Tag Archives: Indigenous Science

Missing truths

Posted on January 22, 2015 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

As a kid growing up in Southern California (we moved overseas when I was 10) we visited missions that dot the west, built by Spanish priests centuries ago. I remember the missions reverently: made of adobe and tile that cooled … 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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Clearspeak

Posted on December 12, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Most folks shake their heads and slowly walk away when I begin complaining about poor writing. Folks agree, but shrug their shoulders. Not worth their time. My Old School ways are woven through my core, thanks to feisty newsmen and … 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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Part I: Packing values into value

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Cynthia (Istá Thó Thó) Coleman Emery

Our local grocery store has launched a strategy to link values with value. Usually when you hear a store talk about value the idea is that you get your dollar’s worth. In this case, the grocery store is an upscale … Continue reading →

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Pie Five Days

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

We started a new tradition in November. I call it Pie Five Days. My symbol for Pie Five Days is an open hand: the symbol Osages use to adorn clothing and blankets, and the same symbol school children use to … Continue reading →

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Magazine takes Redskins to task

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

The New Yorker magazine’s latest issue hit subscribers and newsstands this week with a cover that takes the Redskins football team to task. Titled, First Thanksgiving, the cover—a painting by Bruce McCall—shows a trio of Native Americans arriving at a … Continue reading →

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Sounds like Ethel Merman

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

Just like the song says, I can’t bake a pie. You have to love Ethel Merman in Annie Get Your Gun, singing her heart out. The competition between sharpshooter Annie Oakley (Merman) and marksman Frank Butler (Howard Keel) rolls out … Continue reading →

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