Tribal Heritage Research Articles

Arts And Crafts Of The Singpho Tribe Of Assam: An Empirical Study

Each tribe has its unique style and traditions, contributing to the rich tapestry of global indigenous art and craft. In tribal societies, daily living, cultural identity, and arts and crafts are intricately entwined. These artistic manifestations frequently convey spiritual beliefs, narratives, and communal values in addition to having utilitarian functions. Natural dyes, textiles, wood and bamboo are among the materials that tribal obtain locally. Their relationship with nature is reflected in their connection to the environment. Generations of people pass along traditional skills, which include weaving, carving and making of bamboo basket. Every technique could have a unique cultural meaning. Numerous pieces of art have motifs and symbols that allude to social rank, tribal heritage, or spiritual beliefs. Crafts like clothes, baskets for carrying things all have useful applications. They combine practicality with artistic expression. Many tribal crafts are integral to rituals and ceremonies, such as textile used in dances or ceremonial clothing that signifies important life events. Arts and crafts foster a sense of community and belonging. This paper has been tried to explore the arts and crafts of the Singpho tribe of North-East India based on empirical study. The Singpho tribe, primarily lived in North-East India, particularly in Arunachal Pradesh and parts of Assam, has a rich tradition of arts and crafts that reflects their cultural identity and way of life. The findings revealed that arts and crafts of the Singpho tribe is a reflection of their rich cultural and heritage.

The maternal genetic history of tribal populations of Chhattisgarh, India

The central region of India boasts a rich tribal heritage and the highest number of tribal populations in the country. Analysing the genetic history of this population can offer valuable insights into various demographic processes that shaped the gene pool of present-day settlers of this region. In this study, we utilize a recently validated Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technique to sequence 24 tribal mitogenomes from the Chhattisgarh population for genetic ancestry and forensic analysis. The identified ancient haplogroups in this population can be traced back to the pre-Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) period. Our Bayesian analysis provides evidence for maternal ancestral expansion following the earliest Out-of-Africa migration, followed by a prolonged steady phase. We identified three basal founding haplogroups, M2, R5, and U2 in the Chhattisgarh region that diversified during the Neolithic period. Indistinct distribution pattern of these haplogroups among tribes and castes suggests that the maternal ancestry of Chhattisgarh population predates any kind of social stratification that exists today in the Indian subcontinent. Furthermore, our analysis suggests that this region remained unaffected by the Last Glacial Maximum. The forensic analysis of the mitogenomes demonstrates a high power of discrimination (0.9256) within the Chhattisgarh population, thus supporting the applicability of mitogenome NGS technology in forensic contexts.

The Immigration and Strategic Assimilation of Bene Menashe: A Zomian Jewish Community in Israel

ABSTRACT Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted among a community of immigrants from the Eastern Indian states of Manipur and Mizoram, Bene Menashe, this article deals with how these immigrants have used ethnic identity to further integrate into mainstream Jewish and Israeli society. Originally known as the Kuki-Chin-Mizo, Bene Menashe claim to be descendants of the lost tribes of Israel, cut off from other Jews for 2,700 years. Several thousand members of the community have emigrated to Israel since the 1990s. Bene Menashe’s background as a singular community of East Asian immigrants in the peripheral town of KA and as recent converts to Judaism, as well as their Zomian (Upland Southeast Asian) background, are central to the community’s negotiation of ethnoreligious identity. Their efforts to integrate into contemporary Israeli society often contrast with the drive of Israeli cultural agents to emphasise the group’s lost tribal heritage, and the community has also both emphasised and sought to discard their previous ethnic identity. Bene Menashe in KA, this article shows, employ several strategies to further their ‘strategic assimilation’ into Israeli society.

