American Indian Culture and Research Journal

This article argues that there is a need to talk about settlers and to settlers in order to undo settler colonialism. In its first section, the article talks about settlers, and offers a rejoinder to recent criticism of settler colonial studies as a scholarly subfield. In its second section, the article talks to settlers, and outlines a number of possible decolonizing passages. Specifically, this article calls for the development of a cultural pedagogy that will turn settlers into agents for decolonization.

This article outlines economic development among the Stó:lō people of British Columbia. Contemporary community development is described within the context of the “triple bottom line” of cultural, environmental, and economic health. Influences on historical Stó:lō population, cultural, and wealth declines after European contact are reviewed. Sources and processes for more recent revitalization of Stó:lō culture, identity, economics and other elements of community are examined.

As the rest of the nation continues to move toward a smoke-free society, American Indian communities lag far behind and benefit little from smoking cessation and control activities. This manuscript reports on a study that identified workplace smoking bans enacted on reservations in the Northern Plains states and discusses resistance to smoke-free policies. The study assessed the smoking ban via focus groups with adult tribal members to gather information on their perception and agreement to the smoking bans. To implement a workplace smoking cessation policy, it is necessary to coordinate culturally sensitive dialogue to encourage and accept feedback from tribal leadership, employees, and community members, and to implement those recommendations that are feasible in regard to announcing and implementing the recommended policy.

This article argues that ethnic consciousness has been important for the cultural survival of North American indigenous tribes. In comparing the Morongo Band of Mission Indians and the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, I posit that the politics of assimilation and integration into the capitalist system reduce ethnic consciousness, leading to greater cultural loss. By contrast, the renovation of ethnic consciousness can counteract cultural assimilation, strengthen the economy, and guarantee tribal survival. The article also discusses contextual issues of territory and reservation casinos.

Native American agriculturalists in Oklahoma have been attempting to decolonize their agricultural livelihoods in the face of obstacles to obtain funding and preserve traditions. These efforts were born in part due to power struggles with government and financial institutions in obtaining agricultural loans and funding and with corporate and government entities to preserve culturally important seeds and foods. This commentary describes the efforts of these agriculturalists to organize in the face of continued struggle, efforts that can be viewed as prideful acts of resistance to tear down roadblocks and to publicize their plights and gain support. These actions appeal to the value of local traditional knowledge, cultural identity, revitalization of traditions and community, agricultural independence, and grassroots self-determination.

This essay is meant to serve as an honor song for the Ish?awimin (Elders) from the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation, without whose blessings and teachings our learning and research would not have been possible, particularly Bella Alexis, Rosalie Alexis, Stanley Alexis, Angela Jones, Effie Kootenay, Helen Letendre, and Nancy and Paul Potts. We describe their contributions to a community-based participatory research project on substance abuse prevention for the doshgamin (children) at the community school. The involvement of the Ish?awimin was grounded in the values and responsibilities they carry with them. Our purpose is to wicubami, to honor the Ish?awimin highly, to honor them, as in an honor song. We honor the purpose and vision embedded in the spirit, wisdom, and leadership they carry with them. We illustrate here how the teachings and blessings of the Ish?awimin affected the research experience. They deepened the meaning of the schoolbased substance abuse prevention program, culturally adapted by the Ish?awimin and delivered to the doshgamin who participated in this study.