Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies Commons^™

Documenting The Oral Narratives Of Transient Punks, Thomas Ross Heffernan

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The uninitiated do not realize the complexity of the punk rock sub-culture. Outsiders may find it hard to distinguish the subtle lines by which differentiation occurs within the so-called subculture. The "punk rock subculture" is a misnomer; it is not a salient community. The experience of being "punk" is fractal; what it means to be punk and what classifies one as punk is in constant redefinition and there are various different communities with varying ideologies and identities. The punk subculture has absorbed various epistemologies in its 40+ years of existence, modified them, and made them their own. Within this milieu …

November Uri Community Diversity Project 2010, Joseph A. Santiago, Riley Davis, Richard V. Travisano

November Diversity Project

November is National Novel Writing Month. For the first time at the University of Rhode Island November was a month for the URI community to share their stories, poems, art, and photos with the world. The Writing to Model Diversity project intends to connect individuals across cultural boundaries and borders by sharing the stories and experiences that challenge our everyday experiences and the dreams of the future. Built on the efforts of the World Voice series, URI presents a book that shares the stories and culture of the students, faculty, staff, and community members who embrace the idea of becoming …

November Uri Community Diversity Project 2010, Joseph A. Santiago Mr, Riley Davis Ms, Richard V. Travisano Mr

November Diversity Project

November is National Novel Writing Month. For the first time at the University of Rhode Island November was a month for the URI community to share their stories, poems, art, and photos with the world. The Writing to Model Diversity project intends to connect individuals across cultural boundaries and borders by sharing the stories and experiences that challenge our everyday experiences and the dreams of the future. Built on the efforts of the World Voice series, URI presents a book that shares the stories and culture of the students, faculty, staff, and community members who embrace the idea of becoming …

Genealogies: Articulating Indigenous Anthropology In/Of Oceania, Ty P. Kāwika Tengan, Tēvita O. Ka‘Ili, Rochelle Tuitagava‘A Fonoti

Pacific Studies

Introduction article to Volume 33 Issue 2/3 Special Edition on genealogies.

Tā, Vā , And Moana: Temporality, Spatiality, And Indigeneity, Hūfanga ‘Okusitino Māhina

Pacific Studies

This article explores how indigenous perspectives—specifically from the Moana—can reshape the way anthropology is practiced and understood. A key focus is on genealogy, not just as family lineage, but as a powerful tool for understanding how people, places, and histories are connected across time and space. The article argues that genealogy in Moana cultures is deeply philosophical and relational, helping to explain how individuals and communities locate themselves within broader social and natural worlds. This approach is grounded in the Moana concepts of tā (time) and vā (space).

Indigenous Anthropology And The Kava Myth In Manu’A, Unasa Leulu Felise Va’A

Pacific Studies

This article explores how genealogy, indigenous anthropology, positionality, and mythology, shape the understanding of cultural values, beliefs, and practices within Samoan society. Focusing on Samoan myths surrounding the origins of kava, the study demonstrates how genealogy serves as a framework for interpreting mythological narratives and cultural identity. The article draws from the author's participation in ASAO sessions on indigenous anthropology and kava, highlighting the importance of culturally grounded approaches in analyzing indigenous knowledge systems.

Teu Le Va: Toward A Native Anthropology, Melani Anae

Pacific Studies

The Samoan word va tapuia, includes the term “tapu,” within. The term literally refers to the sacred (tapu-ia) relationship (va) between man and all things, animate and inanimate. It implies that in our relationships with all things, living and dead, there exists a sacred essence, a life force beyond human reckoning. The distinction here between what is living and what is dead is premised not so much on whether a “life force,” i.e. a mauli or fatu manava exists in the thing (i.e. whether a “life-breath” of “heart beat” exudes from it), but whether that thing, living …

The Interweaving Of People, Time, And Place—Whakapapa As Context And Method, Lily George, Te Kapotai/Ngaapuhi/Paakehaa

Pacific Studies

Set along the Waikare River in Aotearoa, this autoethnographic reflection explores the cultural, genealogical, and epistemological significance of whakapapa in Maori knowledge systems. As an indigenous Maori anthropologist, the author emphasizes that whakapapa not only traces genealogical lineage but also serves as a foundational framework for understanding phenomena, conducting research, and navigating identity within indigenous anthropology. By drawing from traditional cosmology and intergenerational knowledge—including divine origin stories and spiritual relationships with landscape—this introduction positions whakapapa as both method and context in the pursuit of knowledge and cultural survival.

Between Tolerance And Talk: Idiomatic Kinship And Ethnography In The Multiethnic Pacific, Ping-Ann Addo

Pacific Studies

This paper examines the interplay between identity politics and ethnographic practice among indigenous and mixed-race transnational scholars. Using a genealogical framework, the author explores how kinship—formed through fieldwork—shapes solidarity, tension, and the politics of racial categorization within Pacific research communities. The work reflects on personal experiences navigating complex ethnic identities in Tongan society, revealing how cultural perceptions and adopted kinship challenge dominant race frameworks. Ultimately, the study advocates for a more reflexive and dialogic anthropology that centers mutual racialization, layered identity, and political economy as key to understanding and improving ethnographic engagement.

