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Item Covid-19 response and recovery by tribes and urban Indian organizations in Montana(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2024) Sorrell, Anna Whiting; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Alexandra K. Adams; This is a manuscript style paper that includes co-authored chapters.Research shows American Indians and Alaska Natives' resilience when they are connected to cultural lifeways, beliefs, and in relationship with families, their communities, and Tribes. It aids in traumatic times. This was true during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, it still disproportionally affected AIANs in the number of cases, hospitalizations, stays in intensive care units, deaths, and at younger ages than non-Hispanic Whites. This unequal impact of COVID-19 may be explained using the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's social determinants of health, but also raises doubt on the accuracy and thoroughness of data collected for AIANs. Additionally, when Tribes and urban Indian organizations responded to meet the needs of their members and communities, there were positive outcomes. This dissertation shows lessons learned in the response and recovery led by Tribes and Urban Indian Organizations, while successful, may have been improved if their actions were guided by a Tribal or UIO specific, comprehensive emergency preparedness plan. The literature review is a comprehensive examination of available reports, newspaper stories, and journal articles. It found there are gaps in available data that is tribal or UIO specific that has confidence of accuracy and cultural appropriateness as determined by Indigenous researchers. The co-authored manuscript focuses on the social, mental, physical, and spiritual impact COVID-19 had on one Native American and one Hispanic community. While the findings of the study revealed the challenges of COVID-19 pandemic on each of these qualities, there were positive realization about resilience and adaptability. The third dissertation product builds on the findings of the first two products and interviews from two Tribes and one UIO to create an Indigenous strategic planning process for Tribes and UIOs to use when they develop their own emergency preparedness plan to guide their response to the next emergency, crisis, or pandemic. These plans must be written by the Tribe or UIO and incorporate tribal lifeways, beliefs, and values, and shared with key stakeholders. Collectively, the three dissertation products affirm Indigenous leadership is fully capable of directing Tribes and UIOs recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and set plans to prepare for the next emergent event.Item Yellowstone National Park and indigenous representation(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2024) Carlson-Strom, Daniel Zooey; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Matthew HermanYellowstone National Park, established in March 1872 as the United States' first national park, attracts millions of visitors each year due to its unusual and breathtaking landscapes, geothermal features, and bounty of wildlife. A critical aspect often overlooked by visitors is the park's history of forced removal and violence against Indigenous peoples during its formation. This thesis investigates the underrepresentation of Indigenous peoples and tribes who inhabited and utilized Yellowstone's lands before its designation as a national park. Through a comprehensive review of historical documents, and archival research, this study sheds light on the procedures and methods employed in the establishment of Yellowstone National Park, illuminating the systemic erasure of Indigenous histories from the park's public discourse. The results reveal a significant gap in the dissemination of information regarding the historic and current Indigenous presence within the park boundaries and the continued impacts of Indigenous displacement from the park. Conclusions drawn from this research underscore the necessity of acknowledging and centering Indigenous voices and perspectives in the interpretation and management of a national park.Item Avatar: a cultural and ethical journey across settler-colonialism(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2023) Koh, Celia; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Alex HarmonThis thesis critically examines James Cameron's blockbuster Avatar, as a complex cinematic narrative that delves into themes of colonialism, environmental degradation, and Indigenous rights. By identifying the practices of settler-colonialism present and denounced in the movie, this paper aims to draw parallels with the settlement in America and to understand if Avatar's anti-colonial and environmental messages is a truthful representation of Native American culture in the United States. In this line of reasoning, the focus will be on the portrayal of Pandora as a parallel representation on Earth and his interpretation of the roles of the Indigenous inhabitants of Pandora. First, looking at the movie as a critique of settler-colonialism, also embedded in the American history, and of the cultural construction of race will help shed light on the intricacies of the understanding of cultures and their appreciation. Then, by focusing on the strong environmental message conveyed in the movie, as interconnectedness, respect for nature, and the safeguarding of resources is omnipresent throughout, I aim to understand to what extent Jamec Cameron's Avatar is authentically--or not--representing