Indigenous Studies Commons^™

Ancestors In The Archives: Decolonizing Archival Research, Willow White

ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640–1830

Bringing together my identities as an Indigenous woman (Métis Nation of Alberta) and as a scholar specializing in eighteenth-century women writers has involved the continual unlearning of colonial research practices. The following essay reflects on my efforts to work with/in archives in a decolonizing way. I will share some of the practices that I have adopted, not to provide a checklist, but to join the ongoing conversation of many eighteenth-century studies scholars who share a decolonizing desire.

Introduction: Intergenerational Thinking, Katherine Binhammer

ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640–1830

This introduction to a conversation on Intergenerational Thinking that first began at the American Society of Eighteenth Century Studies in Toronto, March 2024, establishes the importance of dialogue across generations in feminist eighteenth-century studies. It synthesizes the methods the participants engage to think with past scholars, rather than disavow such work. While the topics discussed are diverse -- feminist history, Phillis Wheatley, Indigenous eighteenth-century archives, climate catastrophe and Charlotte Charke – the writers share an approach to generational thinking grounded in a critique of the assumption that the new is always better.

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 …

Indigenous Metal: Rage, Rejects, And The Reconstruction Of Culture, Louis W. Asbury

Master's Theses

Metal music’s latest frontier is Indigenous metal, combining explorations of Indigenous identity with the heavy and aggressive stylings of the music genre. To explore this new subgenre, this study asks to what extent can metal music be used as a political tool and what are some of the broader effects of metal bands working to better their communities. This thesis utilizes case studies of two notable Indigenous metal scenes, the Rez metal scene in the Navajo Nation and the Māori metal scene in Aotearoa. By collecting data from these scenes, including lyrics, videos, interviews, and audience interactions, this thesis thoroughly …

Re-Indigenizing And Collaboratively Tending Urban Greenspaces, Divinity Nnenne Adewale

University Honors Theses

This work details the active process of land tending with the intention of re-Indigenization in the Pacific Northwest at several Portland sites; The Native American Student Community Center, PSU Oak Savanna, and the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Land tending is an intuitive process, one rooted in love and respect for life of all forms as well as becoming the perpetual student; land tending is not a skill to be mastered, only practiced. Unlike environmental management, tending cannot be done separate from the earth, in a classroom or otherwise. Connections are what tending is built on top of: the foundation; effort …

This Will Not Be Generative, Sehrish Naudhani

Intersections: Critical Issues in Education

This Will Not Be Generative by Dixa Ramírez-D’Oleo critiques Western feminist narratives, revealing how concepts like generativity and symbiosis often disguise violence against Black and Indigenous communities. Through analysis of works by feminists such as Donna Haraway and references to films like Get Out and Midsommar, Ramírez-D’Oleo argues that Black and Indigenous lives are cyclically exploited to uphold white supremacy. Rather than depicting these communities as mere victims, she emphasizes their resilience and acts of resistance. This review underscores Ramírez-D’Oleo's call to rethink the narratives shaping our understanding of race, ecology, and feminism, making it a critical read for …

Book Review: Mayalogue: An Interactionist Theory Of Indigenous Cultures, Arcia Tecun

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

Mayalogue: An Interactionist Theory of Indigenous Cultures by Victor Montejo

Albany: State University of New York Press, 2021. 248 pp

Arcia Tecun analyzes and interacts with Montejo’s discussions and logics, resulting in a postcolonial indigenous conversation between reviewer and book author.

Corazón De Maíz Un Tributo A Los Pueblos Mayas, Patricia López

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

English Abstract:

Corazón de Maíz gathers the stories and recipes for traditional Maya cooking in the regions of Huehuetenango, and is designed to promote the survival of the culinary system of the grand-mothers, and the food that they prepared with love for the whole family. This “culinary novel” contains myths, legends, stories of the origin of some foods, cooking tech-niques and methods. The foods prepared in the altiplano region developed from millenary traditions, the Hispanic invasion, the ravages of climate change bringing droughts and plagues that destroy life, and the various consequences and influences of migration. For the Maya, corn …

A Wīnak Perspective On Cosmovisíon Maya And Eco-Justice Education, Arcia Tecun

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

This article responds to questions of relational ethics in Indigenous mobility with a critically conscious approach to cosmovisíon Maya in Soonkahni (Salt Lake Valley). An urban and mobile Mayan positionality, identified as Wīnak, guides an analysis of complex Indigenous experiences, and possibilities found in Eco-Justice. The limits from the prevailing and dominant colonial logics of conservation and environmentalism are re-imagined through Indigenous approaches to ‘Earth Wellbeing’. The application of critically conscious cosmovisíon Maya reveals a simultaneous challenge to systems of power, and to formations of an Indigenous relational ethic that is both locally meaningful and globally relevant. This essay concludes …

