Category Archives: science communication

Knuckle down

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

We traipsed through the Knuckles Mountain range in Sri Lanka this week, stretching limbs and breathing fragrant air. The climb is vigorous: a steep uphill and downhill with potential for slippery rocks.

Posted in authenticity, Indian, native press, Native Science, race, science, science communication | Tagged | 1 Comment

Just one more relic

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Just one more relic lost to collectors. That’s what I thought when I read the Facebook posts by American Indian bloggers and activists about the sale of Hopi objects at an auction in Paris in December. Just one more mask. … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, framing, Hopi masks, Hopi masks at Paris auction, Indian, journalism, Native Science, science, science communication, writing | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

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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Manufactroversy

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

Here’s a word to stitch into your vocabulary pocket. Manufactroversy. The word means a manufactured controversy. And what an elegant word to share with my propaganda, persuasion and framing students.

Posted in american indian, authenticity, ethics, framing, human origin, Indian, journalism, Kennewick Man, Lakota, NAGPRA, Native Science, neuroscience, risk, science, science communication, writing | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Justice? It depends

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

Scholars have long debated the tenets that underpin justice. Interesting that a word we take for granted—justice—would roll over like a tumbleweed, subject to interpretations. Definitions have emerged from many quarters—from St. Augustine, John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Emmanuel Kant, Jeremy … 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

Anderson Cooper: 29 across

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Combing the web earlier this week I was looking for squibs on Anderson Cooper. Cooper enlivened crowds in Portland, talking shop on news and reporting. My job was to introduce him to students and faculty for an informal question-and-answer session.

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Massaging the facts

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

I am awed and distressed at propaganda that envelopes us. Sure we recognize the obvious sales pitches: • The clerk pops your prescription pills into a paper bag festooned with an ad for a new medicine • The tennis champ’s … Continue reading →

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Writing, discovery, meaning

Posted on September 20, 2013 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

A comedian wrote that, while she was writing her book, her house was at its cleanest. Pounding away at the keyboard, I try to avoid distraction from the dirty dishes and dusty floors. I stew and fret over my book, … Continue reading →

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