tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42495704137181157682024-03-05T22:32:54.076-07:00Native SkepticSkeptical inquiry from a Native Americans perspective. This blog is aimed to promote scientific inquiry and critical thinking. Exploring the methods of how we can relate the importance and power of science. Analytical decision making skills used as vital tools to determine what is true. Self-defense systems for our brain. Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249570413718115768.post-62308450549953486032021-09-05T01:23:00.003-07:002021-09-05T19:05:57.164-07:00Review: NYC Epicenters: 9/11 to 2021 1/2<p> </p><!--StartFragment-->
<p class="MsoNormal">I just watched the first episode of the Spike Lee joints on HBO, “NYC
Epicenters: 9/11 to 2021 ½”. Here are some of the initial thoughts and feelings
about the two-hour long episode. Firstly, it was such a relief to feel
acknowledged by the past I experienced as being <i>real</i>. Sometimes, the
past year can seem like it was a bad nightmare. This felt like an
acknowledgment of all the feeling and emotions I had being validated. The
betrayal of the government handling of the pandemic to the protest against
police brutality and injustice around the world. This felt like a validation
that it actually happened. It wasn't a dream. I was there. Here is the footage.
It's want what the media presented at the time, from ANY side. It was peaceful,
lovely, and inspiring. Honestly, I feel sorry for you if you didn't get to
experience that global movement like most of humanity did during that time.
Once again, I am so glad Spike documented and presented so it is immortalized
as it happened. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Some may try and change that narrative, like it wasn't as
magical as it was, like the global agreement acknowledging systematic racism
and injustice under the law around the world didn't happen. But, it did. And it
was just as glorious as Spike Lee depicts it. My memory doesn't have the same
soundtrack, but the spirit and emotion of his score fits to what I felt during
those first, uneasy moment of the COVID19 Pandemic. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The film reminds us of our own experiences in the unfolding of
a contagion. Namely, the bad. For it wasn't until it got <i>really</i> bad that
Americans took notice. The failure of leadership across the board leaves you
dizzy trying to blame every level of government. But, ultimately I couldn't
help thinking of Socrates and how we elect every person fumbling the ball now. For
he did not think the “ordinary people [of Rome] were fit to govern themselves.”
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That might sound offensive to read. But, his explanations
were reasonable and convincing. I used to be one of these contrarian, hipster wannabe, armchair scholars watching YouTube thinking I was smarter than the entire scientific, and medical establishment. I get it. In a world of Dr. Oz selling BS on daytime TV, it can be tough for the lay person to follow. Now, when we see the general public science
literacy every year, I get it and I agree. The question of whether the Earth
rotates around the Sun or if ghosts are real should not be controversial. Certain
scientific facts like evolution, get politicized. However, modern biology and medicine
wouldn’t make sense without it, therefore they would not exist. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Carl Sagan used to inspire me and leave me in a state of
wow. Now, his words mostly just haunt me...<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>“A world built on science and technology, which no one
understands it…is liable to blow up in our faces.” A recipe for a perfect storm
of disaster. <o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now, social media and the internet provide so much
information that the BS is indistinguishable from the truth. There is no better
example relevant than the misinformation, fear mongering, and conspiracy
theories surrounding the COVID19 vaccines. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Turns out the modern age didn't give us flying cars, jet
packs, and hover boards. The future made processing power smaller and more
powerful. So, we get computer phones and digital cameras in our palms. You can
thank space exploration and telescopes like the Hubble for technology in the
phone you are using now. The spinoffs are not calculable. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But, this comes back to how it all works against us. Access
to information quicker, also means access to disinformation quicker. Once I
heard the question, if you were asked to prove the world is not flat, could
you? Without the use of the internet, but sheer logic and experiment. I knew
this was an important aspect because I couldn't do it. Ancient people could do
it. What knowledge did they have that I did not? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Instead, I learned how all those ages ago, someone measured
the angles of the shadows from a sun dial in two different locations at the
same time. The results are what proved the truth of the universe as we know it
today, the world is indeed not flat. They could even find the circumference of
the Earth with the results they found with incredible accuracy. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">According to the Oxford dictionary, the definition of the
word “epicenter”, means the central point of something, usually unpleasant or a
difficult situation. New York City often serves as the center of many situations
that we tend to forget about. We get examples of how the
pandemic helped bring people closer together in certain ways and pushed us
apart in others. Not just in a physical sense, but in a personal, psychological
sense. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When we get saved from this global pandemic, remember that
it is not because of any politician or world leaders. You give credit where it
is due, to the health care workers on the frontline and scientists developing new
technologies such as the vaccinations that will help us win this war. Never has
there been a time that peoples attention and interest should be in science.
This is our moonshot. As Americans we should rally behind the efforts to find
solutions and support the healthcare workers. We have a common enemy in the
virus killing indiscriminately, whatever your beliefs might be. It is killing
Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and even germ deniers all the same.
During the moon missions, people complained about the cost of sending men to
the moon. I am sure people asked how much it would cost to shut down St. Louis
during the Flu of 1918, but the opening back up before it was safe, would cost
them more than they could ever imagine. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I am sure there were people saying they overreacted in St.
Louis closing the city down during the Flu of 1918. But, all of those people
soon felt like assholes when the virus had a second wave worse than the first,
and a third when science deniers protested the disease into each others
uncovered, open mouths. I am sure most people have not heard of this, because
those who do not know history, are doomed to repeat it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77nrs8JYfR0UDoUA0irydfCo9zTYQiFtZXLGOpSUr9P2teQPbo1r8rVr9YxBPT2yJl7toe9FugTO5_CRX9_hcQq3g_frw2zm0yN61dQztZzuGar7ci9IKTZBfQVq1QVWiNsYdgSako-1P/s960/FB_IMG_1592036976932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="767" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77nrs8JYfR0UDoUA0irydfCo9zTYQiFtZXLGOpSUr9P2teQPbo1r8rVr9YxBPT2yJl7toe9FugTO5_CRX9_hcQq3g_frw2zm0yN61dQztZzuGar7ci9IKTZBfQVq1QVWiNsYdgSako-1P/s320/FB_IMG_1592036976932.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original Artwork By Noah Nez <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>*Series is available on HBOMAX now</o:p></p>
<!--EndFragment-->Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249570413718115768.post-15455480635848933822021-08-20T03:08:00.010-07:002021-08-20T23:47:34.533-07:00Conspiracy Theorists Will Not Read This!<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />While it is easy to shrug off and laugh at, we are seeing more and more grand conspiracies being highlighted by social media. Some are less concerning, while others are more. Superstitious
thinking isn't harmless and has real world consequences. The internet has always had this problem, but information gets around quicker than it ever has in the past. A viral video can travel around the world before the truth can get its pants on. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The problem with combating these types of
things, is that they get emboldened when ridiculed. It's easy to condemn
and come off condescending in the process. Have you ever been persuaded
by being ridiculed?</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span>People would rather be wrong on their own, than be ridiculed and proven wrong by someone else. Therefore, i</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">t can be tough to be cordial and understanding
when talking about something like vaccines. When I first heard of anti-vaccine
groups, it drove me crazy. Crazy enough to start this blog and thus my whole
campaign of consumer protection advocacy.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I used to ridicule my cousins for getting flu vaccines every year, while making the same argument many vaccine hesitant people make today. "I am young and healthy, therefore I do not need a vaccine." But, that is wrong, followed by more wrong. Those are just more reasons for getting a vaccine. You get vaccinated for the ones who cannot get the vaccines themselves. Like babies, old people, or the elderly. The immunological response the human body has when expose to immunizations is far safer and effective than any natural method. Vaccines are a technological marvel of science and should be celebrated for adding decades to the human lifespan. <br />
<br />
</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At the end of the day, conspiracy theories aren't
about science or a search for the truth. It's about human psychology and the
pitfalls in our thinking when we aren't taught how to reason. Our brains, like
the internet, they are powerful tools of information. But, if we aren't taught how
to use them, we could end up with more misinformation than what is tried and
true. Like a chimpanzee with a machine gun. </span><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<br />
</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There is a subtle difference between being
skeptical and being cynical. Carl Sagan once said,</span><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Science is more
than a body of knowledge. Is a way of thinking; a way of skeptically
interrogating the universe. If we are not able to ask skeptical questions, to
be skeptical of those in authority, then we’re up for grabs." </span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">One of our Founding Fathers, Alexander Hamilton, said something similar in "a man who does not stand for something, will fall for </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">anything."</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">It turns out, researchers have found something similar to be true when they study it with experiment. An extreme example would be, highly educated individuals without any formal critical thinking skills or science literacy are not more likely to be right, but are more likely to rationalize with more elaborate explanations. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In skeptic circles, we call it "hand waving". It reminds me of politicians who overuse gestures while they talk, or frauds who sell bunk science with over complicated technical terms. It's a psychological tool to convince you they know what they are talking about. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Not having </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">one skill is bad enough. Not having either is a recipe for disaster. Some fraudsters and con artists would say you deserve to be taken advantage of as a result. How do you feel about that? There are people out there who knowingly pull the wool over the eyes of the susceptible, and there are even more who know and do not care. Well, I care. People are taking advantage of others and exploiting this blindspot and nobody does anything. I can at least call it out. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Critical-thinking is being able to challenge one's own beliefs and positions. It is the crux of any decision making process. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So, mere doubt isn't good enough. Asking questions of all authority isn't good enough. We must ultimately demand evidence and be able to differentiate what credible with standards of validation. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you don't believe any of this, good, look it up. You do not have to take my word for it. Challenge any, and all, preconcieved notions. Especially, your own. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUt3vYxFDUiVFjxE4cmNIhDKlczOH6ipNxilZrg0pY3nJEHD4Yz_5ootdesZIHAaSPiHoAYMsPsxlq4zYZlj1vzQv30Q68hbHNytjoR8SdXmt2BlQmL96UfzP0liDHRS-KeuhZIWNQ9Zhe/s1029/Screenshot_20210820-023649_Facebook.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Original Artwork By Noah Nez" border="0" data-original-height="793" data-original-width="1029" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUt3vYxFDUiVFjxE4cmNIhDKlczOH6ipNxilZrg0pY3nJEHD4Yz_5ootdesZIHAaSPiHoAYMsPsxlq4zYZlj1vzQv30Q68hbHNytjoR8SdXmt2BlQmL96UfzP0liDHRS-KeuhZIWNQ9Zhe/w320-h247/Screenshot_20210820-023649_Facebook.jpg" title="Original Artwork By Noah Nez" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Original Artwork By Noah Nez </span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<!--EndFragment-->Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249570413718115768.post-81003022819071936642019-11-01T23:43:00.000-07:002019-11-05T12:21:47.868-07:00American Hero Story: How Native Americans Became Pulp-Fiction<span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h2>
The First Nations of Americans</h2>
<br />
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 15px;">The common generalizations of First Nations people was shaped during the rise of Hollywood through portrayals in classic American cinema. So much to the point, that even Native people grow up with these misconceptions about their own people and culture. </span><span style="font-size: 15px;">If we are not some primitive version of man called </span><i style="font-size: 15px;">savage</i><span style="font-size: 15px;">, we are often the complete opposite. Peaceful societies that once knew more about Nature than we do today. A version of man that was more in tune with Mother Nature, a version of a Native called <i>noble</i>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><b>"Hollywood has made over 4000 films about Native people; over 100 years of movies defining how Indians are seen by the world." (Diamond 2010). </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
If you do not know any First Nations people personally, you likely think of one of these tropes that are not reflective of a people as a whole. If it is not some version of a primitive culture deduced to a mascot, it is some projected stereotype of what many people think is a Native American shaped by movies and pop culture.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1doXsNEw6vELQ2QiLFKoZBRhhoHdahJMlEa_5xkrAlWv46DPVVvB2bAvHYvXvHhLXFIUQ27YNinWwPS1uKWNTVbDfxeqfErFViFZluN_B_mg61XKgH_-YzPOj3WhOmalzIuQCU3ySk-md/s1600/20191104_165823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1201" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1doXsNEw6vELQ2QiLFKoZBRhhoHdahJMlEa_5xkrAlWv46DPVVvB2bAvHYvXvHhLXFIUQ27YNinWwPS1uKWNTVbDfxeqfErFViFZluN_B_mg61XKgH_-YzPOj3WhOmalzIuQCU3ySk-md/s320/20191104_165823.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The First Avenger, Jim Thorpe, Captain America </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: 15px;">United States president Theodore Roosevelt </span><span style="font-size: 15px;">might have been Americas loudest conservationist. He liked to travel and journal his observations of wildlife, landscapes, and cultures along the way.</span><span style="font-size: 15px;"> When Roosevelt toured the Southwest in 1913, he made sure to schedule some time to see the Hopi Snake Dance. He also made sure to chronicle that leg of the journey in his diary. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>We were received with friendly courtesy, and that was partly due to showing good manners ourselves...There were hundreds of onlookers the day we were there. Many of the tourists did not show the proper respect for the religious observance they were watching. (DOI 2016)</b></blockquote>
