Native American Studies Commons^™

"The Historic Indians Of Alabama And The Muscle Shoals", William Lindsey Mcdonald

Research Articles

The article presents a brief overview of the indigenous people who dwelt in Alabama and the Muscle Shoals region of the Tennessee River Valley. The article's content is organized by headings as follows:

• The Early Indians in Alabama, pg. 1
• The Alabamas, pg. 1
• Choctaws, pg. 2
• The Creek Nation, pg. 2
• Cherokees, pg. 3
• Chickasaw, pg. 4

"Chief Tuscumbia", William Lindsey Mcdonald

Research Articles

Chief Tashka Ambi, or Tashkambia, meaning "the warrior who kills," was a Chickasaw chief in North Alabama. The article offers a brief overview of Chief Tashkambia's life.

The name for the present-day city of Tuscumbia, Alabama is derived from the anglicized version of his name. The city's first name Cold Water was incorporated on December 20, 1820, then six months later it was changed to Big Spring, before retaining its present name on December 31, 1822.

"Early Times Around Muscle Shoals City", William Lindsey Mcdonald

Research Articles

A paper presented to the Muscle Shoals City Kiwanis Club on March 14, 1963, about the establishment of the city of Muscle Shoals. The article includes mention of the indigenous tribes that dwelt in the area as well as the Marion Land Company and associated figures which advertised lots in 1819.

Navigating Predominantly White Institutions: A Narrative Inquiry Restorying Native American And Indigenous Students' Lived Experiences Of Higher Education, Chandra Anderson

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

Previous research has examined retention rates of Native American and Indigenous students within the United States in higher education; however, there remains a significant narrative silence regarding the lived stories and personal chronologies of these students (Brayboy et al., 2015; Davidson & Lopez, 2023; Oxendine et al., 2018). The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to elicit and restory the lived narratives of Native American and Indigenous students enrolled in predominantly White institutions (PWI) of higher education. This study’s literature review themes include: (a) history of Native American and Indigenous students, (b) contemporary research on Native American and Indigenous …

"The Story Of The Shawnees At The Muscle Shoals", William Lindsey Mcdonald

Research Articles

A brief overview of the Shawnees in Northwest Alabama.

"Salt Cave On The Doublehead Reserve", William Lindsey Mcdonald

Research Articles

A salt cave located on the previous site of the Chief Doublehead Reserve and current location of Lauderdale County, Alabama is now covered by the backwaters of the Wheeler Dam. The article discusses the oral history and local folklore related to the cave.

"The View From Old Lagrange", William Lindsey Mcdonald

Research Articles

A brief history of LaGrange Mountain and LaGrange College, the precursor to the University of North Alabama.

"A Profile Of The Indians At Muscle Shoals, Alabama", William Lindsey Mcdonald

Writings

An article that gives a brief overview of the indigenous people living in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, including key figures, such as Chief Doublehead and the Colbert family. The article is organized by indigenous group with subheadings, including the Cherokees, Chickasaws, and Moundbuilders.

"Lecture At Colbert Park," “Colbert Family,” And “The Colberts And Colbert County”, William Lindsey Mcdonald

Writings

The digital file is a compilation of a speech outline entitled "Lecture at Colbert Park, June 21, 1991," "Colbert Family," and an article "The Colberts and Colbert County." The nature of the typewriter ink used in the original document causes the file to be somewhat difficult to read.

Volume 9 (2026) Climate And Responsibility

International Journal on Responsibility

This issue focuses on the various ways responsibility affects environmental justice. Specifically, this volume urges us to think about how societal and individual (in)action influences ecological crises and what informs this behavior, with a specific focus on religious and Indigenous beliefs and values.

Concepts For Supporting Indigenous And Tribal Information And Research Needs, Sharon Hausam

Faculty Publications

This is a working paper produced as part of National Science Foundation project #2115169, “Transforming Rural-Urban Systems: Trajectories for Sustainability in the Intermountain West,” known as the “Intermountain West Transformation Network” (TN), led by the University of New Mexico with institutional partners at three additional universities in New Mexico, two in Arizona, and one each in Utah, Colorado, and Washington. The TN’s Indigenous and Tribal engagement was supported through a contract with Dr. Sharon Hausam, additional work by Aaron M. Canter, coordination with Dr. Lani Tsinnajinnie, and an Advisory Committee on Indigenous Information Needs primarily comprised of Indigenous representatives in …

Tradition And Representation In The Work Of Contemporary Native American Art, Florence Romero

Summer Research Showcase

This presentation investigates the origins of contemporary Native American art in the mid-to late twentieth century to gain a deeper understanding of the broader contours of the field of contemporary art by Native Americans, to understand some of the key issues that these artists are interested in, and research the work of select contemporary Indigenous artists. Using comparative analysis of six case studies of contemporary Indigenous artists, this presentation will examine how these artists deal with themes of tradition and modernity and respond to how Native Americans have been misrepresented in the past and how these representations have impacted them …

