This research addresses the identification of a Native American presence at the 18th century homestead of the Pharo family in coastal New Jersey, and what it reveals about life during the Contact period. Various stratigraphic contexts were excavated at the site that contain both European-made and Native-made artifacts. The foundation of this research is the definition and assessment of the contemporaneity of excavated contexts that include colonial and native-made artifacts at the West Creek site. By examining these contexts, conclusions can be drawn about the persistence of Native American technologies and settlement patterns into the 18th Century, as well as the interactions between Europeans and Native Americans at the site. Spatial distribution analysis utilizing ArcGIS technology was used to visualize the distribution of diagnostic artifact types throughout the site. Individual distribution maps were created for each of the selected artifact types. These maps were then compared to discern any site-wide patterns that exist. The spatial analysis conducted as part of this project demonstrates that Native Americans occupied areas at the West Creek site very close to one another. Native Americans and the Pharo family were interacting with one another on a regular basis for at least a short period of time. These interactions show no evidence of being violent or forceful. Despite the evidence of interactions, the Native Americans residing at the West Creek site maintained many Late Woodland technologies, including ceramics and projectile points. Furthermore, Native Americans continue to settle in settings similar to what is seen during the Late Woodland period. / Anthropology

<p>The dramatic underrepresentation of Alaska Natives in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degrees and professions calls for rigorous research in how students access these fields. Research has shown that students who complete advanced mathematics and science courses while in high school are more academically prepared to pursue and succeed in STEM degree programs and professions. There is limited research on what motivates precollege students to become more academically prepared before they graduate from high school. In Alaska, Alaska Native precollege students regularly underperform on required State of Alaska mathematics and science exams when compared to non-Alaska Native students. Research also suggests that different things may motivate Alaska Native students than racial majority students. Therefore there is a need to better understand what motivates Alaska Native students to take and successfully complete advanced mathematics and science courses while in high school so that they are academically prepared to pursue and succeed in STEM degrees and professions. </p><p> The Alaska Native Science &amp; Engineering Program (ANSEP) is a longitudinal STEM educational enrichment program that works with Alaska Native students starting in middle school through doctoral degrees and further professional endeavors. Research suggests that Alaska Native students participating in ANSEP are completing STEM degrees at higher rates than before the program was available. ANSEP appears to be unique due to its longitudinal approach and the large numbers of Alaska Native precollege, university, and graduate students it supports. ANSEP provides precollege students with opportunities to take advanced high school and college-level mathematics and science courses and complete STEM related projects. Students work and live together on campus during the program components. Student outcome data suggests that ANSEP has been successful at motivating precollege participants to successfully complete advanced high school and college-level mathematics and science courses prior to high school graduation. </p><p> This study was designed to examine the motivations of Alaska Native high school students who participated in the ANSEP Precollege components to take advanced mathematics and science courses in high school or before college. Participants were 30 high school or college students, 25 of whom were Alaska Native, who were currently attending or had attended Alaska Native Science &amp; Engineering Program (ANSEP) Precollege components in high school. Self-determination theory was used as this study&rsquo;s theoretical framework to develop the semi-structured interview questions and also analyze the interviews. A thematic approach was used to analyze the interviews. The results of this study indicated that ANSEP helped the Alaska Native high school students gain a sense of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in order to be motivated to take advanced mathematics and science courses in high school or before college. In particular, Alaska Native high school students described that relatedness was an important element to them being motivated to take advanced mathematics and science courses. More specifically, participants reported that the Alaska Native community developed at the ANSEP Building and the relationships they developed with their Alaska Native high school peers and staff played an influential role in the motivation of these students. These findings are important because research suggests that autonomy and competence are more important elements than relatedness because they generate or maintain intrinsic motivation. Alaska Native high school students reported that ANSEP was more successful in helping them gain a sense of competence and relatedness than at helping them gain a sense of autonomy. More specifically, the reason the participants did not feel ANSEP developed their sense of autonomy was because ANSEP restricted their actions during the ANSEP Precollege study sessions. </p><p> My study implies that Alaska Native students need to feel like they belong in order to be motivated to take and succeed at taking advanced mathematics and science courses. Educators and STEM program leaders should incorporate elements of belonging into the educational environments they develop for their Alaska Native students. Future research should be conducted to determine if other racial minority students need to feel like they belong in order to be motivated to take and succeed at taking advanced mathematics and science courses. </p><p> My study also indicated that Alaska Native students were motivated to take advanced mathematics and science courses by knowing ANSEP would support them in future programming because of its longitudinal approach. Funding agencies of STEM programs should consider funding programs that provide a longitudinal approach to help Alaska Native students&rsquo; sense of competence grow. Future research should include studying other STEM programs to determine if they are motivating their students to take and succeed in advanced mathematics and science courses. </p>