Fighting erasure and dispossession in the San Francisco Bay Area: putting archaeology to work for the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe

The Muwekma Ohlone Tribe has long been involved in the archaeology and stewardship of their ancestral homelands, both through their own cultural resource management (CRM) firm and though collaborations with academic and CRM archaeologists. In this article, we build on the past 40 years of archaeological collaborations in the southern San Francisco Bay region and offer examples of how archaeologists can support tribal heritage and environmental stewardship by using the traditional purview of material culture in combination with a broader array of evidence and concerns. As presented in our brief case studies, the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe and scholars are working together to reclaim tribal heritage and promote Native stewardship in a cultural landscape that has been marred by more than 250 years of dispossession. We examine this work in the context of the renaming of ancestral sites, the public interpretation of Native heritage associated with Mission Santa Clara de Asís, archival research into the history of Indigenous resistance, as well as collaborative efforts to awaken traditional ecological knowledge in service of the Tribe's stewardship and land management goals.

INNOVATION IN INDIGENOUS TOURISM: LESSONS FROM EN OORU TRIBAL HERITAGE VILLAGE, WAYANAD, KERALA

Indigenous tourism plays a crucial role in preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of tribal communities. This research paper explores the En Ooru tribal heritage village project in Wayanad, Kerala, and its impact on tribal development and indigenous tourism in the region. The study highlights the key characteristics of the En Ooru project, including its emphasis on preserving indigenous architecture, tribal customs, and traditions. Furthermore, the research explores the economic and socio-cultural impact of the En Ooru project. The village has become a major tourist attraction, drawing a significant number of visitors who contribute to the local economy. The paper also discusses the collaboration between the Kerala Tourism and Scheduled Tribe Development Department, which has been crucial to the success of the En Ooru project. This collaboration highlights the importance of governmental support and partnership in promoting indigenous tourism and tribal development. The findings from this study can serve as a foundation for future research and inform policymakers and stakeholders on strategies to enhance indigenous tourism and uplift tribal communities in Kerala.

Student evaluation of teaching and student centeredness in the Humboldtian and Emirati tribal traditions of higher education

ABSTRACT This study is the result of interviewing administrators and academics as well as conducting content analysis of student evaluation of teaching (SET) forms in 14 universities in Germany and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The aim was to establish whether and if so, how, this procedure differs in two highly hierarchical social and academic contexts. We found that SETs have been adopted by all the universities we visited between 2001 and 2013, for some courses in Germany and for all of those in the United Arab Emirates. National and regional higher education laws and accreditation procedures act as coercive and normative mechanisms that promote SET’s implementation in Germany and the UAE, respectively. It emerged that SETs are commonly used for monitoring in Germany and the UAE, in private Emirati and German universities for checking the continuity of contracts and, in private German ones, to report students, while Emirati students do not receive reports, despite their treatment as clients. Further, we elicited that SETs reproduce student-centeredness in all the visited universities in both countries, albeit to varying degrees. We conclude that SETs demonstrate the strength of rationalizing trends in higher education (HE). Moreover, nuances in the implementation of SET, which we relate to the protection of professors’ autonomy in Germany and the cultural norm of respecting faculty as a highly regarded position in the UAE, remain related to the Humboldtian and tribal heritage of our studied countries, respectively.

Winery diversification options for Native American tribal enterprises

PurposeThis study examined the perceptions of tribal members regarding the strengths, challenges and opportunities presented by tribal winery operation. Issues of business diversification, marketing, perceived barriers to success, potential benefits to the tribe and the role of agriculture in the preservation of tribal heritage were considered.Design/methodology/approachA modified mixed-methods exploratory sequential research model was used to collect and organize data in two studies. In Study 1 quantitative data was used to inform the development of Study 2 which included a qualitative interview protocol. Qualitative interviews followed to elaborate on the various aspects of each of these areas of consideration.FindingsResults indicate that there is neutral to positive opinion on tribal wineries and that any venture would have to be carefully thought out in terms of marketing and preserving tribal heritage.Practical implicationsThis research examined the potential strengths, challenges and opportunities provided by tribal winery operation that can be used to inform future business practices.Originality/valueThe results of this research provide a framework for consideration of the potential strengths and opportunities provided by tribal winery operation.