Native American spirituality and environmental values. Finally, this paper explores the potential of the movie as decolonizing, although Cameron's representation and depiction of Indigenous cultures have caused controversy.Item Disrupting American identity through the lens of the Pacific: essays from Hawai'i on belonging, invading and surviving(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2023) Greene, Deborah Walsh; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Susan KollinThe cooptation of Native Hawaiian Culture along with colonialism, settler privilege and distorted perceptions have reshaped the lands of Kanaka creating what activist and scholar Haunani-Kay Trask calls "a postcard image" of the place. Through a series of case studies that draw on feminist, Indigenous, and historical sources and using auto-theory as a method to examine personal experiences of place, this project analyzes the danger of fantasy as it plays out in geography, culture, family, and what it means to be American. In doing so, this dissertation foregrounds the complex relationship between the US and Hawai'i, moving beyond the popular fantasy of a tropical vacation destination to reveal how settler desires are often informed and shaped by larger nation building practices. Weaving together memoir with academic scholarship, this project examines the way in which settlers in the 1970s often depicted Hawai'i as a paradise that provided them the means for developing an "extraordinary" life, regardless of whether they were welcome there or not. This dissertation is multifaceted, highlighting the counterculture of the 1970s, the complex stories that tell about various families that worked and made lives for themselves in Hawai'i and the risk of using an imagined place to construct an idea of self that relies on notions of authenticity. To counter these misunderstandings, this dissertation foregrounds the autonomy and the resistance of Hawaiian sovereigns in the 1800s and what Kanaka are still doing today to combat the rampant spread of tourism and exploitation of the islands' resources by outside entities.Item E-Acimocik: storying the lived experiences of indigenous faculty and staff at a predominantly white institution(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2022) Russette, Kristie Lyn; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Kristin T. RuppelIn the Fall of 2021, Montana State University reported its largest number of American Indian/Alaska Native students. Despite this growing population of students, few professionals employed by this institution are adequately prepared to meet the holistic needs of Indigenous communities who are affiliated with the university. Consequently, a small group of Indigenous professionals are tasked with taking on this work. To address gaps in service to Indigenous communities, this research provides potential strategies for university professionals to consider as part of the strategic planning process. Employing an Indigenous approach to academic research, a group of 10 Indigenous professionals employed by Montana State University were interviewed about their personal experiences working for a predominantly White institution and the ways that their identities play a role in their professional work. The majority of interviewees noted additional responsibilities were expected of them due to their identities as Indigenous people. Based on their responses, this study identifies four key areas that significantly impact the workplace experiences of Indigenous professionals at Montana State University, including relationships with students, community support, knowledge of Indigenous kinship systems, and emotional and cultural labor.Item A timeline of how Native Americans/indigenous peoples have decolonized & indigenized: opera, jazz, & blues(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2021) Andrade, Bryce Clinton; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Walter FlemingAt the beginning of the assimilation era, Indigenous Tribes in North America were suppressed into western civilization. Suppression of Native American culture was rampant and still is. The art of music has come back with a vengeance and has helped the progression of decolonization and indigenization within many cultures, especially indigenous ones across the United States and Canada. The purpose of this thesis is to explore how Native Americans and Indigenous people have been able to decolonize and indigenize music between 1879 and present day -- specifically in genres such as opera, jazz and blues. The specific start date of the year 1879 enables us to engage and learn about the effects of missionary schools, more commonly known as boarding schools, and the effects that these schools have had on the culture and music for these communities. The activism in this paper is gauged on a scale of minimalism and maximization. These two spectrums will be explored in every genre provided and will present a preview of how native artists define the term activism and how they use or do not use it. Within indigenous activism, the terms 'Indigenization' and 'Decolonization' are vital and need to be established because some musical forms such as jazz are already decolonized in a historical sense. These forms of music stemmed from Black communities rebelling against the Westernized system that enslaved them thus forcing Black Americans to assimilate as well and adapt to new settings, create new cultures and with that new music. Decolonization can take place in European or Western forms of music such as opera