<div>
<span style="font-size: 15px;">Tourism in rural areas has its obvious negative sides, one of them being the watering down of traditions due to consumerism. As the c</span><span style="font-size: 15px;">hairman of the Hopi tribe, </span><span style="font-size: 15px;">Benjamin H. Nuvamsa explains, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><b>The Snake ceremony is of such a sacred nature and was becoming so heavily exploited in past decades and became so overrun with disrespectful tourists that it was threatened with extinction...Facing this, and coupled with the advent of easily affordable hobbyist photography, the practitioners, left with no alternative, closed the ceremonies to non-Indian spectators in approximately the 1950s. (Myers 2008) </b></span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-size: 15px;">That depicts this negative aspect to perceiving Native people as some culture that once held the keys to life, a path to tranquility, or the secrets of enlightenment. People are just people. No matter what time they lived. Some just have an ability to describe it. </span><br />
<br />
These stereotypes do not just effect individuals outside of tribal communities. They also stain the brains of Native people just the same way.<br />
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 15px;">Neil Diamond is a Canadian filmmaker from the Cree tribal community. <u>Reel Injun</u> is a documentary </span><span style="font-size: 15px;">inspired by his experiences as a child in Waskaganish, Quebec. Like many children from his era growing up watching John Wayne, he would play cowboys and Indians after local screenings of Westerns in their remote community. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 15px;">Diamond remembers that although all of the children were in fact "Indians", they all wanted to be "cowboys". As an adult, he would constantly be questioned by non-Native's if his people still lived in teepee's and rode horses. He realized that all of their preconceptions about Native people were derived from those classical Hollywood films he grew up watching and mimicking. </span>I had similar experiences all throughout school. I remember other students would ask me if we lived in teepee's or had regular houses.<br />
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 15px;">There is a cultural disparity amongst Native people from the rest of America that is different than the ones we normally see in our country. It is the main reason people do not find these stereotypes harmful. Native American religions are not accepted as being legitimate. Our Federal Courts will overrule a tribe's cemetery as being sacred burial ground and orders to relocate grave sites in the name of progress. This type of thinking sets the tone for how Native culture, Native religions, and Native people are to be treated. Consider this, the First Nations of people in America were not granted full citizenship until 1924.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 15px;">The year of 2013 was tougher than normal for farmers in California. The severe drought was impacting their livelihood, their crops. Today, there are many that find the evidence supporting climate science hard to believe, yet</span><span style="font-size: 15px;"> are willing to consider the Native American Rain Dance as a plausible solution to "changing the climate back."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><b>Not only was 2013 the driest calendar year on record in California, but in some places 2013 eclipsed previous record minimum precipitation values by around 50%. Nearly the entire state is currently experiencing dryness that hasn’t been experienced in living memory, and across the most populated parts of California the ongoing drought is more severe than any previous event in well over a century (Magee 2014).</b></span></blockquote>
<br />
This is an example of how the <i>noble</i> stereotype has influenced the perception of Native Americans. Often, it appears in society as a form of new age mysticism. A Rain Dance ceremony to end that severe drought in California was being performed when passersby could not help but notice and say, “It’s pretty impressive to see this. It does make you think about things. Maybe there is something to the rain dance. I don’t know. We try to teach our daughter to conserve and do what we can to help out.”<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 15px;">Bree Steffen is a reporter for KOCO in Oklahoma. She reported on an incident involving tribal communities clashing with a pop culture stereotype.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><b>"Protesters led by Choctaw musician Samantha Crain staged a protest at the Norman Music Festival in Oklahoma, as Native Americans were outraged on social media when Fallin wore a Native American-style fringed shawl with the word "sheep" on the back and performed a fake war dance while her boyfriend Steven Battles ridiculed the protesters and flipped them off from the stage." </b></span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-size: 15px;">Those classic westerns did a lot for progressing cinema, but they also took Native people back in many ways by re-introducing us into popular culture as the noble savage or godless heathens. That is the problem using First Nations people as team mascots, it perpetuates and promotes this grouping of Native cultures into one of the few stereotypes. This leads to a lack of respect for Native Americans religious beliefs. </span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><b>"We know the Plains headdress, or warbonnet, is a powerful image. Within the indigenous cultures it comes from, it represents honor and power. The man wearing it has been acknowledged as a person worthy of great respect. Highly symbolic, headdresses are of great spiritual importance and were only to be worn by the consent of tribal leaders, usually on ceremonial occasions. But in the popular catalogue of images of Indians in America, it represents all natives. It pronounces us wild and majestic, a warrior people who once were but do not exist now." </b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Normally, only worn for ceremonial occasion under the consent of tribal leaders, </span><span style="font-size: 15px;">headdresses are strictly to be adorned by the worthy. They are not merely aesthetic, they are of great spiritual and religious importance. </span></span><br />
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<b style="font-size: 15px;">Honor. Power. Respect. </b><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: 15px;">These are the terms we associate with the headdress. For so long, I could not articulate or understand my strong gut reaction to seeing people make up their own headdress. There is the obvious and blatant mocking, but this upsets me more than the typical chants, slurs, or stereotypes. This is the slow knife of subtle racism that twists, reminding us that we have been reduced to a ghost image of what we once were. </span><span style="font-size: 15px;">I think about my ancestors looking up at that star spangled banner waving as their people were massacred in front of them. Turning their heads to</span><span style="font-size: 15px;"> a crucifix that was raised after all of their people were slaughtered in God's name. Not everyone looks at an American flag and sees the same thing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 15px;">Just as, </span><span style="font-size: 15px;">"Calling the rain or praying for rain," is not the same thing as "praying TO the rain." </span><span style="font-size: 15px;">An indivduals intent might be pure, but when the meaning is lost, the ceremony is lost too. Without that original meaning, a dance becomes just a dance, and a song becomes just a song. Like the headdress, when we talk about our tribal chiefs and warriors, it is akin to another culture's military veterans. Just as you would not desecrate our United States military, the same respect should apply to ours. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 15px;">In the end, it is easy to understand why these stereotypes have been around for so long. Much like urban legends, superstitions, and other common misconceptions, stereotypes perpetuate by ingraining themselves into the popular culture. So much to the point, they are no longer preconcieved notions and folklore, they are the truth. </span>
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<span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 15px;">DOI. 2016. US Department of the Interior. October 27. Article can be accessed at: (https://www.doi.gov/blog/conservation-legacy- theodore-roosevelt).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 15px;">Diamond, Neil. 2010. Reel Injun On the Trail of the Hollywood Indian. Article can be accessed online at: (http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/films/reel-injun/).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 15px;">Magee, Maureen. 2014. When in drought, rain dance. The San Diego Tribune. (January 25). Online article can be accessed at: (https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/sdut-rain-dance-drought-oceanside-park-native-american-2014jan25-story.html).</span>
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<span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 15px;">West, Weather. 2014. The Ridiculously Resilient Ridge continues into 2014; California drought intensifies. California Weather Blog. Article can be accessed online at: (http://weatherwest.com/archives/1085).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 15px;">Brettman, Allan. 2019. Native American group asks Nike to stop selling Cheif Wahoo gear. The Oregonian. Article can be accessed online at: (https://www.oregonlive.com/playbooks-profits/2014/04/native_american_group_asked_ni.html).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 15px;">Christina Fallon Explained. Everything Explained Today. Article can be accessed online at: (http://everything.explained.today/Christina_Fallin/).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 15px;">Myers, Jay J. 2008. The Sacred Hopi Snake Dance Impressed Theodore Roosevelt. Originally published Wild Wild Magazine. HistoryNet. 2018. (https://www.historynet.com/sacred-hopi-snake-dance-impressed-theodore-roosevelt.htm).</span><br />
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Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249570413718115768.post-63463542885531652742019-03-09T00:11:00.002-07:002019-03-09T22:02:26.653-07:00SkinwalkersSkinwalkers might be the most popular paranormal creatures in Native American culture. A close second to Bigfoot. While there are many stories about them, I have never heard one about their origins like I told in the Skeptical Briefs 2012 spring edition titled, <a href="https://www.csicop.org/sb/show/skinwalkers.">Skinwalkers.</a> After going through historical documents, I discovered a chilling secret...<br />
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* You can follow the link to the entire article here---> <a href="https://www.csicop.org/sb/show/skinwalkers">Skinwalkers</a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The full article originally appeared in Volume 22.1 of the Skeptical Briefs 2012 spring edition, which is now available over on the CSI website.</span></i><br />
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Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249570413718115768.post-41103451347021275312019-02-26T02:39:00.000-07:002019-02-26T12:39:54.165-07:00Beyond the Curve of Flat-Earth Theory<u>Behind the Curve</u> is such a great title. This movie is a depiction of what lies at the heart of Flat-Earther groups. It goes under the skin of what motivates someone to question something like...<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">"Is the Earth really a globe?" </span></i><br />
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This 2018 documentary film presents us with the world of conspiracy theory. Namely, the conspiracy that the Earth is flat. What we discover about this flat world is that it has more dimensions to it than what first meets the eye.<span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Trailer available on <u>YouTube</u></span> </div>
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While it's easy to shrug off, we are seeing more claims like this in different forms which are concerning. Superstitious thinking isn't harmless and has real world consequences. </div>
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The problem with combating these types of things, is that they get emboldened when ridiculed. It's easy to condemn and come off condescending in the process. Have you ever been persuaded by being ridiculed?<br />
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It can be tough to be cordial and understanding when talking about something like vaccines. When I first heard of anti-vaccine groups, it drove me crazy. Crazy enough to start this blog and thus my whole campaign of consumer protection advocacy.<br />
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At the end of the day, flat earth isn't about science or a search for the truth. It's about human psychology and the pitfalls in our thinking when we aren't taught how to reason. Our brains, like the internet, are powerful tools of information. But, if we aren't taught how to use them, we could end up with more misinformation than what is tried and true.<br />
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There is a subtle difference between being skeptical and being cynical. Carl Sagan once said,<br />
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Mere doubt isn't good enough. Asking questions isn't good enough. We must demand evidence. Critical-thinking is being able to challenge one's own beliefs and positions.<br />
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The entire film, I kept thinking about the ancient Greek philosopher, Eratosthenes. He managed to calculate the size of the Earth with amazing accuracy by measuring the angles of shadows at different cities. In the final scene of <u>Behind the Curve</u>, it shows a flat-Earther named Jeran Campanella performing a simple, clever laser experiment to confirm the Earth is flat.<br />
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Overall, the movie does a great job of presenting the subject and its followers. It includes all the different contributing elements and their complexity. In the end, it makes a convincing case. If you came into the subject on the fence, this should take you over the horizon.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*<u>Behind the Curve</u> is now available to stream on Netflix.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249570413718115768.post-33233786293595406722019-02-22T19:16:00.000-07:002019-02-22T23:28:23.428-07:00The Real Problem with the Jussie Smollett CaseThe claim that we are today more divisive than ever, is constantly being thrown out. Identity politics are highly controversial. It has many groups of people annoyed with social justice and political correctness. Mix our cultural differences and religious worldviews with a lack of knowledge of how to navigate the world wide web, and we get the mess of the internet we see today.<br />
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We give people the powerful tools of internet technologies but we don't teach anyone how to use them. People don't want to learn and understand how their smartphones function, we just want them to work. This all relates to the<i> Jussie Smollett case</i>.<br />
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Now, I am not determining guilt or innocence here. I am addressing the bigger, underlying problem.
