summer reading part four

all quotes from the book indigenizing the academy: transforming scholarship and empowering communities edited by devon abbott mihesuah & angela cavender wilson

from chapter 10: "in the trenches: a critical look at the isolation of American Indian political practices in the nonempirical social science of political science" by joely de la torre

"political science is dominated by white males who are not concerned with Indigenous knowledge, American Indian political practices, or empowering Indigenous people.  Instead, they hide behind terms like 'academic,' 'empirical,' 'quantantative,' and 'evidence' to avoid any meaningful analysis."

"all groups must come to understand themselves as their situation defines them and not as other groups see them.  by accepting ourselves and defining the values within which we can be most comfortable, we can find peace.  in essence, we must all create social isolates, which have economic bases that support creative and innovative efforts to customize values we need.  myths mus be re-examined and clarified.  where they are detrimental, sharp and necessary distinctions must be made.  the fear of the unknown must be eliminated.  the white mythologizes the racial minorities because of his lack of knowledge of them.  these myths then create barriers for communication between various segments of society." -vine deloria, jr.

"if sovereignty is restricted to a legal-political context, then it becomes a limiting concept, which serves to prevent solutions. the legal-political context is structured in an adversary situation, which precludes both understanding and satisfactory resolution of difficulties and should be considered as a last resort. . . in which human problems and relationships are seen." -vine deloria, jr.

"native scholars such as deloria argue that cultural integrity moves from defining sovereignty as a political power or a legal concept to a value-based approach.  in other words, he defines cultural integrity as follows: 'commitment to a central and easily understood purpose that motivates a group of people, enables them to form efficient, albeit informal social institutions, and provides for them clear identity which cannot be eroded by the passage of time.  it involves most of all a strong sense of community, a degree of self-containment, a pride that transcends all objective codes, rules and regulations.'"

"Indigenous knowledge should also be included in political theory that searches for other conceptions of political decision making, outcomes, and processes.  most political theory courses compel students to analyze and critique only theoretical descriptions of behaviors and political institutions.  including Indigenous knowledge in political theory would challenge students and the discipline to examine cognitive and affective issues, consider alternative methods, and ultimately participate in determinations that positively affect the students, the discipline of political science, the academy, individual Indigenous scholars, and Indigenous communities as a whole."

"dialogues must be encouraged that revisit traditional systems of governance, instead of dwelling on contemporary forms of government."

"empowering American Indians to assert our political status in a world that consistently tries to depreciate our status is of utmost importance.  we must comprehend both how our tribal background and structure operates and how the american political system operates if we are to effectively deal with the rhetoric, policy shifts, and legal challenges that come our way."

from chapter 11: "graduating indigenous students by confronting the academic environment" by joshua k. mihesuah

"how can an outsider really understand life on reservations, the struggle for recognition, sovereignty, economic development, preservation of language and culture?" -karen swisher

from chapter 12: "so you think you hired an 'Indian' faculty member?: the ethnic fraud paradox in higher education" by cornel d. pewewardy

"the true source of power and control is the ability to convince people that their experienced reality is real."

"we scholars/activists of color need to understand the ways in which we manipulate our multiple, fluid, clashing, and colonized identities and how our identities are manipulated and marginalized in the midst of oppressive discources." -sofia villenas

from chapter 13: "not the end of the stories, not the end of the songs: visualizing, signifying, counter colonizing" by david anthony tyeeme clark

"first, everyone here agrees, at least for now, that to decolonize what currently is widely accepted as knowledge about 'Indians' is crucial.  second, a consensus emerges in these pages around the need to theorize, conceptualize, and represent Indigenous sovereignty so that our people may live well into the unforeseeable future.  third, contributors to this volume argue for the necessities of producing indigenous knowledges for Indigenous Peoples rather than primarily as subjects for non-Indigenous curiosity."

"these three central concerns consist of the interrelated matters of decolonizing research methodologies, theorizing sovereignty, and producing knowledge."

"when the academy becomes a safe place wherein scholarly attention is devoted to studies of Indigenous governance, languages, oral histories, technologies, and sciences, as well as to historic and sacred site protection, community health, and treaty rights, then, in those moments of knowledge production, the academy will be indigenized."