Indigenous Studies Commons^™

“The Contributing Cultures Of Ancient Peoples At The Muscle Shoals”, William Lindsey Mcdonald

Writings

An article that addresses the ancient history of Muscle Shoals, Alabama with particular attention to the early cultures of influence, including indigenous tribes, such as the Cherokee and Chickasaws, and eventual European settlers of Anglo-Saxon and Celtic descent.

Comfort In Cases Of Sickness: Health And Colonialism At The Eastern Pequot Reservation, 1800-1850, Katherine N. Brauckmann

Graduate Masters Theses

Health and sickness were major concerns for the Eastern Pequot community in the first half of the 19th century. At this time, the Eastern Pequot’s collective finances were controlled by a court-appointed overseer who rented reservation land to non-Pequot individuals and used the generated funds to purchase goods and services for those on the reservation. In an 1841 petition to remove an overseer for failing in his duties, issues of health were brought up twice among their grievances: that they received little support “in Sickness or in health” and that “our Land if family rented […] would add much to …

Language, Life, And Indigenous Knowledge: Cultural Contexts In Advanced Kaqchikel Maya Language Education Approaches To Indigenous Language Revitalization In Kik'aslemal Ri Kaqchikela': An Advanced Kaqchikel Maya Language Textbook, José Israel Herrera

Journal of Maya Heritage

Abstract. This article examines the relationship between Indigenous language revitalization and the continuity of socially embedded systems of knowledge through the case of advanced Kaqchikel Maya language education. Drawing upon scholarship on Indigenous pedagogies, linguistic anthropology, and Indigenous epistemologies, the article explores how culturally grounded approaches to language learning contribute not only to the development of linguistic competence but also to the reproduction of memories, values, and intellectual traditions. Particular attention is devoted to Kik'aslemal ri Kaqchikela': An Advanced Kaqchikel Maya Language Textbook, whose thematic organization and collaborative development illustrate broader processes of knowledge production and cultural continuity. Rather than …

Dr. Kacey Grauer Faculty Spotlight, Katelyn Trimble

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

An interview with Dr. Kacey Grauer of the University of Denver's Department of Anthropology.

The Autonomy Plan In Morocco: Legal Foundations, Political Dimensions And Prospects For Resolving The Sahara Conflict, Limam Boussif, Jalila Ait Soudane

Journal of Maya Heritage

Summary: The territorial conflict over the Sahara is one of the most enduring territorial disputes in international relations, involving issues of sovereignty, self-determination, and regional stability. In this context, Morocco’s 2007 Autonomy Plan is presented as a negotiated framework of self-government under Moroccan sovereignty.

This article analyzes the evolution and consolidation of the Autonomy Plan using a conceptual approach based on self-determination, territorial governance, and conflict resolution theories. It shows that the initiative has progressively evolved from a national proposal into an internationally recognized framework, particularly through growing diplomatic support and developments within the United Nations Security Council, including Resolution …

Les Grands Chantiers De La Transition Énergétique Au Maroc: Le Cas De Dakhla-Oued Eddahab Entre Réalisations, Facteurs De Réussite Et Perspectives, Limam Boussif, Jalila Ait Soudane

Journal of Maya Heritage

Résumé: Cet article examine la dynamique de la transition énergétique au Maroc à travers une analyse descriptive et analytique du cas de Dakhla-Oued Eddahab. Dans un contexte marqué par l’accélération des politiques de décarbonation à l’échelle mondiale, le Maroc s’impose comme un acteur stratégique en matière de développement des énergies renouvelables et de l’hydrogène vert. L’étude met en lumière les principaux chantiers structurants engagés dans la région de Dakhla, notamment le développement des énergies éolienne et solaire, les projets de production d’hydrogène vert, le dessalement de l’eau de mer, ainsi que la réalisation du port Dakhla Atlantique. L’analyse montre que …

Assessing Legacy Collections: Analyzing The Preservation, Recovery, And Interpretive Value Of Archaeobotanical Remains From Site 15le70 (Pine Crest Rockshelter), Lee County, Kentucky, Jennifer Carroll