A Different Weight: Tension And Promise In “Indigenous Anthropology”, Fa‘Anofo Lisaclaire Uperesa

Pacific Studies

This article offers a personal reflection on indigenous anthropology through the lens of the author's upbringing and research experiences in American Samoa. Grounded in the complexities of aiga (kinship) and layered genealogies, the work explores how biographical and cultural ties shape research ethics, methods, and accountability when conducting fieldwork at "home." By drawing on her position as a Native Pacific Islander and scholar, the author highlights the transformative possibilities of indigenous knowledge production and the responsibilities of researching within one’s own community.

Collaboration And Capacity Building In The Classroom: A Decolonizing Teaching Agenda To Create A Cadre Of Indigenous Researchers, Holly M. Barker, Rochelle Tuitagava‘A Fonoti

Pacific Studies

This article explores collaborative anthropology as a response to indigenous critiques of outsider research in Oceania. Drawing from the authors' diverse positionalities and their experience teaching Anthropology, the paper reimagines the classroom as a space for co-learning, capacity building, and indigenous empowerment. By integrating participatory methods and traditional collaborative practices of Samoan and Marshallese communities, the study highlights how educational environments can foster sustainable research models and support a growing network of indigenous scholars.

Vol. 33 No. 2/3 (2010): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Front Matter for the Vol. 33, No 2/3-Aug/Dec 2010 edition of the Pacific Studies Journal.

Vol. 33 No. 2/3 (2010): Pacific Studies Full Issue, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Pacific Studies is published two times a year by The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies, Brigham Young University Hawai‘i #1979, 55–220 Kulanui Street, Lāʻie, Hawai‘i 96762, but responsibility for opinions expressed in the articles rests with the authors alone. Subscription rate is US $40.00 yearly, payable to The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies. The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies (formerly The Pacific Institute) is an organization funded by Brigham Young University Hawai‘i. The Center assists the University in meeting its cultural and educational goals by undertaking a program of teaching, research, …

Violence, Symbols, And The Archaeological Record: A Case Study Of Cahokia's Mound 72, Kathryn Koziol

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Acts of violence are not always easily distinguished in their form. Given the additional difficulties caused by the obscure nature of the archaeological record, it is no wonder that interpretations of these behaviors are so skewed both between and within fields of research. There is little consistency in this academic dialogue, which prevents researchers from grappling with the larger perspectives that should be approached. For instance, just how far back in our human history have events such as genocide occurred? Are these modern in origin? The scale of ancient events and our anthropological scopes need more adjustment to the unique …

Composite Of Complexity: Manifestations Of Whiteness And Class Among Las Vegas Italian Americans, Danielle Nicole Axt

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Conventional terminology and conventional boundaries, in regard to ethnicity, are no longer applicable to the ever shifting population of the United States. In specific, the various degrees of White ethnic identity does not easily transition into convenient all encompassing categories such as Caucasian or more simply, White. Whiteness studies have been at the forefront of this critique, most recently asserting that White ethnic identity is heavily influenced by context. However, although many studies are now recognizing the impact of multiple layers of White ethnic identity (along the lines of gender, locale, socioeconomic level etc.) many still neglect to identify a …

Indian Head Rock Back In Kentucky After 3-Year Fight With Ohio, Stephanie Dearing

Indian Head Rock Project

Article on the return of Indian Head Rock to Kentucky from November 10, 2010.

Protected Antiquity Back In Kentucky: Future Uncertain, Kenneth Hart

Indian Head Rock Project

An article published in the Ashland Independent on November 5, 2010 on the return of the Indian Head Rock to Kentucky.

Update: Indian Head Rock Returned To Kentucky, Wsaz (Tv)

Indian Head Rock Project

A series of articles by WSAZ television on the removal and return of the Indian Head Rock.

Leave No Stone Uncovered, Kenneth Hart

Indian Head Rock Project

An article in the Ashland Daily Independent on the return of the Indian Head Rock to Kentucky from November 4, 2010.

Reconstructing Pitaguary Identity: Indian Exchange And Outside Resources, Tess Mcmahon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research explores the recent methods by which the Pitaguary Indians in Ceará, Brazil have been reconstructing and revalorizing their indigenous culture using outside resources. Like many Indian populations within the Latin America, the Pitaguary have lost their culture due to conquest, exploitation, and assimilation policies. Only in 1997 did the Pitaguary file for governmental recognition and territorial demarcation[1] as an indigenous group. Since the mid-1990s, the tribe has been engaged in ‘rescuing’ and rediscovering their traditions and their culture. Three years ago, in 2007, an organization called Movimento Saude Mental Comunidade do Bom Jardim[2] came to the …

Hines, Thomas Collier, Jr. (Fa 7), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 7. Interviews conducted by Thomas Hines. Includes intervewis with Sarah Alice (Marcum) Roemer. The interviews include information about Alice Roemer's life, inlcuding her childhood, education, work and family experiences, with special emphasis on Thanksgiving customs.