It's not about race. It's not about gender. It's not about sexual orientation. It's not even about political party. It's about people not exercising <b>healthy skepticism</b>. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are tailored to our short attention spans. It's all too easy to click "like" and "share". The algorithms that determine our interactions on social media show us more of what we want to see, the more we use them. The inherent bias of race, gender, sexual orientation, and political party that we all bring to every issue get confirmed by them. We validate our own bias and make ourselves feel confident about our preconcieved beliefs.<br />
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Now, we all know people make mistakes. We all know people can lie. That being said, <i>how do we know what to believe</i>? There is an antedote to fight bias. At the end of the day, it's <b>evidence</b> that should speak louder than mere claims. Evidence should matter more than what people say, no matter who says it. Reality is what exists whether we believe in it or not. There is too much discussion about the impacts of race and political affiliation. Too much listening to people making claims. Not enough listening to what the evidence is showing. Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249570413718115768.post-28385394159543897492016-01-04T19:18:00.002-07:002016-01-04T19:22:09.701-07:00Using Science and Skepticism to Build a Better Tomorrow Today<div>
I would like to leave a trail for others to follow like bread crumbs. If I could every once in a while drop a piece to help others stay on the path, that would be fulfilling. Whether it is through a story or shared experience, the end result is finding some common uniting factor and building upon it.</div>
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<b><i>"The point of an argument or debate should be progress, not victory." </i></b></div>
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With all of the focus on what is wrong with the world and the things in it, we should be turning our attention to what is great about the world and the ways we can make it better. That starts with becoming better thinkers and decision makers. Then, becoming leaders in anything we do. </div>
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The initial intention behind the start of this blog was to help other people who were like me and felt lost amongst all of the spiritualness in the world. I could not find my place, but knew I was part of something bigger than just myself. Was I Apache, Navajo, or Hopi? Was I white? Where did my answers lie? In one of those tribal religions or perhaps in the white mans' religion? </div>
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I am not trying to change people's minds about their beliefs or looking to debunk myths. I am trying to get people to think for themselves and become just a little more skeptical. But, when I say skeptical, I don't mean cynical. I mean scientifically-skeptical. A large portion of science and scientific skepticism is open-mindedness. That tenet should always be in the forefront, clear and present. A large part of understanding science is getting to know skepticism. It makes us better critical thinkers. </div>
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<b><i>"You don't change people's minds, you give them the tools to decide on their own."</i></b></div>
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That is what science, critical thinking, and skepticism have done for me. Not only are they the best ways for vetting new information and attaining knowledge, they act as self-defense systems for your way of thinking as well. </div>
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So, my focus went from what we don't know to the things we do. Why are we here? What is the purpose of life? What is the meaning of these patterns I see in nature? These questions began to seem less relevant to me as my brain was now infatuated with learning as much as I could about the universe and our place in it. </div>
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I started my journey thinking that science was all about math and facts. Along the way, I found out that it was much more than that, it was "a way of thinking." Now I see it as humbling, awe-inspiring, and elegant. </div>
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<b><i>"Who is making all the decisions about science and technology that are going to determine the kind of future our children will live in?" (Sagan 1996) </i></b></div>
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Carl Sagan on Charlie Rose in 1996.</div>
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Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, are the implications to our civic duties to be informed citizens and engaged with the issues at hand. When we stop questioning authority, we leave ourselves open for them to take advantage of us. Then, people don't run the government, the government runs the people. Thomas Jefferson was a big fan of questioning authority because of these very reasons. </div>
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<b><i>Who will govern the governors?" There is only one force in the nation that can be depended upon to keep the government pure and the governors honest, and that is the people themselves. They alone, if well informed, are capable of preventing the corruption of power, and of restoring the nation to its rightful course if it should go astray. They alone are the safest depository of the ultimate powers of government. (Jefferson 1903-04)</i></b></div>
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Benjamin Franklin has been quoted as saying, "It is the <b>first</b> responsibility of every citizen to question authority." I hold a similar belief. Socrates believed that ordinary citizens were not fit to govern themselves. He didn't believe that the general public was informed enough to make big decisions and often voted against their best interests. But, I have more hope for people and would like to see a world where more people can think for themselves and are not afraid to question authority or the status quo. A place where we can argue constructively and find progress, despite any differences. The aim isn't to win debates, but to be just a bit more skeptical. About as much as you would be buying a car. It is especially important when we are most vulnerable. While scientists are busy doing real science, people like me are prepared to take on what is not like the paranormal and supernatural. That's the difference I would like to make in the world. The best part about living with today's technology, is we all have a real chance to make a change!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original Artwork by Noah Nez.</td></tr>
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Sagan, Carl. 1996. <i>Charlie Rose</i>. YouTube. Can be accessed online at: <a href="http://youtu.be/d8O1e_TZHZo" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">http://youtu.be/d8O1e_TZHZo</a>.</div>
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Jefferson, Thomas. 1903-04. <i>The Writings of Thomas Jefferson.</i> Thomas Jefferson on Politics and Government. <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Memorial Edition (Lipscomb and Bergh, editors). </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">20 Vols., Washington, D.C. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Can be accessed online at: </span><a href="http://famguardian.org/Subjects/Politics/thomasjefferson/jeff0350.htm" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">http://famguardian.org/Subjects/Politics/thomasjefferson/jeff0350.htm</a>.</div>
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Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249570413718115768.post-24015957152861475402015-12-17T00:11:00.000-07:002015-12-17T10:54:56.480-07:00Why I Care About Science and Skepticism and Why You Should Too<div>
I get excited when I am talking about science, it's process, and the power it bestows. I am supremely passionate about the importance of critical thinking skills and the pivotal role scientific skepticism plays in making any endeavor successful. What draws me to both science and scientific skepticism, is how they can both be useful to everyone at any level. Kids, young adults, and up to professionals in any field. </div>
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I grew up hearing all kinds of stories from different cultures and as a kid I was a fan of reading scary camp fire tales. I was always a pretty avid reader and amongst the collection I consumed were books on the paranormal and supernatural. My cultural beliefs were full of the supernatural, so I already had a foundation in me for things like psychic, ghosts, and monsters like Bigfoot. Not too far removed from that, was new age mysticism. After I started getting into martial arts, I entered a world of eastern philosophy that is filled with energy charts and acupressure points. At some point, I just realized there must be a way to discern what is real and what is the truth as best as it can be defined. </div>
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Being such a heavy reader as a child helped with my writing as I got older. The philosophy of martial arts from Bruce Lee lead me into studying Taoism, which prepared me for abstract thinking when I got to ethics and philosophy courses. I feel that my journey on the outside fringes of science ultimately lead me to where I am now. So, I speak from a place of personal knowledge on things I once believed whole heartedly. I make it a point to not dismiss the things I know nothing about. I usually only give my opinion on the things I have experience with and researched myself. </div>
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After I got to college, my writing progressed from doing so many essays, technical papers, and projects. After college, I used those skills and combined them with a newfound love for science. Once I discovered how poor the general understanding of science was amongst the public, I quickly identified myself as being one of those people. <i>Science literacy</i> became my new interest. </div>
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Carl Sagan was one of the most famous scientists to promote this brand of scientific skepticism. A large part of his work was in informing the public about the dangers of pseudoscience and the importance of being able to differentiate the good from the bad. "Our world is built upon science and technology that people do not understand." If people are not informed, who will make the important decisions that affect the future of where science will take us? That decision should be left to the people. With all of the misinformation on the Internet and the fact that some beliefs can have harmful consequences like those concerning health, the question should be, why doesn't everyone care? <i>Why don't you?</i><br />
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Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249570413718115768.post-18101781017878028332015-12-10T00:21:00.000-07:002015-12-10T13:47:13.508-07:00The Greatest Accomplishments Have Humble Beginnings<div>
One of my proudest accomplishments to date was for something that I did for the Committee for Scientific Inquiry and the <i><a href="http://www.csicop.org/sb" target="_blank">Skeptical Briefs</a></i> newsletter. I was asked to write some articles special for the subscribers to the <i><a href="http://www.csicop.org/si/archive/category/volume_39.5" target="_blank">Skeptical Inquirer Magazine</a>.</i> For my first article, I decided to investigate the subject of Native American Thunderbirds. </div>
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I was proud of the work and how the piece came out, it was more exciting to see the finished product amongst other skeptics that I hold in high regards such as Sharon Hill of the <a href="http://doubtfulnews.com/" target="_blank">Doubtful News</a> website and one of the most prolific scientific paranormal investigators, <a href="http://www.joenickell.com/" target="_blank">Joe Nickell</a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">. I would print out copies to hand out to my friends and family. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">However, for this particular subject I got much more involved. For instance, I did not just include pictures for the sake of including them. I went out and around the city, even visiting a museum, to capture the Native American influences specifically depicting <i>Thunderbirds</i>.</span></div>
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Like most with most scientific investigations, I ended up spending most of the time in the library. I remember being excited to see that first issue come in the mail. It wasn't until months later that I received an e-mail from my then editor, scientific paranormal investigator extraordinaire <a href="http://benjaminradford.com/" target="_blank">Benjamin Radford</a>, asking me if he could reference my article in his new book. I was floored. </div>
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Somewhere down the line, I moved, got away from writing for a while and just when I forgot about the article, my Mom called me with the news that she had gotten the book, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mysterious-New-Mexico-Miracles-Enchantment/dp/0826354505" target="_blank">Mysterious New Mexico: Miracles, Magic, and Monsters In the Land of Enchantment</a></i>. It meant more to me that she got to see it before I did. Once I got that copy in my hand, I found and flipped it to Chapter 7 <i>Thunderbirds: Mysterious Giants in the Sky </i>to find my name amongst the list of references. </div>
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I guess there was never a feeling of real accomplishment until that moment. You don't really know if people are actually reading what you write. But, once someone contacts me or something like this happens, it makes it all seem like it was a successful endeavor. That was probably one of my most proudest accomplishments to date. It is weird to see my name in the work cited page of a published book, and at the same time, I always knew I would be in a book someday. Perhaps, I will write my own book next!<br />
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If you would like to read the <a href="http://www.csicop.org/sb/show/thunderbirds/" target="_blank">Thunderbird article, click here</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from: http://benjaminradford.com/books-by-ben-radford/mysterious-new-mexico-miracles-magic-and-monsters-in-the-land-of-enchantment/an-excerpt-from-mysterious-new-mexico/</td></tr>
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Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249570413718115768.post-87679654718014809192015-11-27T23:24:00.000-07:002015-11-28T01:07:50.457-07:00Enlightenment Through Empowerment<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">
The thing that most consistently makes me happy, is helping others. I love it when people I know, or don't know, ask me questions. Whether it is about Native American culture or even things like the paranormal or supernatural, I am always intrigued to hear the next story. But, mostly my friends just ask me if a story is real or fake. I have had people write to me and introduce new mysteries and interesting research topics too.</div>
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People appreciate the thoughtfulness behind the responses more than the actual answers themselves. Usually, I think people are already leaning towards something not being true before they even ask me. Sometimes, things are just confusing due to all the noise on the Internet. Pick any subject, and like Alice go down the bunny hole where the information gets messy quick. Medicine has alternative medicine, astronomy has astrology, and physics has quantum new age mysticism. There is an imposter trying to cheaply imitate nearly every field of science. </div>
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It is nice when people thank me for helping them find an answer, but the thing that makes me feel happy is when I can show them how to do it on their own. It's like helping others get fish by catching them myself. But, what my goal is for them to be able to catch their own fish. I would like it if people could better find things out for themselves. That is a good feeling. These are things I would do without being paid to do them. </div>
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Ultimately, I like leadership roles and seek out teaching opportunities. That is probably why the most influential people in my life have been my Mother, philosophers, and science giants like Carl Sagan. Coaching is something I am passionate about because I understand the importance of learning and the ways that education can help people living in poverty to get out of it. So, there is no better feeling to me than knowing I have helped to give someone the tools to figure things out for themselves. That's real empowerment. </div>
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Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249570413718115768.post-79540060172319174502015-11-24T15:27:00.002-07:002015-11-24T15:30:30.613-07:00What Makes You Angry About the World and What Do You Wish Was Different?<i>What constantly makes you mad about the world? What do you wish was different about it?</i><br>
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The thing that constantly makes me angry about the world is <i>pseudoscience</i>. It's misleading, often unethical, and even dangerous. People that use pseudoscience to knowingly deceive by operating off of others ignorance and vulnerabilities is the worst of the worst to me. The modern day snake-oil salesman. </div>