and classical music. The timeline and interviews with current indigenous musicians will help show changes over time (even though timelines are a colonial or Western aspect), what being indigenous looks like in music, and how decolonization and indigenization have evolved as theories.Item Systemic oppression of indigenous people and documentary film storytelling from an Absaalooge paradigm(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2020) del Duca, Camille Mona Höwitaawi, Alahuzha Itchish; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Lucia RicciardelliIn this paper, I propose that contemporary documentary films that depict Native American cultures should tell the story from that culture's perspective, centering relationality instead of perpetuating hierarchal thinking. My methodological approach to both this paper and my film 'The Roads of Healing' is based on the work of Indigenous Research Methodology scholar Shawn Wilson, whose work prioritizes relationality and aims to have the final product benefit the community. I have done my best to respect and follow the Absaalooge protocols taught to me by my relations. In this paper, I will discuss the colonial impact of Eurocentric documentary representations of Indigenous people on Native Americans through an analysis of 'Beyond Standing Rock' (2018) and 'What Was Ours' (2016). I will then demonstrate how aspects of the Indigenous worldview can be expressed in documentary filmmaking through an examination of 'Fast Horse' (2018) and 'Return to Foretop's Father' (2019), concluding my study with an analysis of my own film 'Roads of Healing', which I propose as a model for documentarians who are working to decolonize Eurocentric nonfiction filmmaking. In doing so, I will illustrate how systemic racism perpetuated by euro-centric documentary filmmaking practices can be challenged by embracing an Indigenous paradigm.Item An aesthetic framework for the question of indigenous feminism, autonomy and leadership : confronting a history of colonial male dominance(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2016) Zeilinger, Lisa Ann; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Kristin T. RuppelThis research study focuses on the question of whether Indigenous women are successfully assuming leadership positions in order to address critical issues impacting their lives, their families and their communities, despite the historical implications of imposed male dominance since European contact. It explores the various avenues women have undertaken to confront the impacts of male dominance and whether they have advanced in their endeavors to alleviate the struggles and demands of their own lives, the lives of their children and families, as well as their tribal nations. Additionally, the question of whether the feminist movement is relevant to Indigenous women is explored. This research involves a multidisciplinary approach, with a focus on Indigenous methodologies, the determinants of which are covered in the text. Oral interviews have also been incorporated as supporting material, thanks to women participants from the reservations of South Dakota. This exploration of avenues Indigenous women have taken in challenging male dominance illustrates that they are utilizing various approaches to advance healing and growth. Despite such challenges as single parenthood, they are making strides to become educated in order to better address obstacles to healthy communities. Additionally, women are developing organizing strategies in order to confront violence, substance abuse, poverty and lack of education. Likewise, through spirituality, activism and the arts, they are finding a voice of resistance. Through this research study, it has been determined that women are also confronting male dominance that has not only been imposed on their communities from without, but has also pervaded their lives through lateral oppression. Their particular methods of confrontation act as foundational steps toward the creation of healthier lives for themselves, their children and families, their communities and their tribal nations, not only in contemporary times, but for the coming generations. This study is based on the image of the star quilt, an art form common among Indigenous women during the last century. Each point of the star illustrates the path that Indigenous women have taken in their quest to confront male dominance and promote healing for present communities and the generations to come.Item The depiction of indigenous African cultures as other in contemporary, Western natural history film(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2006) Shier, Sara Ann; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Ronald TobiasImages of the indigenous other have always been used in accord with the imperialistic movements of the Western world. Filmmakers continue to use the basic model of depicting people of indigenous cultures as exotic and more primitive than people of Western cultures with the effect of validating Western values and reinforcing the perceived superiority/authority of Western values over other value systems. This form is readily apparent in the treatment of the indigenous people of Africa in natural history films from the inception of the medium to present day. I will examine films from the 1920s through the present day. If filmmakers are to create successful natural history films that incorporate people of indigenous cultures, they must critically study the histories and mythologies that inform these films in order to avoid making the same mistakes.