Graduate Final Projects

This paper uses the archaeobotanical assemblage from Site 15Le70, a multi-excavated and extensively looted rockshelter in eastern Kentucky, while opening new lines of inquiry into gendered labor and practice during the Archaic-Woodland transition. Because legacy collections are often dispersed across institutions and/or research projects, the materials from any single site may be fragmented, as was the case for 15Le70. Such collections can be overlooked, yet this investigation into 15Le70’s archaeobotanical assemblage demonstrates that partial or scattered datasets can yield meaningful results and hold the potential to fill gaps in the archaeological record left by looting.

In this study, a small …

Chapter 1: A Brief Introduction: Rhombus Motifs In Textiles, Billie J. A. Follensbee, Lois Martin

Precious Pattern: The Dotted-Diamond Motif in Indigenous American Textiles, Explorations in Mesoamerica, the American Southwest, and the Andes

Presents a brief introduction to rhombus motifs in textiles.

Chapter 4: The Grid Patterns In The Vestments And Headdresses Of Female Statuary From The Classic Period Cultures Of Central Veracruz, Chantal D. Huckert

Precious Pattern: The Dotted-Diamond Motif in Indigenous American Textiles, Explorations in Mesoamerica, the American Southwest, and the Andes

This chapter focuses on grid designs appearing on female clothing in Late Postclassic Nahua sources, in Maya sources, and on the Late Classic figurines of Central Veracruz. This study examines cross-hatched lattice patterns based on repetitions of rhombus and quincunx motifs associated with the sentient Mesoamerican Earth complex. The attached catalog presents a clear reference to these motifs and their variants, while the rest of the chapter is divided into two sections and addresses the general cross-hatched lattice pattern and the associated motifs. The first section discusses the all-over grid design, dotted or not, on the clothing of Mexican highland …

Chapter 5: The “Dotted-Grid” And “Dotted-Diamond” Motifs On Skirts: Fertility And Power During The Epiclassic And Early Postclassic Periods In Central And Western Mesoamerica (600 To 1200 Ce), Juliette Testard

Precious Pattern: The Dotted-Diamond Motif in Indigenous American Textiles, Explorations in Mesoamerica, the American Southwest, and the Andes

Discusses gender, apparel, and attributes with respect to the Epiclassic shift in politics and ideology, the grid, hatched, and rhomboidal patterns in central Mexican imagery during the Epiclassic, and the dotted-grid and dotted-diamond motifs on female figurines during the Epiclassic and Early Postclassic Periods.

Chapter 7: Symmetries Of Cloth And Corn In The Ancient Americas: Pattern Generation, Botany, And The Maize Matrix In Mexico And Peru, Lois Martin

Precious Pattern: The Dotted-Diamond Motif in Indigenous American Textiles, Explorations in Mesoamerica, the American Southwest, and the Andes

Discusses pattern generation, botany, and the maize matrix in Mexico and Peru.

Chapter 2: Rhombus Textile Motifs And Patterns And Their Significance In Mesoamerica, Billie J. A. Follensbee, Lois Martin

Precious Pattern: The Dotted-Diamond Motif in Indigenous American Textiles, Explorations in Mesoamerica, the American Southwest, and the Andes

Presents the rhombus textile motifs and patterns in Mesoamerica and their significance.

Chapter 6: Snakeskin And Corn Markings: The Dotted-Diamond-Grid Pattern In The U.S. Southwest, Laurie D. Webster, Kelley A. Hays-Gilpin

Precious Pattern: The Dotted-Diamond Motif in Indigenous American Textiles, Explorations in Mesoamerica, the American Southwest, and the Andes

Discusses Southwestern tie-dye and its Mesoamerican and Andean connections.