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I wish that everyone could distinguish science from pseudoscience. I wish the world paid teachers good salaries, admired their roles more, and were held with more respect. Maybe that would turn out better science teachers and in effect improve general science education. </div>
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I wish critical thinking was taught on a scale that rivals other subjects like the most common academic ones so that people would be given decision making and tools for reason to figure things out for themselves. It would make it tougher to be taken advantage of, and at the same time, easier to acquire new knowledge. Learning critical thinking is like self-defense training for your brain. Mental Jiu-Jitsu. </div>
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I wish that science was as big a part of popular culture as any celebrity is today and scientific language was more a part of the public lexicon. A world with less pseudoscience, is a world filled with less noise. </div>
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Science is something we all like to think we know, but my personal experience has shown me that nothing could be further from the truth. </div>
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Back in 1989, American astronomer and science communicator Carl Sagan spoke about the problem of having such a lack of science literacy amongst the general public in an article for the Skeptical Inquirer. He cites a then recent survey which suggested that, "94 percent of Americans are 'scientifically illiterate'" (Sagan 1989). An example of it appearing in our culture came with a story about an encounter he had with a driver picking him up from the airport named Mr. Buckley who recognized his name and excitedly wanted to ask the popular scientist a few questions. </div>
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<b>"Mr. “Buckley”—well-spoken, intelligent, curious—had heard virtually nothing of modern science. He wanted to know about science. It’s just that all the science got filtered out before it reached him. What society permitted to trickle through was mainly pretense and confusion. And it had never taught him how to distinguish real science from the cheap imitation" (Sagan 1989).</b></blockquote>
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That is the perfect way to describe pseudoscience, cheap imitation. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.skepticalraptor.com/skepticalraptorblog.php/evaluating-pseudoscience-and-science-bullshit-rational/" target="_blank">Image from SkepticalRaptor.com Pseudoscience and Science - Bullshit vs Rational Thought.</a><br>
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Sources:<br>
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1. Sagan, Carl. 1990. Why We Need To Understand Science. Skeptical Inquirer. (Vol. 14.3). Available online: (http://www.csicop.org/si/show/why_we_need_to_understand_science).Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249570413718115768.post-27461207798122956532015-11-20T22:58:00.001-07:002015-11-20T23:24:11.566-07:00A Blog That Matters...<div><br></div><div>Never have I felt so humbled, insignificant, and at the same time connected to everything than I do with a scientific worldview. Hopefully, I will start even more connections as this process goes on. For the next few weeks, I am going to start the exercise of writing new posts on the regular. One every other day. This first post will be a short story about my background, why I decided to start this blog, and what I hope to get out of it.</div><div><br></div><div>There are countless blogs out there, and you pick almost any subject, there are hundreds of them dedicated to it. So, that begs the next question, what will make my blog site different from the plethora of science and skeptics blogs? </div><div><br></div><div>Firstly, I wanted to do something that would make a difference. Something that would matter. Initially, I just wanted to put things in my head out there and found a larger community of like-minded individuals that inspired me to do better. I felt a gained responsibility to help others not be taken advantage of and grew into a consumer advocate. It felt like it was my civic duty. These are the things I feel to be most important and promoting scientific literacy and critical thinking are causes I believe to be worth following. This is my way of doing something to make the world to be a better place by helping others. These are things that changed my life and I know they will do the same for others. </div><div><br></div><div>I had the unique experience of growing up going between a major metropolitan city to a lowly reservation. Throughout my childhood, I would visit my family on and around the reservation during my breaks from school. Eventually, I spent a great deal of time living there. After being in these somewhat compete opposite places, I still feel like I am not fully here or there, but still wondering somewhere in between. </div><div><br></div><div>In a long round about way that brings me to why I decided to start this blog in the first place and what I hoped to get out of it. While everyone has their own unique experience and perspectives, there are not many Native American scientific skeptics. Even less Apache, Navajo, and Hopi skeptics. As am I. </div><div><br></div><div>From the beginning, my intentions were to show my work of how I began the transition from a spiritual person seeking answers to the meaning of life and the universe and obsessed with knowing God, to the heathen obsessed with science and reason that I am today. In the midst of all that, I was also forced to confront all the tribal belief systems that were just as big a part of my personal identity as the Christian one. So, maybe this is my way of talking to my younger self and giving the advise I needed to shorten the journey and better filter out all the noise. A way to save people from wasting it on the unlikely; paranormal, supernatural, Qi fields, alternative medicine, and eastern medicine modalities. Instead of starting my investigations on what we don't know, I flipped the script and focused in on what we do know. </div><div><br></div><div>Thus began my adventure traveling through hundreds of years of science history! But, I will save that story for another time. </div>Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249570413718115768.post-2345979886201373182015-10-01T23:00:00.000-07:002015-10-01T01:48:03.914-07:00Never Give Up<div>
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<i>What is a movie if there is no audience to watch it? Is it still a movie?</i> </div>
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Over 22 years in the making...this is a story of never giving up. River Phoenix was just as thoughtful in life as he was passionate and committed to the roles he portrayed. He was mindful of people and their connection to each other. But, that thoughtfulness did not just end there. His love and respect for Indigenous people brought up another issue which included a much broader picture, the environment. </div>
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This is how I got involved. Years ago, I wrote a post about the subject of <i>Downwinders</i>, a term used to describe the people affected by the harmful levels of radiation due to the mining of uranium or the nuclear bomb Nevada Test Site. The term started with the Navajo uranium miners becoming sick and now has extended to include those exposed to contamination of the soil and water surrounding these dangerous abandoned mines. </div>
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In the film <i>Dark Blood</i>, Phoenix's character storyline encompasses this very subject. </div>
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A sound designer from the Netherlands named Harold Jalving contacted me inquiring into some of the details of the <i>Downwinders</i> article, and through that, began to tell me about the film crusade he was currently on. I found his story to be absolutely compelling and wanted to help with the journey in any way that I could. </div>
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While this account of past events has a somber beginning, leading with memories of the untimely death of River Phoenix, its' ending doesn't have to be all gloomy and starless too. With your help, there is hope at the end of a dark tunnel. </div>
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Like the page on Facebook, or share the story and show your support at these links to the Indiegogo and YouTube video pages. </div>
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The Facebook page: (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Never-Give-Up-George-Sluizers-Battle-for-Dark-Blood-790050457722508/timeline/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">https://www.facebook.com/Never-Give-Up-George-Sluizers-Battle-for-Dark-Blood-790050457722508/timeline/</a>)</div>
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Indiegogo link: (<a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/never-give-up--118#/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/never-give-up--118#/</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">)</span></div>
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YouTube video channel link: (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo0BbAnaQqYlR9ZlGIq9hRw" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo0BbAnaQqYlR9ZlGIq9hRw</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">)</span></div>
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For more about the film <b>Dark Blood</b>, you can read a review by Variety on their website: (<a href="https://variety.com/2012/film/reviews/dark-blood-1117948612/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">https://variety.com/2012/film/reviews/dark-blood-1117948612/</a>)</div>
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Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249570413718115768.post-21182981024482872012014-10-30T19:59:00.001-07:002014-10-30T20:01:05.422-07:00The Warrior Spirit of Geronimo<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There are many obvious differences between the past and present. However, there are also some things that haven't seemed to change much and take thoughtful consideration to notice. I still see classes of warrior societies today in our military or professional full-contact competitive athletes (martial artists included). </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For me, Geronimo personifies a part of this with the Apache warrior spirit. When I see his image, I don't just see the worn look of a man scorned and bitter. I witness the embodiment of American Indian rage. I recognize the idea that we, as people, will always be free. I see the wild nature of man and the untamed heart. But, I also see infamy and vengeance.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Living in a world where Apache children’s scalps were worth $25, women $50, and men a cool hundred dollars, it's hard to judge the actions of people during that time<span style="color: #1155cc;">.</span></span></b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The things that happened historically, such as the atrocities committed against people, often speak more about the culture of the time than those performing the acts.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I think about the samurai and their struggle to transition to a more civilized society during the early 17th to mid-19th centuries </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(Discovery Channel 2011)</span>. The Japanese warrior class of society that were for so long highly revered, living in a technologically driven world that no longer needed their special trades. Military tactics, armor, swords, bows and arrows, were eventually no match for the advancements in military weaponry. Once we got a hold of this whole science thing and technology got to a certain state of acceleration, cultures were affected so rapidly that societies had to adapt quickly by learning the latest discoveries and harnessing the potential to stay competitive and successful. It didn’t take long for a whole way of life to be redefined by a country and deemed to be “outdated, backwards” and ultimately, “unacceptable.” In 1876, the Japanese government even banned the samurai from carrying a sword, their trademark weapon. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(Discovery Channel 2011).</span> One of the major factors of contributing to the downfall of the samurai’s way of life that often gets mentioned is “urbanization.” Historically, it's a common trend for nations to subvert the cultures of old for the greater good of advancing the society overall. The government gave the retired samurai a deal to attain land and establish themselves as farmers </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Grabianowski, Ed. 2014)</span></span></span></b>.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> The
samurai, once proud defenders and personal bodyguards of lords and
emperors, were eventually stripped of their high<b>-</b>class status and thrown
out to live on the street and f</span></span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">igure out a new way of life</span></span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> amongst the commoners.</span> </span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That story sounds familiar. The end of isolationism and the oncoming wave of urbanization brought many American Indians to live on reservations and inspired the creation of boarding schools which were instilled to weed out any trace of tribal culture in order to help “civilize” Indian children as a part of this urban progression.<b> </b></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The </span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">historical accounts</span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b> </b>of Geronimo </span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">often</span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> sound like the plot line for every </span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">K</span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">ung-</span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">F</span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">u, revenge movie. A whole family </span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">gets</span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> wiped out</span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, a surviving member</span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> seeks vengeance for the lives that were lost, and goes out on a rampage in the process. Very much fitting the role of the “anti-hero.”</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The way the term "power" is often used is interchangeable with “knowledge of.” And like power, great knowledge carries with it great responsibility. For it is indifferent to good and bad, moral and immoral. Because th</span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">e</span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">se things are determined by us collectively and how we choose to use </span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">them</span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.<b> </b></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Being in such a hostile world, produced a being</span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">...</span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">just as hostile</span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When I see Geronimo’s image, I don't just think about the legends told to me as a kid. I recognize the man, the name, and see warfare personified. I think of the tribal nature of people, mobs and gangs. Images of people coming together in resistance<b> </b>spring to mind.<b> </b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I think about what it was like when I was a young adolescent constantly looking for opportunities to prove myself amongst my peers, or people I looked up to. Adverse effects from the overflow of hormones like heightened states of aggression. Ah, to be a teenager coming of age again.</span></b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="No.Ne." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzeZF8fjG207lXULqG4SIr9_g0vqeyStWohWJhb5FWzNJxOvtHD3-65yqja9OJYacWde2JB8f_paJ1forvBKSKMyml7kF4BjJTmeV2_TT05HxiFrfJdwy51iqcEfHXCiwkgXmY-wifG7Z/s1600/MaskGeronimo.jpg" height="400" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=""Masked Geronimo" by Noah Nez" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Masked Geronimo" by Noah Nez. Spray paint on canvas. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Gangs bring plight to their own communities by committing crimes in, and against, the people living in them. Reminds me of the people living next to the Taliban. Or should I say, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">trying</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> to live next to the Taliban. Armed with ideology, they too use that as a means to commit crimes against their own people and whole communities. Much to say, a great deal of people over there don't like the Taliban either. Much as the neighbors of gang members don't appreciate the constant intimidation and unknowingly being placed in the line of fire, being caught in between a turf war. Nobody likes their neighborhood to be transformed into a battlefield. Victims of collateral damage have more than enough reason to condemn. Geronimo brought a great deal of suffering to people, including his own. Even still, many Apache people have not forgiven him and many never will. </span></b></span></div>
