Monthly Archives: October 2011

Exploitation and Scientific Discovery

Posted on October 30, 2011 by

One of my graduate students is at the tail-end of her thesis on science communication: a look at how folks talk about a best-selling book in online conversations. She defends her thesis this week. The book, The Immortal Life of … Continue reading →

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Faux Indians and Halloween

Posted on October 29, 2011 by

In my insular world of email and Facebook there’s a load of chatter about Indian costumes worn at Halloween. After searching the internet, I found plentiful websites that sell Native American “costumes” as “part of the American Halloween scene” where … Continue reading →

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The Art and Science of Science

Posted on October 27, 2011 by

The new movie Moneyball raises the spectre of science vs. art in filmic detail. My guess is that folks will take from the baseball movie confirmation of the views they had when they entered the theatre. If you are a … Continue reading →

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Broken Hearts, Broken Promises

Posted on October 21, 2011 by

I thought my heart would break as a read through the treaties in a large volume dated in 1825 during my visit to Chicago’s Newberry Library last week. The volume contains page after page of US-Indian treaties. John Quincy Adams … Continue reading →

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Turning Indigenous Art on its Head

Posted on October 18, 2011 by

The discussion about ethics and indigenous art at Chicago’s Newberry Library took a swift turn when Jolene Rickard (Tuscarora) presented images from Skeena Reece’s performance art. Reece (Tsimshian, Gitksan, Cree and Metis) describes herself as a “multi-disciplinary artist based on … Continue reading →

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Appropriation vs. Reclamation

Posted on October 17, 2011 by

Jolene Rickard (Tuscarora) presented us with images that invited us to think about Indian artifacts—when are they appropriated and when they are merely reclaimed? Her talk, sponsored by the Newberry Library’s D’Arcy McNickle Center in Chicago, focused on the edges … Continue reading →

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Ethics in Indian Country

Posted on October 16, 2011 by

The Newberry Library’s D’Arcy McNickle Center in Chicago sponsored a talk this week on indigenous views of ethics, and I was delighted to attend with first daughter Wak-o-apa (Megan). The four presenters discussed perspectives about art, appropriation and sharing from … Continue reading →

Posted in authenticity, cinema, community, ethics, Family, film, framing, Indian, Lakota, repatriation | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Homoerotica

Posted on October 13, 2011 by

It’s the summer of 1989 and my best pal Michelle Courtney Berry is dragging me to an art exhibit in Washington DC. We’re both students at Cornell, and the graduate faculty convinced us to attend an academic conference in DC … Continue reading →

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Formative Years

Posted on October 6, 2011 by

Growing up in London in the late 1960s made an indelible impact. The city was vibrant and incredibly accessible via bus and underground. I went to high school with a band of desperados keen on scouting the music scene and … Continue reading →

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The Balance Imperative and Native Concerns

Posted on October 5, 2011 by

In journalism classes we teach the balance imperative. Get both sides of the story. But as journalism critics we acknowledge that being balanced doesn’t mean the story always gets told.

Posted in ethics, framing, journalism, science, science communication | Tagged , , | 2 Comments