abstract: Abstract   Everyday living, as an Indigenous person, is an act of resistance. On December 21, 2012, there was a national day of action that included rallies and demonstrations happening all over the world to stand in solidarity with First Nations Indigenous peoples in Canada under the banner Idle No More (INM). The pressure of the movement all came to an end after the cooptation from a few First Nation leadership on January 11, 2013. Despite the failures, the INM movement brought hope, the urgency to act, and ideas of the decolonization and resurgence process. This movement was educational in focus and with that, there is the need to explore essential roles to advance Indigenous resistance to ensure Indigenous liberation. Here I explore the role of the intellectual, and in particular three scholars who provide next level warriorship. Their contributions redirected the conceptualization of decolonization to a process of resurgence. In this manner, authentic Indigenous nationhood is possible. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis American Indian Studies 2018

Many Native American students face challenges when entering and attending institutions of higher learning. For Native Americans, seeking postsecondary education frequently means overcoming hurdles, such as inadequate college preparatory courses work, economic hardships, leaving Native American communities behind and acclimating to the expectancies and values of a dominant culture. These barriers often result in Native American college students leaving college early or failing to graduate. One solution to this problem has been the creation of Tribal colleges where Native American students are able to practice their cultural traditions and preserve tribal values, while at the same time developing skills to become successful college students. The Tribal colleges’ curricula and delivery methods foster more cooperative learning activities rather than academic competition, present the study of natural phenomena through direct observations, and permit cultural research regarding Native American history and language. A survey was distributed to all enrolled members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian (EBCI) college students to compare the experiences of those attending Tribal and non-tribal colleges. The results of the survey provided data for a nonexperimental quantitative study that addressed 18 research questions in an effort to determine whether there is a significant difference between the educational experiences of EBCI college students who attend non-tribal institutions and those who attend Tribal colleges. In particular, there was a focus on three domains: student viewpoints on separation and alienation from their tribal community; tribal community connections; and individual perceptions of success. A comparison of the experiences by gender between students attending Tribal versus non-tribal colleges was made. The researcher used the Native American Collective Orientation and Pursuits in Education Scale (NACOPE) survey results as determinants of the college students’ experiences. The findings of this study indicated there were no significant differences between the experiences of EBCI students who attended either Tribal or nontribal colleges. In addition, there were no significant differences when gender and type of college were considered. However, there were significant differences in those attending Tribal and nontribal colleges regarding some dimensions. Students in both groups had significantly higher survey scores than the median test value on the NACOPE in three areas. These higher scores were observed in their overall experiences being reported as positive; feelings of community connectedness to their home tribe; and less feelings of separation and alienation on their college campuses.

A survey was distributed to all enrolled members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian (EBCI) college students to compare the experiences of those attending Tribal and non-tribal colleges. The results of the survey provided data for a nonexperimental quantitative study that addressed 18 research questions in an effort to determine whether there is a significant difference between the educational experiences of EBCI college students who attend non-tribal institutions and those who attend Tribal colleges. In particular, there was a focus on three domains: student viewpoints on separation and alienation from their tribal community; tribal community connections; and individual perceptions of success. A comparison of the experiences by gender between students attending Tribal versus non-tribal colleges was made. The researcher used the Native American Collective Orientation and Pursuits in Education Scale (NACOPE) survey results as determinants of the college students’ experiences. The findings of this study indicated there were no significant differences between the experiences of EBCI students who attended either Tribal or nontribal colleges. In addition, there were no significant differences when gender and type of college were considered. However, there were significant differences in those attending Tribal and nontribal colleges regarding some dimensions. Students in both groups had significantly higher survey scores than the median test value on the NACOPE in three areas. These higher scores were observed in their overall experiences being reported as positive; feelings of community connectedness to their home tribe; and less feelings of separation and alienation on their college campuses.

