Category Archives: writing

Drinking a cup of tea, I stop a war

Posted on May 26, 2015 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Memorial Day We learned that freedom of speech is sacrosanct: that you should always allow someone the courtesy of saying something idiotic and extreme for fear that anything that quashes freedom could sanction yours. That sort of freedom was always … Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, framing, freedom of speech, Indian, journalism, Memorial Day, native american, Native Science, science, science communication, writing | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Grousing over chickens

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

It’s a battleground Since when do we treat folks who disagree with us as enemies? Is your commute to work a war zone? Do you battle your way through the grocery store? Are there thieves camped outside your door? One … Continue reading →

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A stick of gum for Mother’s Day

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

My earliest memories of travel meant loading up at daybreak in the back of the family station wagon with three of my sisters and armloads of pillows stuffed in between. While our parents planted themselves in the front we bundled … Continue reading →

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A blow to freedom

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

The class assignment is to take an important and controversial issue–current or past–and dig deeply to find the hidden parts of the story. Stories like the Boston Tea Party of 1771. Most of us learned the event signaled the critical … Continue reading →

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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 →

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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

Take Viagra with your politics

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

How fitting. Today’s breaking news story about a clutch of Republicans who defied reason and protocol by sending a letter to Iran’s leaders without Congress, the Senate, or the President’s sanction is accompanied by an ad for Viagra. When I … Continue reading →

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Sounds deadly

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

I can see the scenario unfold: The desk sergeant asks the officer what happened. “Granola. Crunchy granola,” the officer states. Seems a couple had a fight and the husband was stabbed with a spoon. The wife couldn’t take it anymore. … Continue reading →

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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?

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Journalistic Schadenfreude

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

As news broke in February when NBC anchor Brian Williams got caught in a reporting fib, journalists and critics rushed to pass judgment. The New York Times, for example, packed the newspaper with stories and editorials that carved a wide … Continue reading →

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