Blood Lipids, Infection, And Inflammatory Markers In The Tsimane Of Bolivia, Sarinnapha Vasunilashorn, Eileen M. Crimmins, Jung Ki Kim, Jeff Winking, Michael Gurven, Hillard Kaplan, Caleb Finch

ESI Publications

Objectives—Little is known about blood cholesterol (blood-C) levels under conditions of infection and limited diet. This study examines blood-C and markers of infection and inflammation in the Tsimane of the Bolivian Amazon, indigenous forager farmers living in conditions that model preindustrial European populations by their short life expectancy, high load of infections and inflammation, and limited diets.

Methods—We use multivariate models to determine the relationships between lipid levels and markers of infection and inflammation. Adult Tsimane (N = 418, age 20–84) were characterized for blood lipids, cells, and inflammatory markers in relation to individual loads of parasites and …

Beef, Mutton, Pork, And A Taste Of Turtle: Zooarchaeology And Nineteenth-Century African American Foodways At The Boston-Higginbotham House, Nantucket, Massachusetts, Michael Andrew Way

Graduate Masters Theses

In 1774, nearly ten years before slavery was abolished in Massachusetts, an emancipated African American weaver named Seneca Boston purchased a tract of land in the Newtown section of Nantucket, Massachusetts. It is here that over the next thirty years Seneca Boston and his Wampanoag wife, Thankful Micah, would build a house, now known as the Boston-Higginbotham House, and raise six children. The Boston-Higginbotham House was home to the descendents of Seneca Boston and Thankful Micah for over one hundred years. Throughout the 19th century a vibrant and active African American community was developing in Newtown, and several generations of …

A Macrobotanical Analysis Of Native American Maize Agriculture At The Smith's Point Site, Kelly A. Ferguson

Graduate Masters Theses

The Smith's Point site was a seasonally inhabited Native American encampment in Yarmouth, Massachusetts occupied from the Middle Woodland through the early Colonial periods. Excavations at the site in the early 1990s yielded the remains of a multi-component site including both an agricultural field and an adjacent living area. The macrobotanical remains from the agricultural and living area features were examined for this thesis project in order to investigate subsistence practices at the site. The findings show that Native Americans actively shaped these ecological niches for purposes such as maintaining and improving their subsistence base. These landscape management activities included …

Is There Evidence For The Observation And Use Of Astronomy At The Harris Site In The Mimbres Valley?, Denise Ruzicka

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis is an archaeoastronomical study of a Late Pithouse Period (A.D. 550-1000) Mimbres-Mogollon site in the American Southwest. It specifically examines whether there is an association between architecture and astronomy at the Harris Site in the upper Mimbres Valley in southwestern New Mexico. The hypothesis for the study is that Mimbres pithouse groups observed astronomical phenomena and used such phenomena to guide the construction of their structures and establish a calendar. The methods used in this investigation include evaluating whether the site placement, the orientation and alignment of structures/houses, and the presence of cultural features on surrounding ridge tops …

Settlement Reached In 'Rock War', Kenneth Hart

Indian Head Rock Project

An article published in the Ashland Daily independent on the final settlement and return of Indian Head Rock to Kentucky from July 9, 2010.

Legal Battle Over Ownership Of River Rock Officially Ends, Lexington Herald-Leader

Indian Head Rock Project

An article published in the Lexington Herald Leader from July 9, 2010 on the end of the legal battle over Indian Head Rock.

Through The Eyes Of A Child: The Archaeology Of Wwii Japanese American Internment At Amache, April Kamp-Whittaker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children’s lives in the World War II Japanese American Internment Camp, Amache are investigated using a combination of archaeology, oral history, and archival research. As part of internees’ efforts to create a more hospitable environment both children and adults extensively modified the physical landscape. The importance of landscape and place in Japanese culture and for the internee community is examined using the development of gardens around the elementary school as a case study. Internees also developed a rich social landscape that allowed for the socialization of children within Amache. The socialization of children at Amache was being influenced by the …

Federal Judge Sets June 28 For Final Disposition Of Case Involving Indian Head Rock, G. Sam Piatt

Indian Head Rock Project

An article in the Portsmouth Daily Times on the federal case involving Indian Head Rock from May 13, 2010.

Reader Offers A Poem About Indian Head Rock, Esther M. Vasser

Indian Head Rock Project

A poem published in the Portsmouth Daily Times on the Indian Head Rock from May 11, 2010.