Monthly Archives: July 2010

Returning the bones  My foray into Native Science has been honed by my research in how mass media communicate science, health, the environment and risk. What intrigues me is how–when issues impact indigenous communities—science and ideologies unfold. 

Jews and Indians refused citizenship  I ventured out to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC because the exhibit on propaganda came up during a staff meeting at the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) this week. Kevin Gover, … Continue reading →

Sifting through the blogosphere I entered the blogosphere for selfish reasons: to crystallize my thoughts while working on Native science at the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) this summer. Turns out few writers have taken up the gauntlet, … Continue reading →

“We are defined by outsiders” I recently attended a meeting of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association—a group of scholars engaged in literature, history, politics and sovereignty issues that impact Native peoples—and learned that identity is a hot topic … Continue reading →

Don’t step in the dog poop Regionality and context are at the heart of indigenous science. But when you examine what scholars assert constitutes sound theory building, the universality of a theory’s applications are at the center of sound science. … Continue reading →

A question of context? Scholars have been ruminating over Native science, wondering how to position it with—or against—Western science. But as one colleague at the National Museum of the American Indian recently told me, “Once you label something as Indian … Continue reading →

Repositioning Science To frame the query as “What is Native Science?” is to separate one aspect of native knowledge from another. The more time I spend talking with experts who study Native America in Washington DC, the more clear it … Continue reading →

The thieves get the machine but not the operating instructions Stephen Loring is talking about fish. He’s telling me about an adventure in Labrador, where a crew of indigenous women, huddled together, cook fish heads. One cook pulls out a … Continue reading →