Indigenous Studies Commons^™

Food Security In Pacific Island Countries, Sue Farran

Pacific Studies

This paper considers the advantages, disadvantages, and challenges confronting the use of intellectual property regimes in the context of food security. While there has been some shift in agricultural practices, subsistence cultivation remains an important aspect of the daily lives of many Pacific Islanders and reflects traditions that for centuries have preserved biodiversity and provided a buffer against crops failures and food loss caused by natural disasters. Climate change, population growth, the cost of imported foods, and loss of traditional knowledge mean that many of these aspects of food security are under pressure. Intellectual property regimes which result in disease-resistant …

Music In Traditional Exchanges In North Vanuatu, Monika Stern

Pacific Studies

Music is a social phenomenon all owing the possibility of indefinite recreations. Depending on the cultures, places, and times, musical exchanges have been locally managed in various ways. Today the tights to copy a particular music are a sensitive topic of current international interest because of the development of the music industry. In Vanuatu custom, a principle close to the concept of intellectual property rights has existed for centuries for music or other intangible knowledge. Traditionally, not everyone has the right to hand over certain parts of this knowledge; complex rules must be observed. Although for most sets of music …

Books Noted: Recent Pacific Islands Publications: Selected Acquisitions, January 2012-December 2012, Riley Moffat

Pacific Studies

THIS LIST of significant publications relating to the Pacific Islands was selected from new acquisitions list received from Brigham Young University-Hawaiʻi, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Bernice P. Bishop Museum, University of Auckland, East-West Center, University of the South Pacific, National Library of the Australia, Melanesian Studies Resource Center, Center for Pacific and Asian Studies, University of Nijmegen, University of California, San Diego, Secretariat of the Pacific Community Library, Center for South Pacific Studies, University of New South Wales, Macmillan Brown Library at University of Canterbury, and the Australian International Development Assistance Bureau's Center for the Pacific Development Training. Other …

Evans Study Committee Update, Dean Saitta

John Evans Study: Supporting Materials

Letter from Dean J. Saitta, Professor and Chair, Department of Anthropology to John Evans Study Committee.

Many Worlds Converge Here: Vision And Identity In American Indian Photography, Alicia L. Harris

School of Art, Art History, and Design: Theses and Student Creative Work

Photographs of Native Americans taken by Frank A. Rinehart at the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition in 1898 were then and continue to be part of the construction of indigenous identities, both by Anglo-Americans and Natives. This thesis analyzes the ramifications of Rinehart’s portraits and those of his peers as well as Native American artists in the 20^th and 21^st centuries who have sought to re-appropriate these images to make them empowering icons of individual or tribal identity rather than erasure of culture.

This thesis comprises two sections. In the first section, the analysis is focused on the historical …

The Impacts Of Colonial And Environmental Processes On Ceramic Plainware At Salinas Province, New Mexico, Lindsey Elizabeth Daub

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis investigates whether Spanish demands on native time, labor and diet resulted in changes to the plainware ceramics used by the Salinas Pueblo Indians of New Mexico from the early 1600s to the 1670s. Increased pressures on native women's time may have resulted in a decline in the quality of the ceramic pastes, an increase in the presence of mend holes, changes in household size and composition that may have resulted in changes in the sizes of cooking vessels, and a decrease in food availability that may have resulted in decreased sizes or quantities of storage jars. While the …

Report Of Meeting With Chancellor And Provost, Dean Saitta

John Evans Study: Supporting Materials

Meeting notes regarding formation of a John Evans study.

Memo To Du Provost And Chancellor, Dean Saitta

John Evans Study: Supporting Materials

Memorandum sent to the University of Denver's Provost and Chancellor about interest in a study on John Evans and the Sand Creek Massacre.

Faculty Email Exchanges, Dean Saitta, Richard Clemmer-Smith, Billy J. Stratton, Gary A. Fine, Paul Colomy

John Evans Study: Supporting Materials

Email exchanges between University of Denver and Northwestern University on studies of John Evans and the Sand Creek Massacre.

Recognizing The 150th Anniversary Of The Dakota-U.S. War Of 1862 And Declaring 2012-2013 The Year Of The Dakota In Redwood Falls, City Council Of Redwood Falls

John Evans Study: Supporting Materials

Resolution adopted by the city of Redwood Falls in response to the city's history with the Dakota People. This resolution was used as a precedent in the University of Denver's study of its relationship with John Evans and the Sand Creek Massacre.

