A bunch of good stuff today…1. Your resume

2. Rich Indians, New Capitalists3. Course Correct (wikis, ??s, etc.)

Nancy Van Leuven, Ph.D. – AIS 230 – Fall 2013 – University of Washington

1. YOUR RESUMEIt’s growing.

SURPRISE!

THREE CONFERENCE PAPERS

ACCEPTED

American Indian Workshop

May 21-May 25, 2014

University of Leiden (Netherlands)

Activist Strategic Communications and American Indians: “People Are Not Collateral Damage”

Today’s networked American Indian is a beacon of critical consciousness, as seen in the Idle No More movement and other messages about tribal gaming and sovereignty. As seen in Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street, social networking has the potential to transform small activist groups, previously on the margins of formal networks, into powerful agents of change. The once-silent have become indigenous digital-activists, utilizing memes, texts, video, and social media as platforms for storytelling. In this research by undergraduates at the University of Washington, we examine how the tribal media of activism harnesses the power to engage audiences about indigenous issues in ways that encourage deeper thinking and create behavior change.

The Law Giveth and the Law Taketh Away:Tribal Law and the “Indian’s Right to Game”

Laws affecting how American Indian tribes operate gaming operations offer no black-and-white verdict. This paper, part of a project by undergraduate students at the University of Washington, focuses on two policy and legal topics: First, an analysis of U.S. tribal casinos compares mandates of membership; specifically, how are individual tribes determining who, exactly, is a member? Second, we look at which sovereignty rights were ceded for gaming. The message focuses on the 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in the hope that gaming would improve the quality of life on reservations and strengthen tribal governments by using gaming revenues to aid tribal and non-tribal members. We find that tribal gaming continues to be discussed in terms of legal disputes, controversies, and historical revisions.

The “Language of Things” from Gaming Cha-Ching:How Casino Profits Fund Tribal Self-Representations

Much is written about the material culture of tourism and how consumers crave take-aways such as souvenir post cards, t-shirts, and coffee mugs. Add to this list the indigenous “language of things” that includes cultural artifacts of nostalgia to ignite public understanding of colonial histories. As part of a three-prong research project by undergraduate students at the University of Washington, we posit that tribal museums and cultural centers focus on tourism discourse, with language and communication ‘reworked’ in the context of American Indian marketing. Drawing upon cultural theorists, including Stuart Hall, who states that, “Identity is always a structured representation which only achieves its positive through the narrow eye of the negative,” our study includes analyses of how the culture of indigenous tourism reframes gambling from its sinful, seedy reputation to a vibrant, restorative tribal commodity. Similar to Las Vegas casinos, tribal gaming establishments offer gift shops and resort activities; however, casinos run by American Indian nations are often historically accurate and framed so that non-Natives might better understand tribal collective and public life.

How this looks on your resume.

5/14 American Indian Research Workshop, University of Leiden/Netherlands. Researcher for three papers:

Activist Strategic Communications and American Indians: “People Are Not Collateral Damage”

The Law Giveth and the Law Taketh Away:Tribal Law and the “Indian’s Right to Game”

The “Language of Things” from Gaming Cha-Ching:How Casino Profits Fund Tribal Self-Representations

And what I hope you’re feeling right now.

Presentation exampleRSA Animate: The Empathic Civilisation

“Empathy is grounded in the acknowledgement of death and the celebration of life”

2. Rich Indians, New Capitalists

DISCUSSION

Why we acknowledge our heritage

Cultural constructions of race and ethnic heritage

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Cultural identifications and classifications

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Specific historical experiences

Themes in indigenous history

Creation of apparatus of colonialism implemented by Europeans that took control of indigenous lands for:

• Economic,

• Territorial,

• Political, and

• Religious gains.

Understanding/producing respectful histories

Knowing

• Knowing your historical/social context

Appreciating

• Appreciating multiple perspectives

Acknowledgi

ng

• How they survive in evidence/interpretation (ways of knowing)

Everybody talk now!

Why the idea of ‘rich Indians’ and their participation in corporate America disrupts dominant assumptions and attitudes about:

Indigenous peoples,

Their cultural authenticity, and

Their place in mainstream urban society.

TEAM WORK RIGHT NOW:

1. Wiki or ? What, exactly, will give

your team what you need? 2. Agenda for 22-minute meeting

Roles and assignments –Draft scripts due MONDAY

Now: Pick up your

papers!

BEFORE CLASS ON WEDNESDAY!

1) Email approved questions to your tribe/casino, Bcc'ing NVL

2) Help out the economics team!

3)Prepare for 22-minute meeting!