<p> To recall on the past through oral tradition is a source of strength, so why not study the stories and actions of female Native leaders today by analyzing the stories and artifacts they leave behind. With the current political climate, it has become opportunistic and necessary to redefine identity, to challenge the dominant narrative, to question history and plan for the future through critical engagement of the present. This research will provide other Native women leaders, writers, poets and storytellers inspiration and confidence in their current actions and skills, as they are tools in resisting and surviving the various systems meant to exclude and terminate their voice and identity. Although there are many different approaches to understanding the use of storytelling as a tool of activism when occupying a liminal space, I focus on these three areas: the liminal spaces Native people occupy force us to constantly negotiate our identity and voice as a Native person, the use of a modern movement like Standing Rock as liminal space platform, and the application of storytelling a tool of activism. I was drawn to using Standing Rock as a platform for study of liminal space for the complex yet inclusive nature that drew in activists like myself from all walks of life. What I was most interested in were my fellow Native sisters, the female leaders in Indian Country that were present at Standing Rock using their statues and platforms to discuss issues otherwise forgotten through their strengths of storytelling. I want to know how they used storytelling as a tool of activism, how they connected to their perceived audiences and created an urgency to act and if there were any issues of the past resolved in the efforts of the present found within their writings. The communication strategies of storytelling within a liminal space like Standing Rock, provides an opportunity for the reclaiming of Native identity by Native people, as seen with the recognition of the Water Protector identity, and the engagement of new ideas and possibilities in solving complex socio-political, environmental-cultural issues.</p><p>

<p> Stereotypes of Indigenous peoples, formed according to Western notions of cultural hierarchy, as savage, exotic, and only existing in a distant past, are still prevalent in the popular imaginary. These stem from misunderstandings and misrepresentations of Indigenous peoples that developed after contact between Indigenous peoples and European settler communities, and exist in concepts such as the noble savage, the wild heathen, or the vanishing Indian. In this thesis I argue that contemporary artist Gregg Deal (Pyramid Lake Paiute) successfully challenges and disrupts such stereotypes by re-channeling their power and reappropriating them through his strategic use of humor and irony in performances, paintings, and murals. Through these tools, Deal is able to attract audiences, disarm them, and destabilize their assumptions about Indigenous peoples. I frame Deal&rsquo;s use of humor and irony outside the trickster paradigm, drawing instead on Don Kelly&rsquo;s (Ojibway) theorization of humor as a communicative tool for making difficult topics accessible, and Linda Hutcheon&rsquo;s theorization of irony as a discursive strategy for simultaneously presenting and subverting something that is familiar. </p><p> In a second line of argument, I foreground Deal&rsquo;s agency as an artist through analysis of his strategies to reach audiences and gain visibility for his art. Contemporary Indigenous artists are often excluded from mainstream art institutions, and can struggle to find venues to exhibit their work. I argue that Deal&rsquo;s strategic use of public space and the internet to show and publicize his art is significant. It has helped him to reach audiences and gain recognition for his work. He now exhibits and performs in university and state museums. I argue that the authority of museum space, in turn, gives him a greater opportunity to disrupt stereotypes and educate people about misperceptions of Indigenous peoples.</p><p>

<p> This exploratory qualitative study examined individuals&rsquo; self-identity and sense of belonging related to the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and the impacts of their tribal connection as enrolled tribal members. It was believed the greater the sense of belonging and connection, the stronger the identity and the greater the impact on the community as a whole. Eight individuals with Oneida ancestry were interviewed about their Native American ancestry and membership, participation in Oneida community, sense of connection and belonging to family and community, self-identity, and congruence with Oneida ancestry and tribal enrollment. Although participants generally did not participate in formal cultural or community activities, they reported connection and belonging to their families and ancestry and self-identified as Native American. They believed their self-identities influence their desires to give back to the community. Based on this study, the Oneida community is advised to: host tribal events related to strengthening identity and building community, develop and incorporate school-age curricula and programs that support Native American identity development, and review and revise tribal membership criteria to support the sustainability and sovereignty of the tribe.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this thesis is to provide a policy analysis of the Violence Against Women's Reauthorization Act of 2013. Specific emphasis was placed on the prevalence of sexual violence within AI/AN communities and how the legislative act provides protection for people experiencing domestic violence, dating violence, or the violation of protective orders. Specifically, this thesis used David Gil's analytic framework to evaluate the policy; its strengths and limitations, and its impact on tribal sovereignty and tribal criminal jurisdiction. The analysis shows that while VAWA 2013 has worked to restore tribal sovereignty and prevent the act of domestic violence within tribal nations, it has not gone far enough in addressing sexual violence amongst AI/AN women. As a result of discussing these issues, the project demonstrates the importance of addressing the human rights of AI/AN women living on tribal land. Implications for social work are discussed.</p><p>

