Did I sell my soul?

Posted on February 22, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

1950swifeDid I sell my soul?

Each month a maid service spends two hours cleaning our house.

This frees us from vacuuming, wiping, swiping, dusting and sweeping, and puts some cash into workers’ pockets. Continue reading →

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Skip the mammogram? Not so fast

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

venus-di-miloA study just published found no difference in deaths among women who had an annual mammogram and women who had none over 5 years, from 1980 to 1985, in Canada.

Problem is, some women may think they should now skip their mammograms.

First consider the evidence.

The Canadian study is sound, judging from a careful reading of the report in the British Medical Journal (See the link below to download). Continue reading →

Posted in health, native press, Native Science, neuroscience, news bias, science, science communication, should I get a mammogram, Should I refuse a mammogram, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Just another addict

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

addictionAbout a year ago a smart and cheeky piece on addiction changed my perspective.

The last time I thought about taking heroin was yesterday, wrote Russell Brand in 2013.

Sober and drug-clean for a decade, Brand talks with self-deprecating humor about his addictions. Continue reading →

Posted in framing, native american, native press, Native Science | Tagged | 1 Comment

By the Numbers

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

NV_PEOPLEIt’s all in the numbers.

Let’s say you want to conduct a national survey of American voters and you want to make sure that you’ve heard from minority groups.

National pollsters who interview voters will survey about 1200 people. That’s a fraction of registered voters—more than 206 million of us. Continue reading →

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Vanishing Race

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

The Vanishing Race by Edward S. Curtis

The Vanishing Race by Edward S. Curtis

When our girls were little we travelled up and down the Oregon and California coasts to visit relatives.

One day we stopped at a tourist outpost in the redwoods.

The outpost sold American Indian jewelry and crafts manufactured in Taiwan—not unusual and not surprising. Continue reading →

Posted in american indian, authenticity, framing, Indian, Indian relocation, manifest destiny, native american, native press, Native Science | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Toys of Genocide

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

cowboys & indiansMichael Yellow Bird brings up a good point.

You can still find packets of plastic cowboys and Indians and play shoot ‘em up to your heart’s content.

“You can buy toys of genocide,” Yellow Bird told a standing-room-only crowd this week at Portland State University. Continue reading →

Posted in authenticity, framing, Humboldt State University, Indian, journalism, Michael Yellow Bird, native press, science, science communication, writing | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Cultivate your gut

Posted on January 5, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

crossingCrossing the street in downtown Colombo I snapped a picture of the pedestrian sign.

Looks like the fellow is cultivating his gut.

Continue reading →

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Eat with your hands

Posted on January 3, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Locals and Scott eat with their hands

Locals eat with their hands

We practiced for our vacation in Sri Lanka by eating with our hands.

My sweetheart polished off meals like a native. But me? I packed a plastic fork.

The typical Sri Lankan meal, called rice curry, features at the centerpiece a pile of rice—sometimes white, sometimes red—with sundry side dishes. Continue reading →

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What did you accomplish in 2013?

Posted on January 1, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

relativesWe still receive holiday cards.

And I still send them.

Cards are a way to keep in touch with friends we talk to only occasionally.

We were a bit lazy this year: we posted our greetings, sent calendars, but failed to list our accomplishments. Continue reading →

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

Narcissistic norms

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

Sri Lankan fish market

Sri Lankan fish market

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 walked behind men.

And it was difficult to hold my Western values in check. Continue reading →

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