Chapter 3: Diamonds In The Rough: The Development And Occurrences Of The Rhombus Motif, Its Components, And Its Variations In Olmec And Olmec-Related Textiles, Billie J. A. Follensbee

Precious Pattern: The Dotted-Diamond Motif in Indigenous American Textiles, Explorations in Mesoamerica, the American Southwest, and the Andes

Discusses the development of textiles in the Mesoamerican Preclassic/Formative period from the Gulf Coast, the rhombus textile patterns and motifs in Olmec and Olmec-related imagery, and includes further reflections on the dotted-diamond motif, its components, and their correlations.

Defending The Homeland: An Archaeoethnodemographic (Aed) Analysis Of Population Dynamics And Settlement Patterns In The Navajo Dinétah, Ad 1720–1745, Kurt Mantonya

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation presents an innovative archaeoethnodemographic (AED) analysis of Navajo population dynamics during the Middle Period (AD 1720−1745) of the Gobernador Phase in the Dinétah, the ancestral Navajo homeland in northwest New Mexico. During this critical quarter-century, intensified Ute and Comanche slave-raiding and Spanish military expeditions forced the Diné to abandon traditional dispersed settlement patterns in favor of defensive aggregation around fortified pueblitos—small masonry defensive structures built on boulder-tops and mesa-rims throughout the region.

The study employs an AED framework that systematically integrates archaeological site analysis, ethnographic household organization data, historical documentation, and demographic modeling to reconstruct population dynamics during …

Investigating The Relationship Between Noun Classes And Plant Folk Taxonomy In Chasu Language Of Kilimanjaro Region In Tanzania, Peter Rabson Mziray

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The current study investigates the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu (G 22). The study focuses on two objectives: the first objective is to describe the plant folk taxonomy in Chasu and the second objective is to determine the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu. Data were collected from rural villages in Same and Mwanga districts by using free listing, field interviews (jungle-walk-and-identify), and written texts containing Chasu plant names. The findings reveal that Chasu folk taxonomy reflects different ethnobotanical categories; including a unique beginner which is mmea/mimea ‘plant(s)’, and three life …

When Culture Becomes Law: Mayan Heritage And The New Constitutional Recognition Of Collective Rights In Mexico, José Israel Herrera, Victor Manuel Colli Ek

Journal of Maya Heritage

Abstract. The constitutional reform of September 30, 2024 to article 2 marks a substantive change in the recognition of indigenous peoples as subjects of public law, with their own patrimony, valid normative systems and express right to conserve, protect and develop their cultural, material and immaterial heritage. This article analyzes the legal implications of this reform in the context of the Maya people, especially with regard to collective intellectual property, the right to prior consultation and the constitutional recognition of bioculturality. A critical reading of the new normative framework is proposed, with emphasis on its transformative potential for the territorial …

Extractivism And Water Crisis In The Moroccan Draa Oasis: Global South Reflections On Responsibility And Resistance, Ahmed El Khatabi

Journal of Maya Heritage

Abstract. The Draa Oasis in southeastern Morocco is experiencing severe water scarcity, driven by climate change and intensified by the expansion of watermelon agribusiness and desert tourism. This article explores how external investors, empowered by national agricultural policies, have disrupted traditional water governance systems rooted in collective management. Through ethnographic fieldwork involving interviews, focus groups, and spatial mapping, the study examines the socio-environmental consequences of groundwater depletion and land commodification. It argues that investors fail to assume ethical accountability for the ecological degradation they cause, despite being aware of the oasis’s fragile ecosystem. Meanwhile, local communities and civil society actors …

Vulnerabilidad Socioambiental A Inundaciones En Dos Humedales De San Cristóbal De Las Casas, Chiapas, México, Ender Fabian Toledo Alcázar, Salvador Adame Martínez, Marcelino García Benítez

Journal of Maya Heritage

Abstract

This study encompasses the following urban wetlands: "La Kisst," situated in the city center, and "María Eugenia," located in the southern part of the city of San Cristóbal de las Casas. There are four wetlands within the municipality, all of which have been protected as natural areas by a Ramsar decree since 2008. The research aims to assess the socio-environmental vulnerability of the two wetlands using indicators in the environmental, social, and legal dimensions, thereby establishing the degree of vulnerability of the urban population exposed to flooding. The methodological process is defined by the proposal of CENAPRED, which establishes …

Proceedings Of The 12th Research Symposium At Mammoth Cave National Park, Pat Kambesis Editor, Lee Anne Bledsoe Editor, Ana K. Celis Editor

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Proceedings of the 12th Research Symposium at Mammoth Cave National Park: Celebrating 100 Years of Scientific Research & Resource Management in the Mammoh Cave Region.