abstract: Much of the public discourse promoting Navajo (Diné) language revitalization and language programs takes place in English, both on and off the reservation, as in many other indigenous communities whose heritage languages are endangered. Although Navajo language is commonly discussed as being central to the identity of a Navajo person, this ideology may lie in contradiction to the other linguistic and social means Navajos use to construct Navajo identities, which exist within a wide spectrum of demographic categories as well as communities of practice relating to religion, occupation, and other activities (Field, 2009; Baker & Bowie, 2010). This dissertation examines two sets of data: 1) interviews with eight Navajo individuals whose interests, academic studies, and/or occupations relate to the promotion of Navajo language use in connection with cultural and linguistic revitalization; and 2) public statements made in online forums discussing the language used by Navajos. The interview data gathered consist of ten sociolinguistic (and open-ended conversational) interviews, culminating in over 13 hours of recorded interviews. The findings of this study show enregistered (i.e., imbued with social meaning) features of the dialect of Navajo English as well as insights into the challenges Navajos face while advocating for programs and policies supporting the teaching of their heritage language. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation English 2015

abstract: ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to describe a new school model for Dine (Navajo) learners where Dine students will experience how to apply knowledge and skills personally, meaningfully, and socially relevant to life situations through the medium of Dine language and culture maintenance. This study explored a new way to perpetuate Dine (Navajo) culture and language through a model referred to as M.A.T.S. (Mathematics, Arts, Technology, Science, the renaming of STEM and STEAM). Oohoo’aah, Na’nitin Yee nooseel Xploria, which translates to a Center for Learning, acquiring knowledge and growing through a Navajo approach to exploration) is a public charter school serving students in grades K-3. As a public charter school ONYX is to serve all of Jeddito Community, with 98% ratio of students qualifying for free and reduced lunch. ONYX will employ dedicated educators and community members with excellent work ethics who are committed to closing the achievement gap, while promoting a creative outlook on the world around them. Students will leave ONYX School with skills in Navajo Language and Culture with a foundation in M.A.T.S. ONYX School’s educational program will be driven by a belief that all learning will be academically rigorous with a well-designed curriculum to students in becoming lifelong explorers of learning and productive members of society. This will allow ONYX to stay true to the mission to promote K’e (relationship in Navajo Culture), respect for self, others, and environment, most importantly to use natural/traditional scientific skills passed on through Navajo culture. In the learning environment, there will be constant and continuous communication among administrators, teachers, parents, and community leaders. This form of instruction is also transferable to learning how to read and write in Navajo. The program will allow for students to use hands on approach with inquiry based learning with a foundation in Navajo traditional/scientific approach to learning. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Administration and Supervision 2016

<p> Canada has a long history of perpetrating violence and discrimination against Indigenous peoples, especially women. State policies and practices have systematically disenfranchised Indigenous women through mechanisms of displacement, assimilation, and marginalization. More than a century of large-scale intersectional violence has embedded complex intergenerational trauma into Indigenous families, further heightening their vulnerability. The &ldquo;public face of law&rdquo; has institutionalized the State endorsement of individual executioners of violence against Indigenous women. For decades, Indigenous peoples and human rights organizations have urged the State to recognize its active role in the violence and launch a public national inquiry. This thesis seeks to highlight the culpability of the State in the contemporary crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls while reasserting the power of the Indigenous woman. My argument is that in order to restore Indigenous women to their rightful place of power and equality in society, the State must both acknowledge and take responsibility for its crimes. </p><p>

<p> Peyote beadwork is a nuanced and elegant art form. Hundreds of thousands of people today use peyote beadwork, including the Native American Church, powwow people, gourd dancers and Native Americans wanting a marker of Native Identity. Mainstream society has relegated this art form to the status of craft. It is virtually unstudied in the academic world. This paper accepts that objects so decorated are art, that is, expressions that are a means of communication among humans, and both a sacred art as well as a means of establishing cultural identity. The lack of academic study has led to hypotheses about its origin that obscure rather than reveal how it began. This paper aims to describe when and by whom the beadwork began, as well as how it was first disseminated.</p><p>

Constatant une absence de dialogue entre l'anthropologie (discours sur les sociétés dites primitives) et la pensée autochtone (discours sur les sociétés traditionnelles ) en ce qui concerne la question du politique, le projet tente de recréer un pont entre ces deux disciplines par le biais d'une analyse philosophique des sociétés sans État. L'approche comparative vise à faire entrer en relation un représentant de chaque discipline: Clastres, un anthropologue français accuse de reproduire le mythe du bon sauvage, et Deloria, un intellectuel sioux qui prétend décrire le vrai sauvage. En permettant ce dialogue entre le bon et le vrai sauvages, il en ressort l'idée que le refus d'une médiation formelle dans les sociétés a-étatiques explique à la fois la non-coercition et l'égalité. Par contre, il est fort possible que les deux auteurs se rencontrent dans une utopie semblable. Le premier pour sortir de l'Occident; le second, de la colonisation.

Cette étude traite du phénomène de la transnationalisation des luttes autochtones et tout particulièrement des relations créées entre peuples autochtones et diverses organisations dans un contexte de lutte menée contre un État. L'intérêt central de cette recherche vise à participer aux réflexions concernant la création de relations transnationales et l'utilisation d'outils transnationaux permettant une modification des rapports de force entre peuples autochtones et États. L'étude expose principalement les récits analytiques de deux luttes autochtones, soit celles menées par les Cris du Québec contre l'érection d'un barrage hydroélectrique sur la rivière Grande-Baleine et par les Lubicons de l'Alberta pour obtenir la reconnaissance et le respect de leur territoire. Dans les deux cas, ces peuples autochtones ont su transposer leur lutte du territoire national à l'espace transnational, dans l'intention d'exercer une pression sur les gouvernements pour les contraindre à modifier leurs positions.