INTERNAL TRIBAL CONFLICT IN THE REGENCY OF TANAH DATAR IN THE REFORM ERA

The purpose of this tribal research is to identify patterns of internal conflict in Tanah Datar District, which is located in three sub-districts. The method used is qualitative descriptive analysis with historical and sociological approaches. The primary sources were interviews with indigenous groups; LKAAM, KAN (Kerapatan Adat Nagari), MTKAAM (High Council for Natural Density Minangkabau), chiefs of the two conflicting parties, chairman of the MUI, Alim Ulama in nagari, secondary sources; books, articles and journals. Data analysis using constant comparative analysis method (grounded theory research). In the reform era, the struggle for the title of sako is not only to get tribal heritage and dignity, but is influenced by political needs and prestige.

Relevance of Ethnomuseology for Ethnographical Museums and Tribal Cultural Heritage

Ethnomuseology is an interdisciplinary concept that mainly incorporates the Museum Studies and Ethnography / Anthropology with varieties of ethnic arts / artifacts. Ethnographical Museums all over world are the result of specialized field of Ethnomuseography. Since the initial stage and even till today Socio-Cultural Anthropologists are playing significant role to enrich the field of Ethnomuseography and contributing to the development of ethnographical museums in India and abroad. The present paper discusses about ethnographic museums in relation to tribal heritage of India in the wave of modernization and globalization. Most of the Ethnographic collections or cultural heritages are still prevalent in the form of living traditions. But, many of them are gradually lost or vanishing with time in the changing scenario due to cultural change. It is high time to preserve it by ethnomuseographical means. An attempt has also been made to discuss the ways through which such ethnographic museums are growing in India and abroad. In case of ethnographic museums especially community museums and tribal museums; Action Museology deals with the various aspects of tribal cultural sustainability and act as a key explanation to preserve and propagate the tribal cultural heritage.

Brief Synopses of New Arabic-Language Publications

Brief Synopses of New Arabic-Language Publications

The Intersection of Indigenous thought and archaeological practice: The field methods in Indigenous archaeology field school

ABSTRACT In this essay we consider how thinking with and through Indigenous perspectives through the Field Methods in Indigenous Archaeology field school transforms archaeological practice, from the field into the classroom. The outcome of a community-based archaeological partnership between the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon’s Historic Preservation Office and researchers at the University of Washington, the field school is designed to build the capacity of not only the tribal nation, but also future archaeologists, to care for and protect tribal heritage. Outlining the process partners use to define an Indigenous and, specifically, Grand Ronde approach to archaeological practice and education, we assess the impact of this approach on undergraduate and graduate archaeology education. We argue that integrating Indigenous perspectives in archaeology education encourages a democratic and dialogic approach to field training that fosters students’ ability to fully engage in archaeological research.

The Banker and the Blackfoot: An Untold Story of Friendship, Trust, and Broken Promises in the Old West by Edward Chamberlin