abstract: The coyote of the natural world is an anthropomorphic figure that occupies many places within Southwestern Pueblo cultures in oral traditions as well as the natural environs. The modern-day coyote is a marginalized occupant of Southwestern milieu portrayed as an iconic character found in cartooned animations or conceptualized as a shadowed symbol of a doglike creature howling in front of a rising full moon. Coyote is also a label given to a person who transports undocumented immigrants across the United States–Mexico border. This wild dog is known as coyote, Coyote, Canis latrans, tsócki (Keresan for coyote), trickster, Wylie Coyote, and coywolf. When the biology, history, accounts, myths, and cultural constructs are placed together within the spectrum of coyote names or descriptions, a transmergent materiality emerges at the center of those contributing factors. Coyote is many things. It is constantly adapting to the environment in which it has survived for millions of years. The Southwest landscape was first occupied by rudimentary components of life evolving into a place first populated by animals, followed by humans. To a great extent, the continued existence of both animals and humans relies on their ability to obtain food and find a suitable niche in which to live. This dissertation unpacks how the coyote that is embedded in American Pueblo literature and culture depicts a transmergent materiality representing the constantly changing human–animal interface as it interprets the likewise transformative state of food systems in the American Southwest in the present day. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation English 2019

The sexual assault and gendered violence Native American women face has started to garner attention from politicians, newspapers, and Hollywood producers. Most of today's discourse, however, ignores history. My historical analysis reveals how sexual violence against Indigenous women has been institutionalized since the very first days of colonization, and how these institutions ensured gendered violence would endure over time. First, I analyze how gender roles within Indigenous communities, specifically the Cherokee, led to Native women's subjugation and enabled intracommunal violence. Next, I examine particular federal Indian policies that have created a complex system of jurisdictional conflict that prevents tribal governments from addressing sexual assault in their communities. Finally, I bring in Native women's perspectives through creative forms, like fiction and art. These creative forms engage with history in a way that helps complete the historical account. In examining history and Native women's creative forms, I hope to illuminate how historical institutions continue to operate today, and how that conclusion will become the base of a decolonized future.

The persistence rates of Native American students in higher education are lower than other underrepresented groups. Research suggests that the discrepancy could result from factors outside of students' academic knowledge. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore how Cherokee students perceive their tribal culture affects their ability to persist at institutions of higher education with a primarily Whitestreamed campus culture. Tharp's cultural compatibility theory and Astin's student involvement theory guided the development of the research questions. The research questions explored potential differences between Cherokee students' tribal culture and the culture these students percieve exists on their college campus, how those differences could influence their ability to persist, and the educational changes Cherokee students suggest are made to increase persistence rates. Interviews with 8 Cherokee students from 2 institutions in the Midwest region of the United States were analyzed using open coding. The resulting themes suggested that participants perceived cultural incongruence with the campus culture, which often led to feelings of isolation and a lower sense of belonging. Involvement in campus activities and groups and encouragement from family and community helped participants persist. Suggested changes to the learning environment included incorporating indigenous instructional methods, creating dedicated spaces for Cherokee students, and increasing mentor relationships. A positive social change implication of this study is the increased knowledge and understanding of the factors that may contribute to low persistence rates of Native American students.

One aspect of leadership strategy is the need to account for the core values of the organization. The purpose of this case study was to explore the perceptions of tribal gaming leader strategies toward sustainability, an action that leads to tribal economic development and stability. The conceptual framework of situational leadership theory was used to guide the scope and analysis of this study. Six tribal gaming leaders from Oklahoma participated in a focus group session; 7 additional tribal gaming leaders from the same gaming organization participated in individual interview sessions. Member checking was used to strengthen the credibility and trustworthiness of the interpretation of the participants' responses. Additionally, company documents were reviewed to triangulate the data. Four emergent themes were identified after data analysis: business value, which was attributed to tribal leaders' alignment to their mission; strategic vision, which included their marketing and overall business environment; collaboration, which was evident wherein the tribal gaming leaders utilized internal and external partnerships to improve local communities and maintain competitive advantage; and communication, which was emphasized for its importance as a daily skill for information sharing. This research explored the strategies necessary for tribal gaming leader choices that could have a significant influence on social progress between the organization and society, environmental protection for the surrounding community, and economic growth for the local economy. The findings from this study may contribute to social change by aiding in the organizational strategy to forecasting; these findings may also aid in the overall business value, prosperity of employees, and the local economy.