<p> Barren-ground caribou herds are part of social-ecological systems that are of critical importance to northern Indigenous Peoples of the Arctic, contributing to nutritional, cultural, and spiritual well being that are today undergoing significant changes. This dissertation uses multiple disciplinary lenses to understand the dynamics of these systems and to clarify methods for studying them. Chapter 1 focuses on a prediction of summer (June 1- August 31) mosquito activity and potential insect harassment of caribou in response to a changing climate. The Mosquito Activity Index (MAI) was based on daily ambient temperature and wind velocity obtained from the North American Regional Reanalysis dataset (NARR) from 1979 to 2009 for summer ranges of Alaska&rsquo;s four Arctic herds: Western Arctic Herd (WAH), Teshekpuk Caribou Herd (TCH), Central Arctic Herd (CAH), and Porcupine Caribou Herd (PCH). Mean MAI was lowest for TCH, followed by WAH and PCH and highest for CAH. Over 31 years there was an increasing trend in MAI that affected the summer habitat of TCH and PCH, but a decreasing trend for WAH. Intra-annual patterns in MAI among herds differed in peak MAI. Chapter 2 presents a novel method of participatory videography to document the knowledge and experiences of Caribou People. Ninety-nine interviews were videoed in six arctic communities of North America in the summer of 2008 as part of the International Polar Year. Chapter 3 presents &ldquo;Voices of Caribou People,&rdquo; a composite film of those interviewed, portraying the range of topics reported. Chapter 4 presents the results of an open-coding content analysis of a sample of 34 of the Voices Project interviews. Interviews described people&rsquo;s rich memories of the past, aspects of their traditional knowledge and practices, the changes they have observed, the challenges they face, and what they perceive as their needs to meet present and future challenges. A key finding of the analysis is that while the research community and funding agencies are highly focused on climate change, Caribou People expressed greater concern about their social, economic, and political challenges. Caribou people noted that more studies undertaken in full partnership with caribou user communities along with community authority in decision-making are needed to sustain their human-caribou systems.</p>

<p> The Western film presents its viewers with a supposed historical depiction of America&rsquo;s &ldquo;Great West,&rdquo; set during the period of the United States&rsquo; westward expansion in the nineteenth century. However, the Western film reiterates a mythologized version of the American West that relies on archetypal themes, events, and characters through the synthesis of story, image and music. This paper examines the Western&rsquo;s most problematic archetype, the &ldquo;Indian.&rdquo; The Indian&rsquo;s liminal role in American mythology will be examined through the analysis of the aural recoding and obscuring of authentic Native American auralities according to the sonic power structures of the Euro-American soundscape, and subsequently, how this aural recoding informs the role of the &ldquo;Indian&rdquo; in three successful Western films from the Western&rsquo;s heyday, <i>Red River </i> (1948), <i>Broken Arrow</i> (1950), and <i>The Searchers </i> (1956).</p>

<p> This thesis presents an investigation of body image and connection with nature among American Indian female adolescents. This mixed method study incorporating the use of focus groups and survey for data collection examined the perspective and voice of teen girls from a rural American Indian community. The thesis considers how modern western influences play a role in American Indian teen girl&rsquo;s development and views of beauty and body image. This research provides perspective on American Indian adolescent girls&rsquo; perceptions of their body image, as well as their perceptions regarding their connection to the natural world. Participants experienced an array of outdoor activities and most of the participants claim they have had or have a connection with the nature world and enjoy the outdoors. The research discovered the importance of cultural identity and how it can support a positive sense of self and a positive body image among American Indian female adolescents. The study provides insight and understanding regarding adolescent girls in American Indian communities, thereby allowing greater understanding in initiatives towards the development of all female American Indian adolescent adventure programming that is both meaningful and relevant to the culture. The research suggests the participants are influenced by their community and culture, focusing on the inner beauty or self-esteem of a person rather then the physical aspect of a person. Most of the participants like being out in nature and claim to have a connection with the natural world.</p>