Reviewed by: The Banker and the Blackfoot: An Untold Story of Friendship, Trust, and Broken Promises in the Old West by Edward Chamberlin David M. Craig The Banker and the Blackfoot: An Untold Story of Friendship, Trust, and Broken Promises in the Old West. By J. Edward Chamberlin. Katonah, NY: BlueBridge; Pierre: South Dakota Historical Society Press, 2018. 233 pp. Illustrations, sources and endnotes, index. $24.95, cloth. J. Edward Chamberlin, professor emeritus of English and comparative literature at the University of Toronto, recounts the friendship between Jack Cowdry and Crop Eared Wolf in order to tell the story of Fort Macleod, Alberta, and the High Plains borderlands between 1885 and 1905. The friendship at the heart of this study began one spring day in 1885 on the town's main street with their conversation about horses and what brought Cowdry to Blackfoot territory. Cowdry had come to Fort Macleod with hopes, but no specific plans. [End Page 334] Inspired by a rancher friend's stories about his 300-mile journey to Helena, Montana, to go to a bank, Cowdry started Fort Macleod's first bank and thus became important to the region's prosperity. Crop Eared Wolf, who would become chief of the Blood tribe, had come to town from the nearby Blood Reserve, one of three reserves resulting from the 1877 Treaty Seven between the tribes of the Blackfoot Confederacy and the Canadian government. For Cowdry, who became a much-respected mayor, the territory and town were the common homeland for the Blackfoot and the settlers during the critical years when openrange cattle ranching had replaced the buffalo. Chamberlain, who is Cowdry's grandson, argues that the settlers and the Blackfoot could have realized the spirit of Treaty Seven as they tried to fashion a commonwealth, but their efforts were undone by Ottawa's broken promises. Chamberlin, formerly a senior research associate with the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, skillfully interweaves the history and customs of the Blackfoot, especially of the Sun Dance, as the tapestry against which Cowdry and Crop Eared Wolf's friendship emerges. He includes chapters on Treaty Seven, the North-West Rebellion of the Métis, and the residential school system, which was so destructive to the First Nations' culture. The quirt (riding whip) that Crop Eared Wolf gave Cowdry embodied their friendship, its Blackfoot iconography recording the warrior's tribal heritage and his own horseraiding exploits. The quirt became for Cowdry a promise whose terms were never explained, but when understood and kept could "redeem" the future. In explicating the quirt and its gift as stories, Chamberlin personalizes the thesis of his praised book, If This Is Your Land, Where Are Your Stories? Finding Common Ground. Chamberlin's affectionate account of Cowdry and his friendship with Crop Eared Wolf is limited by its sources—family stories and reminiscences. While he can describe climbing into his grandfather's lap to hear these stories, he does not have the necessary resources to illuminate his heroes' inner lives. Instead Chamberlin invokes Owen Wister's The Virginian, whose protagonist is based upon an Alberta cowboy whom Jack Cowdry knew, to depict his grandfather's values and motivations, thereby romanticizing a crucial element of this account of the Old West. David M. Craig Department of English, Philosophy, and Modern Languages Montana State University Billings Copyright © 2021 Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Tribal Heritage at the Grand Canyon: Protecting a Large Ethnographic Landscape to Sustain Living Traditions

Tribal Heritage at the Grand Canyon: Protecting a Large Ethnographic Landscape to Sustain Living Traditions

The American Indian and Alaska Native dentist workforce in the United States.

The purpose of this article is to describe the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) dentist workforce, the general practice patterns of these providers, and their contributions to oral health care for AI/AN and underserved patients. A national sample survey of underrepresented minority dentists was conducted in 2012 and received a 34 percent response rate for self-reported AI/AN dentists. Data were weighted for selection and response bias to be nationally representative. Descriptive and multivariable statistics were computed to provide a workforce profile. Comparisons to Census data and published information on dental students and dentists were used to examine practice patterns. The AI/AN dentist workforce (weighted n = 442) is very diverse with 55 reported individual tribal affiliations. Tribal heritage was provided by 95.7 percent of AI/AN dentists (n = 423), and of these, 93.9 percent (n = 400) reported an affiliation with only one tribe. The largest share of AI/AN dentists were born in the United States (98.2 percent, n = 434), married (75.6 percent, n = 333), and had dependent children under age 18 (52.0 percent, n = 222). Only 0.9 percent (n = 4) of AI/AN dentists spoke a traditional AI/AN language in patient care, while 10.6 percent (n = 46) were raised on tribal land or reservation. Initial practice in the Indian Health Service was reported by 15.8 percent of AI/AN dentists while 16.2 percent report currently practicing in a safety-net setting, and 42.0 percent report working in a practice that primarily serves underserved patients. AI/AN dentists provide a disproportionate share of care for AI/AN populations, yet the number of AI/AN dentists would need to increase 7.4-fold in order to meet population parity.