Revisiting Men Of Maize: Historical Truths, Literary Distortions, And Asturias In Today’S Guatemala, Elaine Elliott

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

In 2024, a renewed appreciation for the Guatemalan Nobel Prize winner Miguel Ángel Asturias is taking place to mark the 50th anniversary of Asturias’ death. This essay examines the historical and literary context of the author’s groundbreaking novel Hombres de maíz (Men of Maize), and the book’s portrayal of indigenous Maya resistance against ladino landowners in Guatemala. Evidence indicates that Asturias obtained his views of ladino – Maya conflict from historic land conflicts in Ilom, Chajul. Asturias distorted the events, but his book inspired a generation of revolutionaries, some of whom organized and fought in the Ixil region and Ilom. …

Book Review: Hojas Sueltas., Emil' Keme

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

Hojas sueltas. by Daniel Caño.

Quetzaltenango Guatemala. POE, 2024. 204 pp

ISBN 978-9929-732-17-9.

As an alternative to the standard book review, Maya America has reprinted the prologue to Hojas Sueltas, which was written by Emil’ Keme. Also, this year, Daniel Caño published another new book, Versos improvisados. Daniel can be reached at [email protected].

Document is in Spanish.

Maya America Vol. 6 Iss 2 - Front Matter, Maya America Editors

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

Front Matter includes the covers and Introductory Note

Lalava In Tonga, Tapukitea Lolomāna‘Ia

Pacific Studies

This article explores the traditional Tongan art of lalava, an ornamental lashing technique using kafa sennit cords on royal fale hau structures. Drawing from oral traditions, interviews with practitioners like Tamale Mohenoa, and field observations, it examines lalava's architectural, cultural, and historical roles, including patterns (kupesi) encoding royal genealogies, social hierarchies, and navigation knowledge. The study highlights its evolution, exclusive practitioners from the Tamale lineage in Niutou Village, and significance in Tongan heritage amid modernization.

The Successes Of Rotuman Women In The Modern World, Alan Howard, Makereta Mua

Pacific Studies

Inspired by Ester Boserup’s 1970 thesis regarding the role of indigenous economies in promoting the success of women in the modern economies, this article explores aspects of Rotuman culture that have led to the considerable success of Rotuman women in various contemporary occupations. Our analysis is based on multiple sources implicating the socialization of women that promote a self-confidence conducive to accomplishments. This article also includes reflections by seventeen interviewees on the sources of their success

Vavanga, Vavalo, And Fakakaukau With Vā-Tā, Siosiua F.P. Lafitani

Pacific Studies

This article addresses the profound cognitive and cultural significance of vavanga (contemplation) and vavalo (contemplation), which are contempla- tive frameworks deeply rooted in the concept of vā (space) within Tongan language and culture. These frameworks serve as gateways to expansive cogni- tive exploration, stretching the boundaries of imagination and contemplation. Fakakaukau (thinking), double or dual actor (named because it bridges the realms of cognition and practicality), uses instrumental concepts such as fifili (inquisitiveness) and fekeli (meticulous exploration) to navigate the landscapes of inquiry. Throughout this exploration, a critical distinction emerges between tā as tempo and the cognitive concepts of contemplation …

“Kematz'ib' Para Gritar” Innovative Technologies In Revitalizing The Mayan Languages: Empowering Youth Through Poetry - A Narrative Study, Héctor De Jesús Palala Martínez

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

This dissertation explores innovative approaches to preserving and revitalizing the linguistic and cultural heritage of Mayan-speaking youth of Guatemalan descent in rural Nebraska. It delves into the intersection of technology, artistic expression, and cultural practices, emphasizing the revitalization of Mayan languages in Abya Yala (the Americas), particularly emphasizing the Guatemalan and the Mayan diasporas in Nebraska.

The research investigates the roles of digital humanities, culture-based education, and poetic expressions in language preservation/revitalization efforts among Mayan youth and unaccompanied minors in transnational educational settings. Central to the study is an academic initiative for transnational Mayan high school students integrating poetry and …

Fostering Ruins: The Tales Of Kaum Depok, Yoga Susatyo

Antropologi Indonesia

This study identifies the utilization of Social and Built Capital by the Kaum Depok Community in maintaining community existence amidst social transformation. Previous research on the Kaum Depok and similar ethnic communities found that group self-identity, the role of values-religion-beliefs, architecture, the use of distinctive/local language, and the inclusivity nature of the group significantly contribute to the community's existence. I agree that these aspects impact this ethnic community's existence, however the community capital, particularly social and built capital, plays a crucial role in the effort to preserve the community. This study employs a qualitative approach to classify and analyze community's …

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 …

Powerpoint: Charges Of Forgery: Roger Williams And The Narragansett Deed To Providence, Heather Marie Rockwell, Jeroen Van Den Hurk Ph.D., William Leeman, Liza Tietjen

Rare Book Salon Fall 2024: Charges of Forgery

In the Fall 2024 Rare Book Salon, Salve’s archivist and faculty with expertise in the fields of archaeology, cultural and historic preservation, and history engage in a multidisciplinary discussion spanning Indigenous histories and land evidence. In this 1896 paper from Salve Special Collections on the authenticity of the 1638 deed to Moshassuck, which would become the site of Providence, George Paine uses legal evidence and primary sources to examine the document signed by Sachems Canonicus and Miantonomi that conveyed the land rights to the English colonizer.

