Indigenous Studies Commons^™

(De)Touring Hawai'i Through Popular Media, Mariah Elizabeth Rigg

Doctoral Dissertations

Under the United States’ colonization of Oceania, literature and media have been among the primary methods in both establishing and perpetuating American occupation of the Hawaiian Islands. This dissertation argues for the decolonization and deoccupation of Hawaiʻi in (American) popular culture, establishing a DeTour/tour continuum through which to read representations of the Hawaiian Islands in popular media. Through readings of film, television, famous persons such as Jason Momoa, contemporary poetry and novels, and the writer’s own creative work, this dissertation seeks to establish new avenues of existing in and reading representations of Hawaiʻi for both Hawaiians, locals to Hawaiʻi, and …

Blending European And Latin Sounds: A Study Of French Horn Repertoire In Mexico, Aj Bernal

Theses and Dissertations--Music

As a first generation Mexican-American, it is crucial that I advocate and promote music of the culture I grew up in. This project aims to unearth Mexican compositional techniques that derive from the fusion of European and Indigenous roots in an effort to promote diversity within the realm of Western Classical music. Music in Mexico is characterized by a unique blend of indigenous rhythms, European classical structures, and regional folk influences. This project will discuss how the bold timbre of the French horn intertwines with traditional Mexican and indigenous melodies, rhythms, and forms that create a unique style. The horn’s …

"Cultural Identity And Economic Challenges": The Socio-Economic Impact Of The Texas Kickapoo Reservation In The South Texas Borderlands, Diana P. Medina-Rendon

Theses and Dissertations

The Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas holds a significant place in Texas history. Facing conflicts with other tribes and experiencing broken treaties with the United States government, the Kickapoo slowly migrated from the Great Lakes region in the 16th century to the Midwest, then to the South, and into northern Mexico. Along the way, the Kickapoo encountered the French, British, Spanish, Americans, Texans, and Mexicans. They became involved in historical events such as the French and Indian War, the Battle of Tippecanoe, the War of 1812, the Battle Creek Massacre of 1838, and the Battle of Dove Creek of 1865. …

“Savages” In The Service Of Empire: Native American Soldiers In Gorham's Rangers, 1744–1762, Brian D. Carroll

History Faculty Scholarship

Gorham's Rangers, initially an all-Indian ranger company, was instrumental in Britain's conquest of Nova Scotia (Acadia) during the eighteenth century. In the process of uncovering that story, the essay assesses New England Indians’ role in shaping colonial frontier warfare as well as the impact of military service on Native American communities.

Sacred Connections In Cartoonish Places: Exploring The Implications Of Teotl In Avatar: The Last Airbender (2008), Makenzie P. Morrison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Taking Avatar: The Last Airbender (2008) seriously, Sacred Connections in Cartoonish Places explores the animated children’s series and how it is understood through the monistic Nahua (Aztec) concept of teotl. Relying on James Maffie’s text Aztec Philosophy: Understanding a World in Motion (2014), this thesis determines that Avatar: The Last Airbender benefits from monistic analysis. This analysis results in a breakdown of the show into four body chapters. These chapters respectively explore Aang’s role as a monistic representative, the differences between the physical and spirit worlds presented in the show, the kind of relationships that appear in the series, and …

Ayahuasca’S Religious Diaspora In The Wake Of The Doctrine Of Discovery, Roger K. Green

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

‘Ayahuasca’ is a plant mixture with a variety of recipes and localized names native to South America. Often, the woody ayahuasca vine (Banisteriopsis caapi) is combined with chacruna leaf (Psychotria viridis) in a tea, inducing psychedelic effects among its users. While social usage varies among Indigenous Peoples of South America, during the twentieth century new religious movements in Brazil began employing the mixture as religious sacrament. Additionally, various centers for ayahuasca “healing” have emerged both inside and outside of the Amazon Rainforest, frequently with the aim of helping people addicted to other substances. As interest grew, …

Missouri River Basin: Conservation, Control, And Use Of Water Resources Of The Missouri River Basin In Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, And Missouri (Report By Secretary Of The Interior Harold L. Ickes On Bureau Of Reclamation's Plan For Basin Development.), United States Congress, Us Senate, William G. Sloan

US Government Documents Related to Indigenous Nations

This report by the United States (US) Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes on the US Bureau of Reclamation’s plan for Missouri Basin flood control and development dated May 5, 1944. The US Bureau of Reclamation had been studying the Missouri River basin for several years in order to create a comprehensive flood-control plan by 1945; however, the release of the “Pick Plan” in March of 1944 pushed the Bureau to release their plan early. At over 200 pages, this plan, also known as the “Sloan Plan” named for William G. Sloan who completed it, reflects the detailed study …

Natural-Born Proud, S. R. Martin Jr.

All USU Press Publications

A young man from Monterey and his younger brother go on their first deer hunt with their minister father and his friends. The setting is 1950s northern California, in country where, from the right height, one can see Mt. Shasta in one direction, Mt. Lassen in the other. It is a region of small, insular towns, and although it is a familiar hunting ground for the Reverend and his buddies, not everyone there welcomes black hunters. Father and son both shoulder their pride, and a racial confrontation seems inevitable.

Among the lessons young Satch learns is the sometime advantage of …

Living Aloha: Portraits Of Resilience, Renewal, Reclamation, And Resistance, Camilla G. Wengler Vignoe

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

When Native Hawaiians move away from the islands, they risk losing their cultural identity and heritage. This dissertation utilizes a Hawaiian theoretical framework based in Indigenous research practices and uses phenomenology, ethnography, heuristics, and portraiture to tell the stories of leadership, change, and resilience of five Native Hawaiians who as adults, chose to permanently relocate to the United States mainland. It explores the reasons why Kanaka Maoli (politically correct term for Native Hawaiians) leave the 'āina (land; that which feeds) in the first place and eventually become permanent mainland residents. Some Hawaiians lose their culture after relocating to the United …

“The Amazing Iroquois”: Haudenosaunee History In Myth And Memory, 1776–1955, John C. Winters

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This project is a history and memory study of Iroquois exceptionalism. This is an idea that shaped our understanding of the Iroquois as the “most studied” Indian nation and that they, as the debunked Iroquois Influence Thesis claimed, influenced the structure and scope of the U.S. Constitution. My study examines the lives of four related (by blood and by claim) Seneca leaders: Red Jacket, Ely S. Parker, Harriet Maxwell Converse, and Arthur C. Parker. These four stand out because each was one of the most famous Native Americans of their generation who worked within and against American colonial society and …