Collaborative Archaeologies and Descendant Communities

In the 1970s, public archaeology, a major theme in anthropology, sought to articulate the field's new orientation toward engaging the nonprofessional, general public, particularly in the realm of cultural resource management (CRM). Over the decades that followed, this approach evolved to focus increasingly on ways to connect archaeological heritage to different kinds of publics. Through this work, among the most important publics that emerged were groups who claimed descent from the ancient peoples archaeologists studied. By the end of the 1990s, a significant branch of archaeological practice had shifted toward new theories and methods for directly and meaningfully engaging descendant communities. This article focuses on how in the United States, and beyond, research with Native peoples in particular has created a rich dialogue about such wide-ranging themes as ethics, collaboration, indigeneity, and multivocality. Although critiques have emerged, the increasingly active role of descendant communities has fundamentally shifted the way museums present culture and contributed to community development, tribal heritage management programs, social justice, and the advancement of the CRM industry. Descendant communities have helped to fundamentally transform archaeology into a science that is driven by an ethical engagement with key publics invested in the interpretation and management of the material past.

Indigenous Values and Methods in Archaeological Practice: Low-Impact Archaeology Through the Kashaya Pomo Interpretive Trail Project

As federally and non-federally recognized tribal communities assert control over the management of tribal heritage, there is a significant opportunity to work with these nations to further refine and develop approaches to archaeological practice that work for the long-term care and protection of tribal heritage. This article evaluates the methodological implications of integrating indigenous values and cultural protocols into archaeological practice and tribal historic preservation. Drawing upon the example of the Kashaya Pomo Interpretive Trail Project at Fort Ross State Historic Park, I examine how respectful, engaged, community-based dialogue with the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians led to the development of a lowimpact archaeological methodology that contributes to the capacity of the Kashia Tribal Historic Preservation Office (THPO) to employ archaeology as a tool of historic preservation. Although this methodology was developed with specific reference to the needs and cultural protocols of the Kashaya Pomo, it provides a salient model of a sovereignty-based approach to tribal historic preservation that may be relevant to other tribal heritage managers. The application of a suite of low-impact survey methods, including the catch-and-release surface collection strategy, also provides tribal and nontribal heritage professionals with additional tools for recovering data from cultural resources with minimal impact.

Tribal Mediation and Empowered Women: Potential Contributions of Heritage to National Development in Yemen

Abstract When demonstrations against Yemen’s former regime first began in 2011, observers expressed surprise at two developments: first, that women led the demonstrations, and second, that Yemen’s heavily armed tribes did not lead the country into civil war. Instead, a significant number of tribesmen went into cities to protect demonstrators from harm, and others protected their own communities from the incursions of outsiders. This article suggests that both developments are rooted in a deeply engrained tribal heritage that provides social capital, contributes to Yemeni society’s resilience and counteracts stereotypes of primitivism by prioritizing mediation, dialogue and consensus above the facile use of force or terrorism. Ways in which this heritage can be harnessed to support national reconciliation and development are proposed. Yemen’s tribal heritage is threatened by recurrent political and economic crises, various forms of modernism, and imported conservative interpretations of Islam that perceive tribalism as divisive and women’s mobility unacceptable. By far the most serious threat to Yemen’s population and heritage, however, is the current war unleashed by Saudi Arabia and its allies, which threatens to destroy the very foundations of Yemeni society.