The Commodification Of Native American Remains: The Use Of Native American Remains Within Educational Institutions And The Implementation Of Nagpra, Molly Nowak

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Indigenous communities have been commodified within educational institutions such as museums, universities, and governmental agencies throughout American history. Unethical collection practices have allowed for a disproportionate representation of Indigenous remains and materials within educational institutions. Indigenous bodies, funerary objects, religious materials, and other important cultural materials have been stolen from their communities and used for scientific discovery and education. The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), passed in 1990, created legal protections for Indigenous graves and remains and instigates the return of the stolen materials. This project reviews the historical contexts behind the collection of Indigenous remains, the …

Sostenibilidad Ambiental En Comunidades Mayas: Riesgos Y Desafíos En La Era Del Cambio Climático, Gertrudis Guzmán Noh Dr.

Journal of Maya Heritage

El presente artículo analiza las dinámicas de sostenibilidad ambiental en comunidades mayas del estado de Yucatán, México, enfocándose en los riesgos ambientales y las respuestas adaptativas desarrolladas frente al cambio climático. El trabajo se desarrolló en tres comunidades: Yaxunah, caracterizada por la producción artesanal y la sobreexplotación del árbol de Chaká (Bursera simaruba); Ixil, que enfrenta disputas territoriales e inundaciones recurrentes; y Sotuta, afectada por la contaminación acuífera derivada de una granja porcina en zonas aledañas. Metodológicamente, se implementó un enfoque de investigación acción participativa que integró diálogo de saberes, matrices de análisis de riesgo y estrategias de intervención comunitaria. …

Reimagining Cultural Intersections: A Book Review Of Maya Christian Murals Of Early Modern Yucatán, Texas University Press, 2024., Lilia Fernández Souza Phd, Lilia Lucia Lizama Aranda Dr., José Israel Herrera

Journal of Maya Heritage

Colonial mural art in the Yucatán Peninsula represents a cultural intersection where Christian iconography and Maya artistic traditions converged in a complex visual dialogue. Maya Christian Murals of Early Modern Yucatán (Texas University Press, 2024) offers a detailed analysis of these pictorial expressions, exploring how Indigenous artists reinterpreted colonial impositions by preserving ancestral techniques, materials, and symbolism. The book proposes a rereading of the murals in Franciscan convents, highlighting their role not only as tools of evangelization but also as evidence of cultural resistance and adaptation.

This review, titled Reimagining Cultural Intersections: A Book Review of Maya Christian Murals of …

Glotopolítica, Identidad Y Lenguas En México En El Siglo Xxi, Marilyn S. Avalos Huesca

Journal of Maya Heritage

Languages, like human beings, have been adapting to the changes produced worldwide, and with this they have grown in number of speakers or disappeared forever from society. These changes are not given arbitrarily, but are conceived from politics and the State, where what should be the best for the speakers, nationalism and society permeates according to the statutes established by those in power. All this from an ethnocentric point of view, which denigrates what is different, what we do not understand, and therefore, we reject. This article analyzes the presence of languages in Mexico from a point of view related …

Cerrando La Brecha: Difusión Virtual De La Cultura Maya Para La Conciencia Pública Y La Preservación, Ana María Vera Arias, Dr. Lilia Lucia Lizama Aranda, Brenda Marin, José Montesino

Journal of Maya Heritage

En este artículo se aborda el origen, los métodos y el resultado del ciclo de conferencias de divulgación virtual organizado por el Centro del Patrimonio Maya en colaboración con Arqueólogos sin Fronteras del Mundo Maya, esto con el objetivo de compartir conocimientos y generar conciencia sobre diversas facetas de la cultura maya. La pregunta central gira en torno a cómo se pueden comunicar efectivamente las complejidades y la rica herencia de la cultura maya a una audiencia no especializada. Como resultado, encontró que las conferencias de divulgación virtual fueron un método adecuado para ampliar el interés sobre la cultura maya …