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 …

Ways Of Decoloniality By The Painted Lady: Avatar: The Last Airbender’S Katara Demonstrates How To Revive A Community In Ecological Distress Brought By The Colonial Expansion Of The Fire Nation, Jose Santos P. Ardivilla

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

In the third episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender’s Book 3: The Book Of Fire, the “Gaang” consisting of Avatar Aang, Toph, Sokka, and Katara chanced upon a fishing village on stilts,ravaged by the pollution of its waterways. The pollution comes from the industrial activity of the Colonial Masters’ Fire Nation which greatly affected the village. This animation is from Nickelodeon, a channel geared for children’s entertainment, thus implicates humorous asides in what purports to be a serious epicurean reclaiming of a lost balance through indigenous visual culture, solidarity, media studies, and ecocriticism. Katara disguises herself as …

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 …

The Diyinii Of Naachid: Diné Rhetoric As Ritual, Edward L. Karshner

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

Rhetoric is far more than a theory of communication or the antiquated ancestor of freshman composition courses. As a system, rhetoric is the process that directs, on the one hand, individual experiences with the world and structures, and on the other, the stories cultures tell about themselves. These foundational narratives (myths) reveal a culture’s metaphysical understanding of the nature of reality, the psychological understanding of human nature, and the epistemological notion of what can be known. Using the Diné Bahané, this paper will explore Diné rhetoric as naachid, an inclusive, outward-directed communication model of problem solving which functions …

November 2024 Native American Heritage Month Celebration, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Ethnic History

Bibliography and photographs of a display of government documents from Minnesota State University, Mankato.

The Process Of Healing Individual And Communal Traumatic Experiences Through Natural And Cultural Reconnection In Silko’S Ceremony, Zeina Y. Ghanem

International Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities

Trauma is central in Leslie Silko's Ceremony (1977), however, Tayo and the Laguna Pueblo community also experience healing through reconnecting with the land and its nature. Critiques by Aaron DeRosa, Alexandra Ganser, Michelle Satterlee, and Martin Premoli converge on the theme of trauma, each offering unique insights. DeRosa expands on the notion of cultural trauma and its impact on individuals and communities, advocating for adaptive cultural responses to trauma. Ganser explores Tayo's struggle with violence and identity, advocating for inclusive ceremonial practices. Satterlee emphasizes Tayo's embodiment of cultural struggle and connection to the land, while Premoli extends this to include …

Bibliography For "Code Talkers Display", Arianna Tillman, Arianna Tillman, Isabella Piechota

Library Displays and Bibliographies

A bibliography created to support a display about Code Talkers at the Leatherby Libraries during November 2024 at the Leatherby Libraries at Chapman University.

Assessing Paths To Greenlandic Independence: Reconciling Inuit Cultural Autonomy With Danish Rule, Leo Freedman

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

This analytical paper seeks to understand what political, economic, and sociocultural barriers inhibit Greenlandic independence from Denmark. The concept of independence must be conceptualized from an Inuit perspective in order to analyze what sacrifices Greenland’s largest ethnic group is willing to make to achieve an independent state. The resource extraction industry offers one path towards independence by reducing dependency on Danish and EU funding. However, this paper argues that Inuit cultural values, especially an inherent connection with the physical and spiritual health of the natural environment, is of higher value than the economic benefits of investing in the resource extraction …

My Father's Daughter, Sherry Coman

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of My Father's Daughter (2024), directed by Egil Pedersen.

The Quadruple Helix Of Strategic Alliances And Its Application For Community Development In Las Acequias De Atrisco, Jorge Garcia

Regeneración: A Xicanacimiento Studies Journal

In today’s society, the development of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) is imminent yet, large segments of the world remain marginalized. I contend that peer-to-peer and inter-institutional networks can be used to connect local with global systems to close this divide. Using today’s virtual and digital technologies the gap can be bridged using collaboration platforms using different knowledge systems that do not simply replicate the same information. The suggested model represents forming strategic alliances for information sharing and collaboration to empower and support local knowledge systems. The examples discussed show our efforts toward an inclusive approach with communities in full partnership, …

Burn The Sympathy, Gabino Noriega Iii

Regeneración: A Xicanacimiento Studies Journal

Poem