<br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Art has seemed to always be there as my filter to which I see things through.<b> </b></span></span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Some of my fondest memories of early childhood involve movies and video games.</span></span></b> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">One of the things that has greatly influenced my world perspective and the subject of Geronimo, is cinematography</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">American Indian history IS American history.</span></span><br />
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We Shall Remain</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> is an unprecedented mini-series that re-establishes Native history as an essential part of American history.</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></b><br />
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Three hundred years of United States history, that most Americans have never heard of, gets summed up in five 90-minute documentaries </span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">and</span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> helps to illustrate these historically significant moments.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></b><br />
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">An unprecedented five-part television event depicting Native people’s fight for their homeland and to withstand extinction. These stories aren’t just another non-Native filmmakers interpretation. This collaborative effort is informed at every level by Native advisers, scholars, and filmmakers as well.</span></span></b><br />
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As noted in the<b> </b><a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/weshallremain/the_films/episode_4_behind_the_scenes">behind the scenes portion of the movie page</a>,
the filmmakers worked closely with Chiricahua Apaches in southern New
Mexico in preparation for the movie. In addition to that,<b> </b></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Producer, Writer, and Director<b> </b></span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Dustinn Craig</span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">is </span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">White Mountain Apache/Navajo.</span></b></span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZBvIZ8EazDGnJj5bPUGpyKG9UM7w4YVGDSZUgIp01fhyphenhyphenDQlmfUSrhrnKoIQ5pGHbWP7OKXAYj7w4fACp5e1QmwArEtcMSg_vd5sReqXcNCHZqYpgqFBImR5Edy6tRR_dxHZPvLiTCBb5U/s1600/craig_geronimo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZBvIZ8EazDGnJj5bPUGpyKG9UM7w4YVGDSZUgIp01fhyphenhyphenDQlmfUSrhrnKoIQ5pGHbWP7OKXAYj7w4fACp5e1QmwArEtcMSg_vd5sReqXcNCHZqYpgqFBImR5Edy6tRR_dxHZPvLiTCBb5U/s1600/craig_geronimo.jpg" height="200" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Craig’s documentary </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I Belong To This</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> was included in the four-part series, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Matters of Race</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">,
produced by Roja Productions for PBS.</span></span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Other</span></span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> projects
include two short films and a thirty-minute three-screen production
titled </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Home</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> for the Heard Museum’s Native People of the Southwest exhibit in Phoenix, Arizona (PBS 2008c) (Vision Maker</span></span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">s</span></span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b> </b></span></span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Media 2014)</span></span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">.</span> </span></b></td></tr>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></b></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The fourth installment of the <i>We Shall Remain</i> series is titled,</span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Geronimo</span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b> </b></span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We get a glimpse of not just the man, but the realness of the day and the situations that many American Indians faced.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Here, we have a depiction of Geronimo that rarely gets portrayed by historical accounts and popular culture</span>.</span></span></span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></b></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Born around 1820, Geronimo grew into a leading warrior and healer. archfiend, perpetrator of unspeakable savage cruelties. the embodiment of proud resistance, the upholder of the old Chiricahua ways. stubborn troublemaker, unbalanced by his unquenchable thirst for vengeance, whose actions needlessly brought the enemy’s wrath down on his own people" (PBS 2008a). </span></b></blockquote>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">T<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">here's no glory in the acts committed by Geronimo against his own people. But, one might also argue that those kinds of acts should never be committed against anybody, friend or foe. It takes me back to the kind of thinking that comes from strategic warfare. For instance, take the "Art of War" by Sun Tzu. Businessmen love it because of its' cutthroat mindset like one of a military general. It fits in with their whole, "it's just business, it's not personal" mentality. It's not all formations and flanking battlefield tactics. But, a great deal of it focuses on using intimidation and other aspects of psychology against an opponent. Such as, sacrificing some for the greater good for an even greater cause. "The ends justify the means." Something I first really got to know in an ethics course. The philosophical argument never really sat well with me, even now as I think it. There's a feeling of uneasiness that I associate with it, even though I am aware of certain cases when the conditions are such that I would agree. </span></span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWbMPYONrd0SE-kUgRirHfWVMLXVHAxDh7vkDWvMY6Odxx2JyELIsHNsIZeA7MqV365UPxJsT3VjYhgmKe0mnXI9QDORQZSLjsr-EZ8mEkLGbcgOF1xaFV2lGdrWLppvnkBIjpsm6DjtvS/s1600/Elvis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWbMPYONrd0SE-kUgRirHfWVMLXVHAxDh7vkDWvMY6Odxx2JyELIsHNsIZeA7MqV365UPxJsT3VjYhgmKe0mnXI9QDORQZSLjsr-EZ8mEkLGbcgOF1xaFV2lGdrWLppvnkBIjpsm6DjtvS/s1600/Elvis.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Elvis Geronimo" by Noah Nez.</td></tr>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So, whether it's his name or his image, that's what I see. This is why I depict him in the thick frames. It's not to make him look cool. I'm poking fun at the posers trying to tap into the current popularity of nerd culture by simply dressing the part, and at the same time, thumb my nose at the idea of this mythical, heroic Geronimo we are so often told about, especially as Apache kids. We are also guilty of making heroes out of people who did some rather unheroic things. I put the mask over his face like a bandit would back in the day, or as the terrorists and gang bangers do now in modern day. I have had some people tell me that I am not supposed to draw him in these ways, but then again, there are others that say I am not supposed to draw him at all! So, I prefer the dirty looks that I get and being told I am not </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">supposed</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> to do such things, over the mindless praises from those purely concerned about aesthetics.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“By any means necessary.” Malcolm X</span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></b><br />
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This is not to say that I am left in some state of disillusion. There are plenty of other people that I admire for different reasons that are flawed in their own ways, like Malcolm X or Nelson Mandela. They both did some acts in their younger years that seem out of place from the way history might present them. Malcolm X often gets pegged as the militant Black Nationalist member of the Nation of Islam. But there is another side to his story about how he turned his life around after his pilgrimage to see the Holy City of Mecca for himself. Mandela is praised around the world. But he took part in some pretty heinous acts against other people in his younger years as well.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b> </b></span></b></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There was a time in my personal life that I became more interested in being aware about certain things that seemed to hold more weight to them. There’s so much garbage in the world now that we live in an information age with the internet. Things can easily become overwhelming.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b> </b></span></b></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There's a dark side to human nature. So there's a dark side to human history. We don't gain anything from remaining willfully ignorant to the things in the world that we might consider to be ugly. War is ugly. We like to glorify it, but down in the thick trenches of reality, we know it's anything but glorious. Hopefully, there are more individuals that take the time to ask why I depict things in the way that I have chosen to do.</span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></b></b><br />
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So, what does the name Geronimo mean to you?</span></b></b></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sour<b>ces</b>:</span></span></b><br />
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Discovery Channel<i>. </i>2011.<i> What Brought About the End of the Samurai as Warriors?</i> (Culture and Society). Curiosity.Discovery.com. Can be accessed at: <b style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/end-of-samurai-as-warriors" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/end-of-samurai-as-warriors.</span></a></b></span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></b><br />
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Grabianowski, Ed. 2014. <i>How Samurai Work<b>: </b>The End of the Samurai</i>.<b> </b>HowStuffWorks.com. (Pg 8). Can be accessed at:<a href="http://people.howstuffworks.com/samurai8.htm" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><b> </b>http://people.howstuffworks.com/samurai8.htm. </span></a></span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></span></span></b></b><br />
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">PBS. 2008</span></span></span></span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">a</span></span></span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. <i>We Shall Remain</i>. PBS.org. Can be accessed at: <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/weshallremain/the_films/episode_4_about">http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/weshallremain/the_films/episode_4_about</a>.<b> </b></span></span></span></span></b></b><br />
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">PBS.<i><b> </b></i></span></span></span></span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2008b. </span></span></span></span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>Geronimo</i>. About the Film. (Ep. 4). PBS.</span></span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">org</span></span></span></span></span></b><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. Can be accessed a</span></span></span></span></b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">t<b>:</b> <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/weshallremain/the_films/episode_4_about">http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/weshallremain/the_films/episode_4_about</a></span></span></span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span></b> </b><br />
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">PBS. 2008c.<b> </b><i>Geronimo</i>. Behind the Scenes: Featured Cast and Crew. (Ep. 4).</span></span></span></span></b></b>. PBS.org. Can be accessed at:<b> </b><a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/weshallremain/behind_the_scenes/episode_4_cast_bios">http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/weshallremain/behind_the_scenes/episode_4_cast_bios</a>.<b style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/end-of-samurai-as-warriors" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></a></b></span></b><br />
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Vision Maker Media. 2014. Bios<b>. </b></span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Can be accessed at:</span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b> </b></span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://visionmakermedia.org/bios/dustinn-craig">http://visionmakermedia.org/bios/dustinn-craig</a>.</span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><b style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/end-of-samurai-as-warriors" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></a></b></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span>Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249570413718115768.post-32188280236893308322014-05-09T07:00:00.000-07:002014-05-10T16:19:37.880-07:00 Have You Ever Heard about the Thing between Deodorant and Cancer?<div style="text-align: justify;">
I recently came across <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/24/cameron-diaz-deodorant-antiperspirant_n_5205103.html">an article by Stephanie Marcus on the <i>Huffington Post</i> featuring Cameron Diaz where she reveals that she has not used antiperspirant for 20 years</a>. It appears there is quite a prolific list of celebrities that subscribe to this more au naturale method of marination. Upon reading this, I recalled a conversation that I had years ago with a co-worker regarding his fears of the chemicals used in many of them as well. This prompted me to ask, where do these fears of antiperspirants and deodorants come from? More importantly, are any of them legitimate? </div>
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This all stems from a red carpet interview E! did at the premier to <i>The Other Woman</i>. Last April, <i>E! Online</i> published, <a href="http://www.eonline.com/news/534660/cameron-diaz-hasn-t-used-antiperspirant-in-20-years"><i>Cameron Diaz Hasn't Used Antiperspirant...in 20 Years!</i></a>, by Marc Malkin. When the subject of antiperspirants came up, Diaz responded that she did not <i>believe </i>in them and went on to clarify that, "It's really bad for you. I haven't used it for almost 20 years." She then goes on to share many of her other personal views about how she thinks human biology and science work by soliciting some advise from her book, <i>The Body Book</i>. Last January, Kate Dries documented a personal experience<i> </i>reading the book in the article for <i>Jezebel </i>titled, <a href="http://jezebel.com/cameron-diazs-body-book-is-actually-pretty-good-1496442600"><i>Cameron Diaz's Body Book is Actually Pretty Good</i></a>, and uses the following quote that Diaz does in her book,<b><br /></b><br />
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<b>"I'm not a scientist. I'm not a doctor. What I am is a woman who has
spent the past fifteen years learning about what my body is capable of,
and it has been the most rewarding experience of my life."</b></blockquote>
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Just to be upfront, I am not a scientist or doctor either. However, the major deciding factor that is being overlooked here is <i>scientific literacy</i>. Not all claims are equal in merit and just because something sounds, or <i>seems </i>to be scientific, doesn't mean that it <i>is </i>science or that it's <i>true</i>. When lies and cons are informed by some truth and appeal to our emotions, it makes things cloudy so that being smart isn't good enough. Smart people can make mistakes just like the not-so-smart people can be correct from time to time. Without a good definition of what the process of science is, the less likely you are to have any sense of what it should look like and the likelihood of pseudoscience infiltrating your web browser grows. Smart people fall for not-so-smart things all the time. Sometimes we believe things too, for no good reason. It's not a stretch, or novel, to say people are irrational. But, what's not being said enough is that we need tools to help us with our psychological blindspots and personal biases. That's precisely what critical thinking and science literacy can provide. </div>
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While she doesn't address anything specific or make any sort of definitive claim, she seems to be convinced that what she does know, is that they are "...really bad for you." This prompted me to look just a bit further for myself to see if there is any reason, or evidence, for such concern.</div>
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The <i>University Health Network</i> in Toronto, Canada took to the streets last February 4th to promote World Cancer Day and see what people thought about this very question and give them some facts in a special <i>YouTube</i> video they put together titled, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcg6lELqP58"><i>Cancer Mythbusters: Antiperspirants and breast cancer</i></a>. </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/zcg6lELqP58?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Anti-perspirants have been identified as the leading cause of breast cancer.