Urban Security And The Crisis Of Values In A Risk Society: Elements For Reflection And Research, Bahamou Abdelilah, Abdelghani Chafik

Journal of Maya Heritage

Abstract: Urban security has become one of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century, shaped by the complexities of modern urban life. As cities grow and evolve, they face unprecedented security challenges that transcend traditional notions of crime prevention. These challenges encompass social, cultural, economic, and psychological dimensions, deeply intertwined with societal transformations.

In the context of what sociologist Ulrich Beck refers to as the "risk society," rapid globalization, technological advancement, and cultural diffusion have disrupted traditional social values. This disruption has created environments of uncertainty and fear, where mutual trust and social cohesion are eroded. As Émile Durkheim …

Impacto De La Pandemia De La Covid-19 En Las Familias De Los Jóvenes Universitarios De Las Poblaciones Rurales Mayas Del Estado De Yucatán, Jorge Atocha Pacheco Castro

Journal of Maya Heritage

Abstract. This study examines the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the families of university students from rural Maya communities in Yucatán, Mexico. Utilizing an anthropological framework, the research highlights the interplay of structural vulnerabilities and cultural resilience. It explores how families navigated economic challenges, social interactions, and cultural practices amid the crisis. Key findings include the reliance on traditional subsistence practices such as small-scale agriculture and backyard farming, which provided a safety net during economic downturns. Socially, rural families reported lower stress levels and stronger communal bonds compared to their urban counterparts, owing to expansive living spaces and outdoor …

Guns, Glass, And Metal And The Applications Of Traditional Technology In The 19th Century Southern Platte, Aaron Toussaint

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis I investigate how Indigenous communities of the North American Central Plains navigated settler-colonialism by adapting traditional hunting technology. To frame this I ask, how and why traditional technology was favored over introduced firearm technology? I investigate this by examining archaeological collections from Fort Vasquez and the Coffin's Buffalo Kill Site, ethnographic history of the Central Plains, Indigenous ledger art, and interviewing a ledger artist. This study uses a multifaceted theoretical approach to connect hybrid projectile point artifacts, with Indigenous historic documentation, to recognize Indigenous agency in the 19th century. This thesis counters historic narratives of the 19th …

Transformación De La Sociedad Saharaui: Evolución Histórica Y Reorganización Social, Mustapha Ouzir

Journal of Maya Heritage

Este artículo analiza la evolución histórica y los cambios sociales en la región sahariana, desde Oued Nun hasta el río Senegal, destacando el impacto de la llegada de las tribus Banu Hassan sobre la población autóctona amazigh Sanhaja. Se exploran los cambios en la estructura social, caracterizados por una nueva jerarquía étnica y tribal. Además, se examina la influencia de la colonización española en la transformación de la sociedad saharaui, que pasó de un estilo de vida nómada a uno más sedentario. El estudio destaca el proceso de sedentarización y los cambios socioculturales resultantes, como la alteración de roles familiares …

Tendencias Fonéticas Y Aspectos Gramaticales Del Español Hablado En El Sáhara, Mustapha Ouzir

Journal of Maya Heritage

Este estudio analiza las tendencias fonéticas y los aspectos morfosintácticos del español hablado en el Sáhara, una región marcada por su historia colonial como territorio español. Mediante una metodología cualitativa, que incluye observación libre, conversaciones grupales y pruebas fonológicas, se investigan las características lingüísticas de los hablantes saharauis, cuya lengua materna es el hassanía. Los hallazgos revelan una interferencia fonética significativa, como la neutralización vocálica, la reducción de diptongos y la influencia del español canario. También se identifican desviaciones morfosintácticas respecto al español estándar, incluyendo problemas de concordancia gramatical, tiempos verbales y uso de preposiciones. Estos fenómenos reflejan el impacto …