<p> Community colleges are increasingly accountable for student outcomes and have been focused on closing outcome gaps among groups of students. Nevertheless, Native American students have continued to be among the lowest performing ethnic groups. Yet there has been a dearth of studies on Native American community college student experiences. This dissertation addresses the lack of research by presenting perspectives of Native American community college students. Native American students&rsquo; perspectives on their educational experiences and how those experiences supported or hindered achievement of their educational goals provide a foundation for understanding why outcome gaps persist. Further, these perspectives suggest ways the gaps can be closed. The interviews and focus group conducted with 10 Native American community college students resulted in qualitative data that revealed factors that influenced students&rsquo; educational experiences and educational goals. This study finds that students&rsquo; pathways through community college, factors within the community college (faculty, campus environment, students, services, staff), student development, factors external to the community college (family, work, financial aid, &ldquo;significant life challenges,&rdquo; tribal community), and cultural factors (identity, symbols, behaviors, expectations, &ldquo;rez life,&rdquo; racism, curriculum, historical trauma, Native American classmates) influenced educational experiences and goals. This study posits that by supporting the positive factors and mitigating the negative factors, community colleges can better support Native American students in achieving their educational goals and thus move closer to closing equity gaps. Further, this dissertation recommends further research on each of these factors and how the factors influence and impact Native American community college student success.</p>

<p> Data show the number of doctoral degrees conferred in the U.S. increased for students of all racial/ethnic groups. However, from a percentage standpoint, American Indian students earning doctoral degrees were the least amount of increase. More American Indian females sought doctoral degrees than did American Indian men. However, it was not known what factors influenced American Indian female scholars, what characteristics of validation theory may have contributed, and how supportive factors&ndash;tribal culture, family, faculty, peers&mdash;contributed to earning a doctoral degree and becoming professors within a single higher education institution. Rend&oacute;n&rsquo;s validation theory provided the theoretical framework for the study. The purpose of this qualitative single-case study was to explore what factors influenced American Indian female scholars to earn a doctoral degree and become professors within a single higher education institution. Data were collected using a questionnaire, interviews, and interview notes. A constant comparative method was used to analyze qualitative data. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed, and hand coded to identify commonalities in language and thought. Study findings included themes of self-determination/strong self-concept, love of learning, a degree for everyone, elements of validation theory, spirituality, ceremonies, religion, culture, family, faculty, and peers. Sub-themes included lack of cultural capital and no real plan. Study implications may assist higher education institutions, American Indian female scholars, and other minority scholars through the development of programs designed to support a holistic approach towards academic persistence. </p><p>

abstract: Art is a form of spiritual expression that is thriving in many Indigenous cultures. It can take many forms, meanings and have a multitude of emotional, mental, physical and spiritual effects on its creator as well as its audience. Amongst American Indians, art has been a method for maintaining holistic well-being intended to heal and cope with traumatic experiences. In this thesis, I examine the western societal and cultural influences that have led to the loss of cultural identity and examine approaches and practices that aim to re-establish a resilient connection to identity and well-being using art as a spiritual catalyst. Literary research and articles were reviewed related to the issue of art as a form of spiritual expression in Indigenous cultures. An autoethnography was conducted with the intent to record and reflect on the well-being of the researcher in relation to her artistic expression. Journaling and vlogging were used as research methods and painting, sketching, and beading was used as artistic methods. Over the course of six months, over 50 videos with 30 hours of raw footage were recorded; averaging 2 hours per day. The results are reflected in the researchers free-flowing and emotionally driven reflection of experiences that have driven her artwork. This thesis supports the establishment of art as a form of spiritual expression for transforming the current western focused health care paradigm to one that recognizes, values and employs Indigenous insight, methodologies, worldviews, culture and spirituality. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis American Indian Studies 2018