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Read more at <a href="http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/antiperspirant.asp#fkLJhqIEXrqvlDLt.99" style="color: #003399;">http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/antiperspirant.asp#fkLJhqIEXrqvlDLt.99</a></div>
<div id="r1PostCPBlock" style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; left: -99999px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
Anti-perspirants have been identified as the leading cause of breast cancer.
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Read more at <a href="http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/antiperspirant.asp#fkLJhqIEXrqvlDLt.99" style="color: #003399;">http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/antiperspirant.asp#fkLJhqIEXrqvlDLt.99</a></div>
<div id="r1PostCPBlock" style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; left: -99999px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
Anti-perspirants have been identified as the leading cause of breast cancer.
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Read more at <a href="http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/antiperspirant.asp#fkLJhqIEXrqvlDLt.99" style="color: #003399;">http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/antiperspirant.asp#fkLJhqIEXrqvlDLt.99</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The specific claim that, <a href="http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/antiperspirant.asp"><i>anti-antiperspirants have been identified as the leading cause in breast cancer</i></a>, has been looked at quite thoroughly by one the greatest skeptical tools available online, <i>Snopes</i>.
If you are not familiar with this site as a resource, I'd recommend
bookmarking it to memory for the next urban myth you come across. </span><br />In 2003, the article titled <a href="http://newsok.com/misleading-medical-myths-spread-quickly-over-internet/article/1909166"><i>Misleading Medical Myths Spread Quickly Over Internet</i></a> was published by <i>NewsOK</i>
warning the general public about some medical myths circulating like a
chain e-mail at the time. One of the claims that made number two on the
list also going out to physicians in an issue of <i>MDnet Guide</i> magazine notifying them about certain urban myths gaining popularity, is the one claiming that <i>anti-perspirants/deodorant cause breast cancer</i>. Apparently, the rumor got bad enough for the <i>American Cancer Society</i> and the <i>National Cancer Institute</i> at the <i>National Institutes of Health</i> to respond with this fact sheet about <a href="http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/AP-Deo"><u>anti-perspirants/deodorant and breast cancer</u></a>. A key point in the document states,
"There is no conclusive research linking the use of underarm
antiperspirants or deodorants and the subsequent development of breast
cancer." But, there is also another point that completed research
studies were inconclusive because they produced conflicting results.
Some may interpret that differently. One thing that's for sure is that
you can't extrapolate that we know for sure what causes any specific
type of cancer from these studies. So, where else might these fears
perspire from?</span><br />
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In the 'Health, Wellness, and Hygiene Tips for Body Odor' section of the <a href="http://www.howstuffworks.com/"><i>How Stuff Works</i></a> website, there is a more than I, and probably you, would ever want to know about body odor in the article titled, <a href="http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/hygiene-tips/body-odor4.htm"><i>How Body Odor Works</i></a>. The subject of anti-antiperspirants and deodorants comes up five pages in; where it goes through a brief history of deodorant, some science behind it, and a few examples of alternatives. The aforementioned concerns and uncertainties surrounding the safety of <i>aluminum-based deodorants</i> shows up once again in the little informational box that appears on the side of the piece and states the following, </div>
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<b>"The safety of aluminum-based deodorants has been the cause for much
debate. Some studies seem to have indicated that antiperspirants can
increase breast cancer risks, but according to the National Cancer
Institute and FDA, there's no conclusive evidence to tie the two
together. Additionally, a study done in the 1960s indicated that there
was a higher presence of aluminum in the brains of Alzheimer's patients,
which has lead to the persistent belief that antiperspirants can
contribute to the disease. However, according to the Alzheimer's
Association, studies released since that time have failed to confirm
aluminum's role in causing Alzheimer's."</b></blockquote>
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A brief explanation of just what body odor is and some things to do about it, appears on the blog site <i>Science Knowledge</i> under the article titled, <a href="http://sciencemags.blogspot.com/2010/01/deodorants-and-antiperspirants.html"><i>Deodorants and Antiperspirants</i></a>. It also mentions that there are other alternatives which include masking scents and germicides. There is also a funny example going with this telling of how they test antiperspirants with control groups. The post eventually comes around to breaking down the active ingredients to what makes up an <i>antiperspirant</i>, and addresses some of these concerns in the following excerpt, </div>
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<b>"Finally, it’s important to address one of the very real risks of
antiperspirants. No, it’s not breast cancer or Alzheimer’s disease,
despite what you might have read in imaginative email chain letters. For
the record, aluminum, the key ingredient in antiperspirants, is the
third most common element on our planet, and it’s found in food, air,
and over-the-counter medications like antacids, all of which provide
more aluminum than you can absorb from an antiperspirant through your
skin. Furthermore, the amount of waste your sweat glands excrete is
small, so there’s no reason to think that slowing down a few sweat
glands can increase the level of toxins in your blood."</b></blockquote>
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The real downsides to antiperspirants appear to be found in their limited application to be effective on certain glands, so they don't "suppress" the smell from "apocrine glands." Based on the evidence gathered, the only dangers that I can determine surrounding this whole subject, are embarrassment from excessive sweating and staining. The amount and the sweat itself can also indicate other health concerns that could be more serious, like diabetes or thyroid disease as well. </div>
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The <i>How Stuff Works</i> article had one other gem of advise that stood out to me amongst all the information sifted through,</div>
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<b>"Because everyone's body chemistry is different, it may take a bit of
experimentation to find a natural deodorant that works for you but the
science of making the skin's surface unfriendly to bacteria is sound,
and thousands of people use these products successfully every day."</b></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Unfortunately, some people might argue that the research from big organizations like the <i>American Cancer Society</i>, the <i>FDA</i>, or the <i>National Institutes for Health</i> cannot be trusted because they are part of some elaborate umbrella government conspiracy allowing the poisoning of the general public. But, then I might argue that you might have bigger, more urgent problems of concern than the aluminum in your deodorant. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sources:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dries, Kate. 2014.<i> </i>"Cameron Diaz's Body Book is Actually Pretty Good". <i>Jezebel.com</i>. (Janurary 10) Can be accessed online at: <a href="http://jezebel.com/cameron-diazs-body-book-is-actually-pretty-good-1496442600">http://jezebel.com/cameron-diazs-body-book-is-actually-pretty-good-1496442600</a>. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><br />Franco, Michael. 2010. "How Body Odor Works" <i>HowStuffWorks.com</i>. (May 4).
Accessible online at: <a href="http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/hygiene-tips/body-odor4.htm">http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/hygiene-tips/body-odor4.htm</a>. Last updated May 9, 2014. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Malkin, Marc. 2014. "Cameron Diaz Hasn't Used Antiperspirant...in 20 Years!". <i>E! Online.com</i>. Can be accessed online at: <a href="http://www.eonline.com/news/534660/cameron-diaz-hasn-t-used-antiperspirant-in-20-years">http://www.eonline.com/news/534660/cameron-diaz-hasn-t-used-antiperspirant-in-20-years</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />Marcus, Stephanie. 2014. "Cameron Diaz Say She Hasn't Worn Deodorant in 20 Years". <i>Huffington Post</i>. April 24. Can be accessed online at: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/24/cameron-diaz-deodorant-antiperspirant_n_5205103.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/24/cameron-diaz-deodorant-antiperspirant_n_5205103.html</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mayo Clinic Staff. 2014. "Sweating and Body Odor: Causes". <i>Mayo Clinic</i>. (Janurary 25). Can be accessed online at: <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sweating-and-body-odor/basics/causes/con-20014438">http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sweating-and-body-odor/basics/causes/con-20014438</a>. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />NewsOK. 2003. "<span style="font-family: inherit;">Misleading Medical Myths Spread Quickly Over Internet".</span> <i>NewsOK.com</i>. (January 7). Can be accessed online at: <a href="http://newsok.com/misleading-medical-myths-spread-quickly-over-internet/article/1909166">http://newsok.com/misleading-medical-myths-spread-quickly-over-internet/article/1909166</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />National Cancer Institute. 2008. "Antiperspirants/Deodorants and Breast Cancer</span>".<i> Cancer.gov</i>. Can be accessed online at: <a href="http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/AP-Deo">http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/AP-Deo</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Snopes. 1999. "Anti-Perspirants and Breast Cancer". <i>Snopes</i>.<i>com</i>. Can be accessed online at: <a href="http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/antiperspirant.asp">http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/antiperspirant.asp</a>. Last updated, January 2, 2014.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />Science Knowledge. 2010. <i>Deodorants and Antiperspirants. Sciencemags.blogspot.com</i>. Can be accessed online at: </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://sciencemags.blogspot.com/2010/01/deodorants-and-antiperspirants.html">http://sciencemags.blogspot.com/2010/01/deodorants-and-antiperspirants.html</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br />University Health Network. </i>2013. "Cancer Mythbusters: Antiperspirants and breast cancer".<i> YouTube</i>. UHNToronto. (January 13). Can be accessed online at: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcg6lELqP58">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcg6lELqP58</a>.</span>Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249570413718115768.post-18187950617360796482014-03-05T22:10:00.001-07:002014-03-07T21:37:44.052-07:00A Case of 'Particle Fever'<div style="text-align: justify;">
One day, I was sitting in a production lab performing a video test as part of the quality control process for a monitor and came across the image of a giant structure being hauled by truck so big it closed down both directions of the highway. I needed to see what a 50 foot magnet was being used for, and was I surprised to see it was just a small piece of the bigger machine. Instead of quenching that thirst, my curiosity would only continue to grow just as much as my understanding did, the more I explored the fundamental aspects which govern the laws that lead humans to build such an impossibly complex machine. It really is a marvel of human ingenuity. A pinnacle of engineering and physics. It's only fitting that hundreds of hours and years of footage were used to make the upcoming movie focusing on a scientific journey that involves all of us. <i>Particle Fever</i> is being featured by Angela Watercutter in her recent article for <i>Wired</i> as, "<a href="http://www.wired.com/underwire/2014/03/particle-fever-lhc-clip/">A Movie About the Large Hadron Collider That You'll Actually Understand</a>." <br />
<br />
Part of my own personal voyage was described in <a href="http://www.centerforinquiry.net/blogs/entry/noah_nez_the_native_skeptic/">an interview with Ben Radford for the <i>Center for Inquiry</i></a> where I gave this example of how the Large Hadron Collider lead me to become involved with organized skepticism. Here is my response to that question, </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>"Philosophy, Socrates, and the socratic method, planted a seed with a
question, "What is knowledge?" If you can't define that for yourself,
then how can you maintain the claim that you truly "know" anything? I
wanted to know how we as the collective human race compiled all of the
scientific understandings of such things like Einstein's theory of
relativity or how we know certain things about the nature of subatomic
particles. The Large Hadron Collider at CERN really ignited my interest
in getting to the bottom of how man could even postulate such a machine.