From Scouts To Soldiers: The Evolution Of Indian Roles In The U.S. Military, 1860-1945, James C. Walker

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The eighty-six years from 1860-1945 was a momentous one in American Indian history. During this period, the United States fully settled the western portion of the continent. As time went on, the United States ceased its wars against Indian tribes and began to deal with them as potential parts of American society. Within the military, this can be seen in the gradual change in Indian roles from mostly ad hoc forces of scouts and home guards to regular soldiers whose recruitment was as much a part of the United States’ war plans as that of any other group. The gradual …

"Kill The Indian, Save The Man," Americanization Through Education: Richard Henry Pratt's Legacy, Lindsay Peterson

Honors Theses

"Even wild turkeys only need the environment and kind treatment of domestic civilized life to become a very part of it.” Richard Henry Pratt made this observation while preparing for Thanksgiving with his family in 1867 in response to his interactions with Native Americans on the frontier. He served out West as second lieutenant in the 10th United States Cavalry, an African American regiment. The basic idea behind Pratt’s mentality was that the Indians’ inferiority was cultural, not racial, and that even Native Americans could become educated and “civilized” if only given the same opportunities provided to white Americans, African …

Native Newspapers: The Emergence Of The American Indian Press 1960-Present, Russell M. Page

CMC Senior Theses

During the 1960s and 1970s, tribes across Indian Country struggled for tribal sovereignty against “termination” policies that aimed to disintegrate the federal government’s trust responsibilities and treaty obligations to tribes and assimilate all Indians into mainstream society. Individual tribes, pan-Indian organizations, and militant Red Power activists rose up in resistance to these policies and fought for self-determination: a preservation of Indian distinctiveness and social and political autonomy. This thesis examines a crucial, but often overlooked, element of the self-determination movement. Hundreds of tribal and national-scope activist newspapers emerged during this era and became the authentic voices of American Indians and …

The Last Phase Of The South Sea Slave Trade: Jack London's Adventure, Philip Castille

Pacific Studies

This paper explores Jack London's failed 1907–08 South Pacific voyage aboard the Snark as a crucible for physical collapse, racial ideology, and literary production. Once a symbol of Anglo-Saxon strength, London suffered debilitating illness and personal humiliation in Melanesia, experiences that destabilized his self-concept and white supremacist beliefs. Despite abandoning his global journey, London produced significant nonfiction and fiction, most notably his 1911 novel Adventure. Drawing from his time in the Solomon Islands, the novel channels his physical and ideological decline into a narrative of colonial dominance, racial hierarchy, and survival. While Adventure adheres to Edwardian tropes of racial …

The Malaise Of Modernity: Urbanization, Mobility, And Hiv In The Pacific, John Connell, Joel Negin

Pacific Studies

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is unevenly distributed in the Pacific. Most cases are found in Papua New Guinea (PNG). In most Pacific Island states, transmission of HIV is sexual and heterosexual. Urbanization, migration, and mobility are key influences on its distribution and spread. Migration into towns and workplaces, mobility between towns and overseas employment, and return migration influence infection rates. Sex work, mainly an urban phenomenon, is a key source of transmission. High-risk sexual behavior, migration, affluence, poverty, and inequality coincide in urban areas. Different mobile groups include commercial sex workers, skilled workers, and seafarers. Most such groups migrate …

Recent Pacific Island Publications: Selected Acquisitions, July 2011-December 2011, Riley Moffat

Pacific Studies

THIS LIST of significant publications relating to the Pacific Islands was selected from new acquisitions lists received from Brigham Young U niversity-Hawai'i, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, University of Auckland, University of the South Pacific, Center for Pacific and Asian Studies, University of Nijmegen, and Macmillan Brown Library at University of Canterbury. Other libraries are invited to send contributions to the Books Noted editor for future issues . Listings reflect the extent of information provided by each institution.

Pacific Studies Vol. 35, No. 3 - December 2012 Full Issue

Pacific Studies

No abstract provided.

Subsistence In The Shrinking Forest: Native And Euro-American Practice In 19th-Century Connecticut, William A. Farley

Graduate Masters Theses

Southeastern Connecticut in the 19th century represented a setting in which Native Americans living on reservations were residing in close proximity to Euro-American communities. The Mashantucket Pequot, an indigenous group who in the 19th century resided on a state-overseen reservation, and their Euro-American neighbors both utilized local and regional resources in order to achieve their subsistence goals. This thesis seeks to explore the differences and similarities of the subsistence practices employed by these two groups. It further seeks to examine the centrality of forest landscapes to both Mashantucket and Euro-American subsistence, and to interpret the importance of the reservation to …

Amelia Earhart On Nikumaroro: A Summary Of The Evidence, Thomas King

Pacific Studies

The fate of American aviation pioneers Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan, who disappeared over the Pacific in July 1937, is a continuing Pacific historical mystery. Twenty-three years of interdiSciplinary research by The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) has produced results supporting the hypotheSiS that Earhart and Noonan landed their Lockheed Electra IDE safely on Nikumaroro in the Phoenix Islands, made repeated efforts to radio for help, but eventually expired. This paper summarizes TIGHAR's data relevant to the "Nikumaroro HypotheSiS."

Pacific Studies Vol 35, No. 3 - December 2012

Pacific Studies

No abstract provided.

