Category Archives: Native Science

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 →

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When individual choice causes harm

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Vaccine lunacy is the way Frank Bruni described a recent outbreak of measles in California: why? Parents decided to withhold vaccinations from their children. Children are taken ill with a disease that was once wiped from our memories–a disease that … Continue reading →

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Why beliefs matter with climate change

Posted on January 25, 2015 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

I wish I knew more about climate change. Problem is I’m occupied with discourse—the stories we grab from headlines, television and Twitter. How do we (I mean discourse) talk about climate change? What occurs in my circles is the sheer … Continue reading →

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The problem with science communication

Posted on January 15, 2015 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

The problem with science communication is that its essence is tethered to the premise that people are rational and want to make rational choices. In fact, our communication is based on the premise that if you provide people with the … Continue reading →

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Science as a verb

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

When I looked into how the news stories were framed over the Havasupai case, I learned that science is used as a verb. Sciencing—an ersatz verb—means to science, I argue. Here’s an example: in the Havasupai case, the Indians of … Continue reading →

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But is it science?

Posted on January 10, 2015 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

The movement among scholars of science communication—non-Indian and Indians alike—has been to elevate Native science to the same level as Western science. Like Laurie Anderson’s song, typically science is considered Big Science. Science with a capital S. Native science, on … Continue reading →

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Yes, but is it significant?

Posted on December 30, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Whenever you write a grant or ask for a promotion in an academic setting, you’re required to justify the significance of your research. Problem is, most of us are so embroiled in our work that we don’t question it: we … Continue reading →

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Fitting the data to your theory  

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

In the 19th century scientists thought personality was a function of the brain’s landscape. Today psychologists scan images of the brain, looking for areas that map feelings and sensations, trying to draw linkages between thoughts with the physicality of the … Continue reading →

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Part 2: Packing values into value

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

The card on the snack bar announced our local grocery store’s campaign to link values with value. So I tried to untangle the meanings beneath value and values. Value means you get your dollar’s worth. But what do values mean … Continue reading →

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When dinners were frozen

Posted on December 7, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

When did we get caught in the foodie era? Maybe it’s the Portlandia culture but somewhere along the cooking path, I took a turn to foodiedom. My friends and family adore Bittman and Pollan, Kasper and Katzen. Weekends are highlighted … Continue reading →

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