To date, only seven known objects both depict and hieroglyphically name the ruler of Tenochtitlan, the huei tlatoani or 'Aztec Emperor.' All of these objects were commissioned by the last three pre-conquest rulers. Oddly, these seven objects, five of which are at the core of this study, have little direct relation to the early colonial written accounts of Aztec nobility and royal material culture. They do have as a compositional base earlier Central Mexican visual traditions wherein artists depicted generally nameless nobles and elites engaged in timeless ritual activities, yet during the reigns of these last three rulers, an innovative imperial style was developed that proclaimed a new (semi)divine nature for Aztec royalty and posited a central place for Tenochtitlan in Aztec sacred history. The current study not only argues this point, but also demonstrates the causal factors in the development of these visual arguments and illustrates the sophisticated way in which they were put forth In this work I argue that this late imperial style has at its root three dependent central concerns. The principal causal concern in its early development was the perceived need to proclaim the legitimacy of the heirs of Moteuczoma I. This followed the investiture controversy that gave birth to the 1469-1473 Tenochca-Tlatelolca civil war. Quotations of earlier works and the referencing of crucial dates and events in the reigns of Moteuczoma I and his predecessors were key to this visual strategy and made necessary the referential strategies employed by royal artists in the other two fundamental areas of concern At the center of the second concern were complex calendrical reckoning and a nascent interest in historical precision, the later required the use of date glyphs as well as individual ruler name-glyphs. The inclusion of auspicious dates allowed for depictions to simultaneously reference multiple past religio-historical milestones, present activities, and even forecast future propitious periods and events I then argue that it is this polysemy that is at the heart of the third concern of Aztec artists and patrons addressed in this study. Born of the performative nature of Aztec historical 'literature' this strategy also served, in a tautological way, to illustrate the divine nature and continued relevance of these works, as only divine inspiration could allow for such unrelenting complexity to be expressed with such visual economy / acase@tulane.edu

This dissertation is a regional study of community, indigenous politics, and state formation in nineteenth-century Guatemala. Drawing on primary source material and ethnographic accounts concerning Q'anjob'alan-speaking Maya peoples in the northern Huehuetenango region during the period 1800-1871, it charts a series of transformations and struggles over the meaning of community, nation, and indigenous identity as these were contested by local and national actors in a specific place and time. Taking a broad anthropological approach to Maya political action and state formation, it examines a diverse array of phenomena on a variety of temporal and spatial scales, including ritual practices, ethnic and racial classification, law, office-holding, alcohol use, and land tenure. Based on this examination, new anthropological, historiographic, and theoretical insights are reached into the nature of ethnic relations, Maya community organization, state formation, and indigenous politics in Guatemala over time / acase@tulane.edu

Student achievement is a significant issue for American Indian communities across the country (State Advisory Council on Indian Education, 2006). This is particularly true for American Indian students in North Carolina who represent the largest percentage of dropouts in that state (Feaste, 2002). Student performance is based on many different factors, of particular interest to this researcher is the relationship between personality and student performance. This study had two aims: a) to examine the development of personality across adolescence and b) to examine the relationship between personality and school success among American Indian youth. This study examined two models of personality, ego development and the five factors. The results of this study indicate that ego development increases significantly across adolescence. Three of Hauser's (1991) theoretical trajectories describe ego development among participants in this study. With the exception of Extraversion, the five factors remained stable across adolescence. Ego development, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness to Experience were significantly related to school performance; however, the direction of these relationships was not entirely expected. This study highlights the important role individual differences in personality play in student performance. Teachers should therefore consider individual differences in personality among their students when planning lessons and executing these lessons in the classroom because differences in personality affect classroom learning / acase@tulane.edu