The Banaban Resettlement: Implications For Pacific Environmental Migration, Gil Marvel P. Tabucanon

Pacific Studies

In the mid-1940s, Banaban Islanders relocated to Rabi Island in Fiji. The decision was the culmination of decades of phosphate mining on Banaba in colonial times. This article examines the context and long-term impacts of policies and legal frameworks relevant to the Banaban resettlement. The Banaban experience is a Significant case study because it involved relocation of an entire island population rather than individual or family migration, and the resettlement crossed international boundaries. Although the Banaban resettlement is unique and was contingent on peculiar colonial and factual circumstances it offers insights for environmental migration. Long-term preparation establishing trust funds, advance …

Review Teena Brown Pulu With A Foreword By Kalafi Moala. Shoot The Messenger: The Report On The Nuku 'Alofa Reconstruction Project And Why The Government Of Tonga Dumped It., Teresia Teaiwa

Pacific Studies

Shoot the Messenger by Teena Brown Pulu This compelling auto-ethnography by Teena Brown Pulu examines her abrupt dismissal from a government-commissioned investigation into Tonga’s Nukuʻalofa Reconstruction Project. Part memoir, part political analysis, the book critiques government suppression, explores the ethical tensions of indigenous scholarship, and reveals the personal costs of speaking truth to power. As both insider and critic, Pulu offers a rare, candid look at postcolonial state dynamics and the risks faced by diasporic researchers.

“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.

A Way Out: The History Of The Outing Program From The Haskell Institute To The Phoenix Indian School, Alexandria L. Gough

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

From the earliest years of the United States, its leaders wrestled with the perceived need to assimilate Indian peoples into American society. Many believed that Indians in their "natural" condition were cultural primitives incapable of taking part in national life. However, with proper guidance they could be elevated to a level of civilization that would allow them to join the national family. After the conclusion of the Indian Wars in the 1880's, the United States government began to address the continued "Indian" problem by establishing Indian boarding schools. Indian children attended school to learn to behave as white, Christian and …

Captivity, Adoption, Marriage And Identity: Native American Children In Mormon Homes, 1847-1900., Michael Kay Bennion

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Indigenes of North America's Great Basin developed a way of life based on the available resources the Basin provided. Their culture and customs provided a stable means of understanding and interacting with nature and men. Their myths elaborated on expectations, hopes, and fears, in real and metaphorical ways, as evidenced by stories of the trickster Coyote. As Great Basin bands contacted Europeans, they adjusted their resource gathering based on new technologies, such as horses and guns, as well as their myths to cope with change. This process entailed some adjustment in their perceptions of the world around them and …

Vol. 35 No. 1/2 (2012): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies Brigham Young University–HawaiʻI

Pacific Studies

Front Matter for the Vol. 35, No 1/2-April-August, 2012 edition of the Pacific Studies Journal.

A Promised Land In The Diaspora: Christian Religion, Social Memory, And Identity Among Banabans In Fiji, Wolfgang Kempf

Pacific Studies

This article explores the evolving concept of diaspora, highlighting its departure from its original religious connotations to a broader framework encompassing migration, transnationalism, and identity. While religion has often been overlooked in contemporary diaspora studies, the article argues that Christian institutions play a pivotal role in shaping identity and social organization among Pacific Islanders living abroad. Focusing on diasporic Banabans in Fiji, the study examines how Christian discourses and biblical narratives—particularly the Exodus motif—have been appropriated to articulate a collective history of displacement and survival. The article situates Pacific migration within a historical and colonial context, demonstrating how religion functions …

Issues Of Concern To Rotumans Abroad: A View From The Rotuma Website, Alan Howard, Jan Rensel

Pacific Studies

This article examines the Rotuman diaspora and its impact on cultural identity, focusing on expatriates’ perceptions of Rotuma as an ancestral home. Despite Rotuma's political affiliation with Fiji for over a century, its people maintain distinct linguistic and cultural ties to Polynesian islands like Tonga, Samoa, and Futuna. Today, most Rotumans live abroad, primarily in Fiji and across various global locations. Drawing on decades of research and online postings from the Rotuma Website, the authors explore how expatriates engage with their heritage, sustain community connections, and navigate identity in the diaspora. Through interviews and long-term fieldwork, the study highlights the …

Vol. 35 No. 1/2 (2012): Pacific Studies Full Issue, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies Brigham Young University–HawaiʻI

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$26.00 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, and …

Carolinians In Saipan: Shared Sensations And Subtle Voices, Susanne Kuehling

Pacific Studies

This article examines the Carolinian diaspora in Saipan, emphasizing the role of sensory experiences and "invisible belongings" in preserving cultural identity. Despite colonial disempowerment, Carolinians have maintained a sense of unity and resisted assimilation through shared memories, kinship practices, and symbolic traditions. The study explores how spatial organization, gender roles, and everyday interactions—particularly within female spaces—support cultural continuity in displacement. By analyzing the significance of flower garlands and household routines, the article highlights how migrants sustain a familiar sense of place across generations. Ultimately, it contributes to discussions on diasporic identity, mobility, and the enduring influence of sensory memory in …