The process of how science works became clear only after I became more
familiar with the history of science, and finally I had the standard for
knowledge that I was looking for: scientific knowledge.
</b><br />
<b>
<br />After becoming engulfed in this newfound obsession for everything
science related, it was only a matter of time before I came across the
Skeptics Guide to the Universe. Simply listening to the SGU let me know
that there was this community out there and that really helped sharpen
my critical thinking skills while establishing a deep-seeded root to be
more actively involved in skepticism. I wanted to help others follow
along those lines and discover how enlightening and empowering science
can be through its relevance to everything." </b></blockquote>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Like with most skeptic's origin stories, mine also began with a love for science. Once I became better acquainted with the scientific method I also became aware of my own scientific illiteracy. At that point, I already had a applied science degree and a bachelors in technical management. So, it was a bit of a shock for me and blow to the ego to admit that I did not really know what science was or how to clearly define it. I wondered how I went clear through the entire educational process and missed out on such a vital part to understanding the modern world. But, what I did attain through my educational experience through philosophy, ethics and other writing courses, was the ability to think with different perspectives. Which has also helped me as an artist. <br />
<br />
I am excited for this movie and the opportunity to make these concepts exciting for others as well. The LHC inspired me so much by the sheer ingenuity of the whole machine, forget the way it works. The look of it alone is straight out of a science fiction movie and could easily pass for a Star Trek set! But, in order to truly appreciate the inner workings of the biggest scientific experiment in the world and most complex machine ever built by human beings, there's a bit of physics to examine and explore. And about a couple hundred years worth of science. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
That has kept me busy ever since and I am just as curious about things, but as a result, my appreciation of those things is so much deeper. <br />
<br />
<i>Particle Fever</i> will be smashing it's way to select theaters March through April.<br />
</div>
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<br />Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249570413718115768.post-83011188968668299712014-02-01T16:12:00.002-07:002014-02-01T16:29:23.959-07:00My Brian Dunning From Skeptoid on The Joe Rogan Experience<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oap5AjKPWQE">episode #441 of The Joe Rogan Experience</a> ended up being rather
memorable for some quite unexpected reasons. At first, I was excited by the premise of
<a href="http://skeptoid.com/about.php">Brian Dunning</a>, the host of <a href="http://skeptoid.com/">Skeptoid</a>, being featured as a guest on one of the
other podcasts I actually listen to regularly and personally feel could be used
as a resource to spread the awareness of skepticism and science.
For the most part, I have found that the people that I bring this idea to do not have a good reaction to the notion or do not know what a podcast is. In a grander scheme of things in terms of
the greater good and what the skepticism movement is supposed to be about, or at
least what it means to me, we really should utilize these avenues of popular culture trending right now like YouTube and podcasts. I would love to hear a prominent name being featured as a guest on the <a href="http://www.nerdist.com/podcast/nerdist/">Nerdist podcast</a> or have an episode recorded from <a href="http://www.amazingmeeting.com/">The Amazing Meeting</a>. <br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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The first major thing that became fixated to my mind and lingered around
throughout the entire episode was making it a point to clarify and define what
it means to be “scientifically literate”, and the importance it serves us as everyday citizens. It's part our civic duty to learn these things. One definition that I pull off from
the top of my head comes from one of the best science communicators doing his thing
today, and that’s no other than Mr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. Here is a clip of the YouTube video I am talking about: </div>
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<br /></div>
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There
are general misconceptions about science and skepticism around anywhere people can be found. For some, sounding
technical is enough for it to be considered science-y. For some others, being a
nay-saying cynic gets misconstrued for being "skeptical." Another giant aspect to the definition of science, that doesn't get discussed enough, is pointing out that the word <i>skeptic </i>as in scientific skepticism also means open-minded. It’s not so centered on a
constant state of <i>disbelief</i> as in the way Joe Rogan represents it to be in this discussion with Brian Dunning. The word skeptic (as I define it at least) is interchangeable
with science, or the scientific perspective, which is always open to new
evidence and constantly changing. My personal views on things are always
changing as I receive more information through experience and as knowledge is
gained. This is where something from another YouTube video this time featuring physicist Richard Feynman comes to
mind:</div>
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Another
glaring point that I didn’t really feel like got covered that is
important to
the putting together an accurate portrait of science is how we determine
standards
of evidence or <i>validity</i>. Making a claim is easy for anyone to do; the
real
interesting part is in backing it up, but that also takes the most
effort. It’s
easier to just go along with people than to argue against them too. If
you
disagree with someone, you may feel the burden to justify your position
and
that’s just too much work! So, I can see how sitting in silence can seem
so
much more appealing to your brain in certain circumstances. But, feeling
that
way doesn’t always mean that it’s the right thing to do either. Another
fallacious argument that was repeatedly used resembled the following
form: the government
conspired in the past therefore the current instance in question is a
conspiracy too. That is a bit like saying a specific event is a
conspiracy because
conspiracies exist. Not only is that bad logic, it's just plain ole lazy thinking. </div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Vitamins are an important subject to skeptics and
consumer protection activists because it deals with something that concerns
everyone, <b>health</b>. We all have our own definitions of what it means to be
“healthy”. Not many people receive much education in nutrition, but that
doesn’t stop anybody from formulating an opinion and thinking they know what’s
best for them- health wise. In this instance, a recent relay of research covered
by the media spouting that <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/16/health/multivitamins-studies/">vitamins are a waste of money</a> got Joe up in arms and
arguing that vitamins <i>are </i>beneficial. However, the media headline was
misleading and the research did not show vitamins to have "completely no
benefits", but what it did indicate is that additional dietary supplementation
is not necessary for most people eating a regular varied diet. And what they did say is that, "using supplements and multivitamins to prevent chronic conditions is a waste of money." In other words,
vitamins don’t work in the specific manner that the nutrition industry is currently
selling them to us. But, I understand how these personal views can become emotionally
charged and this particular area is prone to Joe and I would expect a strong knee jerk reaction or some
resistance at the least. It was hard for me to let go of some of the nutritional
claims that I had bought into early on from getting immersed in bodybuilding. High
school can drive some boys to do crazy things just to get a competitive edge or
that feeds into an urge to get bigger and much of it is based on anecdote and placebo. Joe oversimplified the multi-vitamin research study being
discussed and the misinterpretation seemed to me most likely due to the
misleading media headlines. The vitamin c claims being made were vague. There
is <a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002145.htm">some validity to vitamin c shortening the lifespan of colds, but not so much preventing them</a>. Ultra high doses of anything are generally not a good idea.
Some claims do not hold up while others can have risks that are more harmful
than they are beneficial. <br />
<br />
The
others things that bothered me were not the topics themselves, but the manner
in which they were presented.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
For instance, I found the debate over what <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJeGeclGDpQ">Dr. Mark Gordon said in a prior episode # 438</a> about a chemical called glutathione and effects on the liver it had when drinking alcohol that
caused Brian to shut off the episode and describes an experience closely
resembling the uncomfortable feeling of distress that I had while listening to this part of his
conversation with Joe. After they replayed and listened to the prior segment in question during the show,
Joe clarified what the doctor had said and Brian stood by his original statement. I
remember when the initially started the conversation that it prompted me to
start thinking about the interview because I had just listened to that episode
and found the doctors’ statement to be suggestive, but it wasn’t clear to me it
was being recommended. After they brought the subject up, I remembered listening to this episode the
day it became available for download and my memory of that show didn’t include
the sort of menacing portrayal as described by Dunning’s experience. But, I
also recall not being too convinced by the evidence Dr. Gordon <i>did</i> provide either, such as the
one little anecdote that gets brought up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What did seem to
stand out about this part of the conversation is that Brian appeared eager and
bent on being confrontational based on something I believe he misheard.
Perhaps, being hyper focused on activism can lead to fighting fights that are
not effectively helpful in the spreading of the original intended message. <br />
<br />
At the end of the
day, skeptics are susceptible to their own psychology too. It’s just that as
skeptics, we are often aware of these pitfalls in thinking and intently seek
out contradictory evidence. However, as we are all flawed and biased we are all
guilty on occasion of hearing what we want to hear, or perhaps in some cases,
we don’t hear what we weren’t listening for, and being aware of our bias
doesn’t make us immune to it. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I did happen to agree with Joe when he echoed a common mantra that gets thrown
around often when discussing the topic of skeptical outreach and scientific
debates; “sometimes being a dick can take all the attention away from the point
you are trying to make.” It’s like you can literally hear a giant slurping
sound during the middle of a conversation from everyone’s attention leaving the
room all at once like a vacuum. Joe
often justifies his positions by pointing out how smart people are or how
educated they are, as he does a couple times in this episode, but we have many
examples of smart people being demonstrably wrong. Take someone as seemingly
intelligent as <a href="http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/homeopathy-starter-kit-pt-1">Dr. Oz promoting homeopathy</a> and other questionable forms of
alternative medicine and pseudoscience for instance. However, I would like to give credit and point out
that I have recognized a change over the years listening to the show. <br />
<br />
Guests
like Sam Harris or Neil deGrasse Tyson seem to corral the conversation into
staying within reason by breaking down ideas before tangents go too far down
the rabbit hole. Even the silly conversations are so much more interesting when
one or more people in a party are scientifically literate, then you can really nerd out
properly. Like what often happens on <a href="http://www.theskepticsguide.org/">The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe</a>. I
really enjoy these conversations the most and feel that I get more out of these
types of episodes too. Joe also appears to be much more pliable in these
scenarios than the common misconception that many people hold of him in the
skeptical community. Much of this is due to the history surrounding Joe and his
former beliefs that the Moon landings were a hoax, amongst a few other
conspiracy theories thrown in there too. When <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDLFm-DRPQg">Joe had a debate with astronomer Phil Plait on Penn Jillette’s show</a>, it got the attention of the scientific and
skeptical communities. So, I can see the need of some damage control on both
sides. Joe has since relinquished many of these beliefs but has been written
off long ago and said to be too far gone in his irrationality. After someone
brought the whole Moon debacle to my attention, I initially felt that way too. It
would be one thing if it was strictly an all hardcore comedy show, but the fact
is that most of the time it treads into scientific topics of discussion lends
itself to criticism. In the past I have proposed to other notable skeptics that
there is some potential for outreach on Joe Rogan’s podcast, but for many there
is still a bad taste left after the whole Moon incident. There are so many
times in conversations that I wished <a href="http://www.theskepticsguide.org/about/steven-novella">Dr. Steve Novella</a> from the SGU was there to discuss
experiences of the brain that people have or when there is a weird news story
in the media that <a href="http://www.skeptic.com/i-am-a-skeptic/Sharon-Hill/">Sharon Hill</a> from <a href="http://doubtfulnews.com/">Doubtful News</a> could help put into perspective by providing
further insight with a little back story. <br />
<br />
I noticed things that have changed
for the better especially with recent Joe Rogan Experience episode featuring from something you might have already sensed, <i>psychics</i>. It was
pleasantly surprising and I feel is definitely the most skeptical thing he has done. At one point he slips and calls himself a skeptic, only to quickly retort. It
features an engagement with another prominent skeptic and world class
mentalist, Banachek. <a href="http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/duncan-trussell-6">This podcast episode JRQE5 with Duncan Trussell</a> was recorded during the production of <i>Joe Rogan Questions Everything</i> which originally aired on <i>SyFy</i> and it
discusses how that meeting not only changed
their perception of all psychics, but reality as well. </div>
</div>
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<br />
I was really hoping for this episode to be an
opportunity to share the ideas of what skepticism, science, and critical
thinking has to offer everyone and the importance they are to the way we
acquire knowledge about the modern world we live in today. So, I guess what bothered me the most and got me down was the lost opportunity to point out what distinguishes
something as being scientific and the notion that it's the same perspective that lies in the heart of skepticism wasn’t
stressed at all. “Skepticism and science are not so much
about <i>what </i>you think; it’s about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">how</i>
you think.” And
it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i> possible to have an
intellectual debate that is still lighthearted that others can learn and grown from. I would just like to hear or see them in more places other then skeptics podcasts. </div>
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<![endif]-->Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249570413718115768.post-42479836883037942182014-01-15T18:22:00.001-07:002014-01-15T18:22:56.623-07:00Feeling Something Is True Is Not an Argument for Something Being True <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Everyone has their own unique upbringing filled with
distinctive experiences. These pivotal events lay the foundation to how we will
relate to the world and the information we receive from it. I doubt many would
argue with the notion that our personalities and behaviors are shaped by our
experiences. It’s rather easy to overlook our past history’s influence on us
and forget how deceptively powerful they can be. Perhaps it is due to our
brain’s ability to mask its own limitations by bridging the gaps between any
perceived inefficiencies. Or in other words, we can’t see the gaps found at the
end of our cognitive limitations because part of what our brain does is hide
these from our conscience mind so that we experience reality more smoothly. </div>
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<br /></div>
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There are so many things that the brain is doing that we are
not aware of most of the time. For instance, our hearts beat and our body
temperature stayed regulated without any conscience effort. Well, it appears
that our ideas and beliefs might also arise in a similar fashion, starting deep
from within an inaccessible place of our minds that we are not aware of until
it reaches a certain level into our consciousness. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Our emotions are no exception to this notion either.
