Mardi Gras Indians: can cultural appropriation occur on the margins?

In cultural appropriation, mardi gras indian suits, mardi gras indians, new york times, stereotypes by Adrienne K.20 Comments

(image via http://library.duke.edu) Last week, the New York Times published a really interesting article concerning Mardi Gras Indians, specifically looking at the possibility of  the “Indians” copyrighting their costumes so their images can’t be used in things like calendars, promotional materials, etc, without their consent. I’ll get to that issue in a second post, but I think the entire concept …

Indians in the Times today!: Tuba City hospital a "model" for births

In Hopi, IHS, Navajo, new york times, tuba city by Adrienne K.5 Comments

(image via nytimes.com) Nice article today in the NY Times about the Tuba City health center and its policies and practices surrounding birth, specifically focusing on their high rate of natural births after c-sections.  I’m drawing attention to the article for a few reasons, primarily  because the article presents Native communities in a positive light, showcasing the strengths of the …