Monthly Archives: February 2012

Branding those Genes

Posted on February 28, 2012 by

I recently read an article that folks are sending off swabs filled with saliva to check for Indian DNA. The latest fashion is to find evidence of Indian heritage in your blood. One way to add some caché to your … Continue reading →

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Indians in Zoos

Posted on February 24, 2012 by

Been trying to channel the mindset of the scientists of the 19th century as they struggled over the concept of race. American Indians—like Asians and Africans—were seen as separate races for decades.

Posted in science, science communication | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Indigenous Science Recognized

Posted on February 22, 2012 by

Wonderful to see a series of talks on Indigenous perspectives included on the program for the February AAAS meeting. The group—the Association for the Advancement of Science—is dedicated to advancing the discipline and publishes the prestigious journal Science.

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Neuroscience: Looking Beyond the Obvious

Posted on February 20, 2012 by

I’m not the only critic warning about the dangers of finding the results you want in your research. Anthony Gottlieb, writing for The Economist this week, notes that the young field of neuroscience may be leading us astray. Loads of … Continue reading →

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The Indian Brain

Posted on February 19, 2012 by

How much of our prejudices worm their way into our thoughts about American Indians? Folks thought that brain structures determine how people think and act, and scientists in the 1840s looked at Indian skulls to determine their behaviors.

Posted in authenticity, Indian, Native Science, repatriation, science, science communication, writing | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

The Republican Brain, the Indian Brain

Posted on February 14, 2012 by

An intriguing talk at a recent conference I attended discussed the Republican Brain. Seems that scientists have been studying how people respond to different scenarios and then measure their responses, both on a written questionnaire and by looking at brain … Continue reading →

Posted in authenticity, Family, human origin, Indian, journalism, Native Science, science, science communication, writing | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Personalizing the Dawes Act

Posted on February 10, 2012 by

I’ve been reading stories about the Dawes Act on Facebook all week, in part because February 8 marked the anniversary of its passage (some 125 years) and folks have been sharing posts. Indian Country Today Media Network has been running … Continue reading →

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Poetry of Science

Posted on February 9, 2012 by

When my kids were little we loved the irreverent storybooks by Jon Scieszka, particularly the Stinky Cheese Man. So I was delighted to discover at Powells, the best-bookstore-ever, that Scieszka and Lane Smith penned a book called Science Verse. The … Continue reading →

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Part-time Indian

Posted on February 8, 2012 by

As the discussion of Self noodles through my mind I begin to think aloud about Indigenous ways-of-knowing. And let me clear: I am a novice on a long journey to understanding what this means. My desire is to be humble … Continue reading →

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Get over your Self

Posted on February 7, 2012 by

What if there is no self? How would we approach life, discourse and communication if we were able to put our Self in abeyance? On hold? I listened to a talk recently about how selves–our egos, I guess–get in the … Continue reading →

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