Indigenous Values and Methods in Archaeological Practice: Low-Impact Archaeology Through the Kashaya Pomo Interpretive Trail Project

As federally and non-federally recognized tribal communities assert control over the management of tribal heritage, there is a significant opportunity to work with these nations to further refine and develop approaches to archaeological practice that work for the long-term care and protection of tribal heritage. This article evaluates the methodological implications of integrating indigenous values and cultural protocols into archaeological practice and tribal historic preservation. Drawing upon the example of the Kashaya Pomo Interpretive Trail Project at Fort Ross State Historic Park, I examine how respectful, engaged, community-based dialogue with the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians led to the development of a lowimpact archaeological methodology that contributes to the capacity of the Kashia Tribal Historic Preservation Office (THPO) to employ archaeology as a tool of historic preservation. Although this methodology was developed with specific reference to the needs and cultural protocols of the Kashaya Pomo, it provides a salient model of a sovereignty-based approach to tribal historic preservation that may be relevant to other tribal heritage managers. The application of a suite of low-impact survey methods, including the catch-and-release surface collection strategy, also provides tribal and nontribal heritage professionals with additional tools for recovering data from cultural resources with minimal impact.

A latent class analysis of urban American Indian youth identities.

This study examined sources of indigenous identity among urban American Indian youth that map the three theoretical dimensions of a model advanced by Markstrom: identification (tribal and ethnic heritage), connection (through family and reservation ties), and involvement in traditional culture and spirituality. Data came from self-administered questionnaires completed by 208 urban American Indian students from five middle schools in a large metropolitan area in the Southwest. Descriptive statistics showed most youth were connected to multiple indicators on all three dimensions of indigenous identity: native parental heritage, native best friends, past and current reservation connections, involvement with cultural practices, tribal language and spirituality, and alignment with native and mainstream cultural orientations. A latent class analysis identified five classes. There were two larger groups, one with strong native heritage and the highest levels of enculturation, and another that was more bicultural in orientation. The remaining three groups were smaller and about equal in size: a highly acculturated group with mixed parental ethnic heritage, those who had strong native heritage but were culturally disengaged, and a group with some mixed ethnic heritage that was low on indicators of enculturation. Evidence for the validity of the latent classes came from significant variations across the classes in scores on an American Indian ethnic identity (modified Phinney) scale, the students' open-ended descriptions of the main sources of their indigenous identities, and the better academic grades of classes that were more culturally engaged. Despite the challenges of maintaining cultural identities in the urban environment, most youth in this sample expressed a strong sense of indigenous identity, claimed personal and parental tribal heritage, remained connected to reservation communities, and actively engaged in Native cultural and spiritual life.

ATALM annual conference on Indigenous Archives, Libraries, and Museums

Purpose – This paper aims to summarize the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museum’s (ATALM) 7th annual conference events and focus on best practices in indigenous archives, libraries and museums. The city Palm Springs, California, played host to an “eventful” ATALM 2014 international conference which featured diverse range of activities, namely, poem reading from personal collection, melodious flute playing by native players, an open house and cultural evening at a tribal museum, etc. The conference brought together 520 registered delegates from the USA, Canada and Mexico. Design/methodology/approach – This report is an outline of selected ATALM 2014 conference events in Palm Springs based on the theme “Indigenous Archives, Libraries and Museums”. It summarizes selective events, namely, onsite workshops and poster session. Findings – The conference focused on indigenous culture, as the participants discussed challenges and opportunities in sustaining cultural sovereignty of native nations. The hands-on or interactive labs/workshops were centered on the activities and needs of tribal archives, especially on preservation of cultural heritage. As a Fulbright scholar, the author was interested to know about American tribal history, indigenous culture, native archives and libraries, and excited to see the country’s desert scenery. Additionally, ATALM scholarship/financial support encouraged the author to attend the conference, and finally, the heat of the desert which accentuated the beauty of Palm Springs makes a complete experience. Originality/value – The ATALM conferences are the important conference because of the participation of large number of tribal libraries and cultural heritage keeping organizations serving indigenous population. The ATALM 2014 covered areas like successful collaborations between tribal and non-tribal organizations, and building strategic networks among outside and within the communities.