Indigenous Community Research Opportunities, Sharon Hausam, Aaron M. Canter

Faculty Publications

This is a working paper produced as part of National Science Foundation project #2115169, “Transforming Rural-Urban Systems: Trajectories for Sustainability in the Intermountain West,” known as the “Intermountain West Transformation Network” (TN), led by the University of New Mexico with institutional partners at three additional universities in New Mexico, two in Arizona, and one each in Utah, Colorado, and Washington. The TN’s Indigenous and Tribal engagement was supported through a contract with Dr. Sharon Hausam, additional work by Aaron M. Canter, coordination with Dr. Lani Tsinnajinnie, and an Advisory Committee on Indigenous Information Needs primarily comprised of Indigenous representatives in …

Opportunities For Leadership In Indigenous And Tribally Engaged Research At The University Of New Mexico, Sharon Hausam

Faculty Publications

This is a working paper produced as part of National Science Foundation project #2115169, “Transforming Rural-Urban Systems: Trajectories for Sustainability in the Intermountain West,” known as the “Intermountain West Transformation Network” (TN), led by the University of New Mexico with institutional partners at three additional universities in New Mexico, two in Arizona, and one each in Utah, Colorado, and Washington. The TN’s Indigenous and Tribal engagement was supported through a contract with Dr. Sharon Hausam, additional work by Aaron M. Canter, coordination with Dr. Lani Tsinnajinnie, and an Advisory Committee on Indigenous Information Needs primarily comprised of Indigenous representatives in …

Precious Pattern: The Dotted-Diamond Motif In Indigenous American Textiles, Explorations In Mesoamerica, The American Southwest, And The Andes, Billie J. A. Follensbee, Lois Martin

Zea E-Books Collection

No abstract provided.

Indian Independence, Unknown

Usher Burdick Papers

This editorial, titled “Indian Independence,” reflects on the historical and ongoing challenges faced by Native Americans due to colonization and federal policy and discusses the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ policy that allows tribes to govern themselves and gain independence from federal supervision, though it notes that full independence remains a distant goal. It addresses concerns about overprotection, undereducation, and the lack of viable opportunities for tribes to thrive economically, particularly in agriculture and ranching.

Interrogating Settler Narratives Of Erasure In The Schatz Tree Farm Archives, Sangeeta Sarkar

IdeaFest: Interdisciplinary Journal of Creative Works and Research from Cal Poly Humboldt

In 1987, L. W. Schatz donated a 385-acre parcel of land to Cal Poly Humboldt to be used as an experimental station, outdoor classroom, and demonstration area for forestry educators and students. Previous student research and other institutional narratives have extensively documented the history of this land from a settler perspective. However, this documentation contains few mentions of the Indigenous history of the landscape. Through literature review and archival research, this paper critically analyzes settler colonial narratives around the Schatz Tree Farm and the ways in which they contribute to Indigenous erasure. The predominant forms of narrative erasure in settler …

Reseeding Relations: Comparing Museum And Indigenous Seed Sharing & Rematriation Protocols In The Midwestern United States, Madeline G. Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) paved the way for the repatriation of ancestors and certain cultural objects to Indigenous communities, museums still struggle to address other forms of cultural returns. Heritage seeds, those which hold cultural significance to Indigenous peoples, held within museum collections perpetuates the colonization of Indigenous lifeways. This research examines rematriation as an Indigenous form of cultural return better suited to address these needs than limited repatriation models. I analyze how museums are working to create rematriation processes for their collections which reflect diverse Indigenous epistemologies and ontologies through a three-tiered approach: …

From Peril To Perseverance: Dr. Arthur C. Parker And The Seneca Arts Project, Brennan Ciccolone

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Like many Native people, the Haudenosaunee were subjected to culturcide and assimilation using residential schools like the Thomas Indian School in the late 19th and early 20th century. During this time, in 1925, the Seneca archaeologist Dr. Arthur C. Parker was hired as the director of the Rochester Museum and Science Center. Parker used his museum position to uplift and preserve Haudenosaunee arts and culture. This paper focuses on his Seneca Arts Project (1935-1941), which gathered art and artifacts from both ancient and contemporary Haudenosaunee members. This project explores how Parker’s work was used to help revitalize and honor Native …

[2026 Honorable Mention] Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, Daylyn R. Reese

Ethnic Studies Research Paper Award

This research offers unique insights into the creation and development of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary (N.M.S.) with a focus on indigenous populations’ roles (primarily Chumash and Costanoan). In this episode, I analyze what makes this NMS different from every NMS precluding it, how it recognizes a new goal in conservation (thrivability), and the areas in which improvements still must be made to authentically include and honor indigenous voices.