<p> Postpartum depression (PPD) is linked to diminished maternal, pediatric, and family health outcomes and is designated as the most common childbirth complication. PPD is an international public health concern and found in most populations. Studies suggest that American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) women suffer higher PPD prevalence (14% to 29%) than other United States' women, revealing a racial/ethnic disparity. Health disparities research is a national public health priority and substantiates the need to explore PPD in AI/AN women. Clinicians define PPD as an episode of major depressive disorder with a "peripartum onset" specifier that occurs within the first year after delivery. </p><p> This dissertation work explored and synthesized PPD research about AI/AN women, where there remains considerable mystery surrounding the causes and consequences of PPD. Even with federal regulations in place requiring the inclusion of minorities and women and other underrepresented groups in research, AI/AN women have been mostly excluded, as evidenced by few studies and small sample compositions that include AI/AN women in PPD research. </p><p> Using a comparative analysis approach, validation studies of the EPDS and the PHQ-9 were examined. While possessing excellent concurrent validity, the low predictive accuracy of both tools in non-Western samples suggests cultural bias. No PPD screening instrument has been validated in samples of AI/AN women. Cross-cultural adaptation advances the science of comparative effectiveness research, and is therefore a logical next step. Using a phenomenological methodology with a community-based participatory approach, AI/AN women's "lived" PPD experiences were described. AI/AN women who experienced PPD now or in the past were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. De-identified demographic data were collected. Thematic analysis guided by Moustakas' (1994) procedure followed and seven major themes emerged. </p><p> This dissertation has advanced nursing science by providing an understanding of PPD in AI/AN women. Future research for AI/AN women with PPD should focus on: 1) their access to and use of PPD services; 2) the cross-cultural adaptation for PPD screening; 3) the possible relationship between PPD and intimate partner violence; 4) their preferences for PPD treatment; and 5) the possible relationship between PPD and acculturation.</p><p>

YURUPARY ORIGINS OF A FEMININE-MASCULINE DUALITY: THE 'SHAMANIC FLIGHT' OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE MOON IN THE TUKANO ORAL TRADITION OF THE VAUPES REGION OF COLOMBIA is a multidisciplinary comparative study between five versions of the Yurupary myth of the Vaupes region of Colombia that is a significant part of the collective memory, culture and oral tradition of the Amazonian Region. The vuelo chamanico (principal theme of the fifth version) made by the two women the main characters, symbolizes among other intertwined themes in the narration: the origin of women's wisdom in the Tukanoan tradition These versions are: Yurupary-Mito, Leyenda y Epopeya del Vaupes: Con la traduccion de la 'Leggenda dell'Jurupary' del conde Ermanno Stradelli por Susana N. Salessi by Hector H. Orjuela (1983). Text I in Yurupari Studies of an Amazonian Foundation Myth by Gerardo Reichel-Dolmatoff (1996). The third and fourth versions in La oralidad en Yurupary o la exegesis de lo inaccesible: estudio comparativo entre el texto del conde Ermanno Stradelli y una transcripcion de don Antonio Guzman y Gerardo Reichel-Dolmatoff (Carriazo Osorio y el Abuelo Miru Puu, 2002) were given by el Abuelo Miru Puu in 2001 and 2002. The latter was a storyteller of the Mimi-Pora indigenous people of the Vaupes And the fifth version of the myth corresponds also to the Abuelo Miru Puu given in Spanish to Ariel Jose James: MASA BEHKE YURUPARY MITO TUKANO DEL ORIGEN DEL HOMBRE (2003) I propose that the fifth version, MASA BEHKE YURUPARY MITO TUKANO DEL ORIGEN DEL HOMBRE, is closer to representing the indigenous people's mythical reality of this particular Latin American region, while earlier versions such as the Leyenda del Yurupary , 1890 translated from Nengatu language into Italian by Ermanno Stradelli and the Text I, by the anthropologist Gerardo Reichel-Dolmatoff represent theoretical assertions of the western mind, being translated and not transcribed. I reconstruct the concepts of myth and mythological reality (oral history) and I propose that even while these two versions deal with symbology and metaphorical language, the fifth version is the one that is viewed as part and parcel of the daily life of the indigenous people of the region. The European tendency of viewing mythology with a heroic (thus unreal) zeal is contrary to the native ideology, which is ontological / acase@tulane.edu