication and journalism researchers and teachers. Each of us on the panel is describing what we can learn from … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, Indian, journalism, Lakota, native american, Native Science, science, science communication | 2 Comments

Science vs anti-science

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

During her video-talk on how to present your research, the speaker divided audiences into anti-science and science folks. The talk was sponsored by a prestigious science academy so I expected more than a blunted view of lay audiences. Maybe that’s … Continue reading →

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Growing tobacco, staying connected

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

I cannot tell you why I decided to grow tobacco. I cannot tell you because I don’t understand myself. Early spring a photo of a white trumpet flower caught my eye while rifling through seed packets at the garden shop.

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Tobacco as medicine

Posted on July 12, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

When I opened the envelope I found another envelope tucked inside, filled with tiny specks like dark grains of sand. They were carefully bundled in cellophane because one gust would cast them to the wind. I opened the packet and … Continue reading →

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Listen to healing

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

I listened to the medicine men talk about the power of self-persuasion. They agreed that focusing on bad health can sometimes lead to bad health. Your attitude can make a difference and you can set yourself up to indulge in … Continue reading →

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OK: Hokahey

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

The most prominent misunderstanding about native people living in North America is that we are all the same. Truth is, life at Rosebud is different from life at Gallup. We visited relatives in June in South Dakota, where we attended … Continue reading →

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May your gander be proper

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

My propaganda students presented final projects in class yesterday, showing how propaganda can be subtle or overt. And always present. Students sliced through the veneer of million dollar campaigns that convince you to drink milk, vote Republican, quit smoking and … Continue reading →

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