Usually, we do not think of our feeling of certainty, or our feeling of being
right, as an emotion. However, I have come across more recent discoveries made
through research being done in this area of brain science that has shifted my
view to consider the feeling of “knowing” to be classified more as an emotion.
Even just philosophically, this is a fun conversation to have and ponder upon.
But, when boiled down to the bones, it all comes back to describing a feeling.
A feeling like an emotional state of being, or you know, like an emotion. So,
like with the other examples of how things enter into our consciousness, the
feeling of “rightness” begins with a process in the brain that we do not
consciously initiate. I can even vividly recall experiencing this feeling in certain
instances of my dreams where nothing makes sense but know what I’m supposed
to do or where I’m supposed to be. This might also lend some insight into
feelings of déjà vu. Our brains might just be interpreting a situation as being
familiar and produce the feeling of familiarity without our conscience
awareness, sort of like knowing without knowing. Some people who have damaged
parts of the brain that are needed for functioning properly lose their ability
to experience any sort of feeling of certainty. Think of that for a second. These
people report to recognize that everything about a person, place or thing to be
identical to something they used to know like a person they are married to or
even their own children, but without the feeling of certainty they insist these
things to be imposters. So, sometimes our feelings of being right can obviously
throw us off from time to time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Now, it might seem obvious that our feelings of something
being true are not arguments or good explanations to support something being
true. Like saying something is right because it feels right. Just think of all
the instances in which people can’t explain what they saw, but still protest
they know what they saw. These are some reasons why we should be cautious of
individuals that operate with no shadow of a doubt, making claims of absolute
knowledge or absolute certainty about anything. In many circumstances, this feeling can act as an obstacle to the process of expanding our understanding and acquiring new knowledge. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The inspiration for this train of thought came from
something I read in Carl Sagan’s, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Demon-Haunted
World</i>. This all comes back to why understanding the inquiry process of
science is so important to EVERYONE in ANY field. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>"Science is
different from many another human enterprise — not, of course, in its
practitioners being influenced by the culture they grew up in, nor in sometimes
being right and sometimes wrong (which are common to every human activity), but
in its passion for framing testable hypotheses, in its search for definitive
experiments that confirm or deny ideas, in the vigor of its substantive debate,
and in its willingness to abandon ideas that have been found wanting. If we
were not aware of our own limitations, though, if we were not seeking further
data, if we were unwilling to perform controlled experiments, if we did not
respect the evidence, we would have very little leverage in our quest for the
truth." (Sagan 1997) </b></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span>Reference:</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span>Sagan, Carl. 1997. <i>The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark</i>. Antiscience. (pg 263). Ballantine Books. </span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /><br /></span></div>
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<![endif]-->Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249570413718115768.post-53876546399251698542013-11-20T02:14:00.000-07:002013-11-20T02:14:31.188-07:00The Rain Dance: Myth and TruthCulture has the remarkable ability of influencing our perspectives of things without us even being aware of it. Some things get engrained into our minds during our childhood that we simply do not ever think to question. Sometimes we assume things that are a part of our popular culture are true, but rarely ever look into them for ourselves. Some things are so old that we assume they have always been there. Introduce the notion that some things are also to be considered as <i>sacred</i>, and therefore questioning them is considered to be an act of disrespect that is often discouraged by shaming, and you have the recipe for conjuring up a belief that can go on to take on a life of its' own because when the legend gets printed in our minds it becomes fact in our lives. In this special case, I decided to dive into the surrounding beliefs of a subject commonly associated with Native culture that is most often taken out of context and misrepresented, <a href="http://www.csicop.org/sb/show/the_myth_of_the_rain_dance/">the Native American Rain Dance</a>. <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">"As I began to look into the situation, it became apparent that it stems from a fundamental
misunderstanding of Native American religion." (Nez 2013)
</span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></blockquote>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><br /><i><b>*</b>The Myth of the Rain Dance</i></span></span></span></span></b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"> first appeared in the</span></span></span></span><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b> </b></i>Skeptical Briefs, Volume 23.1 Spring<b> </b></span></span></span></span></b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">of 2013</span></span></span></span><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></span></span></span></b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">edition</span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>. </b> </span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;">It c</span><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">an also be </span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;">accessed</span><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> online at:</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.csicop.org/sb/show/the_myth_of_the_rain_dance/">http://www.csicop.org/sb/show/the_myth_of_the_rain_dance/</a>. </span></span>Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249570413718115768.post-48943335254684627772013-10-25T16:43:00.000-07:002013-10-24T18:03:47.795-07:00A Background Interview Featuring the Origin Story of How I Discovered Skepticism<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
I am so grateful for the opportunities that have arisen through my work with skeptical activism. Since the start of this blog, I have found and joined a local Skeptics in the Pub meetup group and took part in the establishment and founding of a non-profit educational organization, the <a href="http://phoenixskeptics.org/">Phoenix Area Skeptics Society<i> </i>(PASS)</a>. For the most part, it is quite rare to find people doing things they are passionate about with intentions of receiving praise or recognition for them. The work is the reward. However, sometimes positive attention and the constructive criticism from peers can have a profound impact on validating efforts<i>. </i>So, I was proud to take part in <a href="http://www.centerforinquiry.net/blogs/entry/noah_nez_the_native_skeptic/">this interview</a> with the deputy editor of the <i>Skeptical Inquirer, </i>research
fellow at the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry<i></i>,<i> </i>and <i>the </i>go to<i> </i>scientific paranormal investigator<i> </i>Benjamin
Radford. He is author or co-author of six books and over a thousand
articles on skepticism, critical thinking, and science literacy. Topics that he covers include urban legends, the paranormal, and media literacy. The
newest book from Mr. Radford is titled, <i>The Martians Have Landed: A History of Media Panics and Hoaxes.</i> Amongst all of this great work educating the public, he also finds the time to be a columnist for Discovery News and <a href="http://livescience.com/">LiveScience.com</a>.<br />
<br />
Seeing my name and this blog under the Center for Inquiry banner
displays to me a respect for Native American beliefs that rarely get
acknowledged. The voices from the First Nations of people in America got
just a bit louder.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
You can follow the link to the entry on the CFI website by clicking in the text or by going <a href="http://www.centerforinquiry.net/blogs/entry/noah_nez_the_native_skeptic/">here</a>. </div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>This interview originally appeared in the<b> Skeptical Briefs</b> newsletter, Volume 21.3, Fall 2011, which featured a longer version. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><br /></i></div>
Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249570413718115768.post-85975212897003819552013-05-24T15:38:00.001-07:002013-05-24T15:38:43.325-07:00Guest Spot on Freethoughtify <div style="text-align: justify;">
It is not too often that I focus on writing articles which include my own personal perspective. I have made a great effort to look at the subjects that I post on here with the most objective eye as possible by utilizing all of the critical thinking, scientific, and skeptical skills that I have learned through both my formal and personal education. When it comes to Native American culture and beliefs I want to show ultimate respect by depicting them, not as I view them, but as closely to how they were depicted by those tribes practicing them. In most cases, my point of view is not relevant to those types of historical and cultural accounts, so it doesn't get included and is normally weeded out. However, there are those rare occasions in which I do get an opportunity to speak from a frame of reference that reflects my way of looking at and interpreting the world. Well, I present to you one of those special opportunities that I was more than grateful to have in this post titled <a href="http://freethoughtify.com/native-atheist/"><i>Native Atheist</i></a> that I did as a guest blogger for <a href="http://freethoughtify.com/">Freethoughtify</a>, "an atypical secular" blog site. </div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>"While I still feel like an outsider amongst my family, friends, and
ethnic group like a minority amongst minorities, I am still more than
grateful to have found my way to reason and scientific thinking. Now, I
feel that sense of awe and wonder that I was always looking for in
acknowledging that I belong to something greater than me called the
Universe. I found my humanism and a different spiritual view for my
ever-present love for life in understanding the way the world <i>really</i> appears to be." (Nez 2013)</b></blockquote>
<br /><br /><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">References:<br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Nez, Noah. 2013. Native Atheist. <i>Freethoughtify</i>. Can be accessed online at: <a href="http://freethoughtify.com/native-atheist/">http://freethoughtify.com/native-atheist/</a>.</span></span></div>
<blockquote>
<b><br /></b>
</blockquote>
Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249570413718115768.post-71931189461196098462013-03-31T21:59:00.000-07:002013-04-08T15:09:08.447-07:00An Artist Rises <div style="text-align: justify;">
As many of you might already kind of know, I am a bit of a social activist. But, not everyone is privy to the information that I am also an artist. Writing has allowed me to exercise some of the creative energy that I have been storing away since becoming involved in other efforts. There was a few things that I felt compelled, almost obligated, to tackle first. Such as, writing about things that are not being reflected in society or our American culture that I strongly felt should be. The biggest example being, the importance of utilizing science to help us to better determine our policies and decisions for the future. Not just for Native Americans, but for all people and all circles of life. However, there are some things, like emotions and experiences, that cannot quite be put into words to adequately encapsulate a situation in its' entirety. This is where <i>art </i>can be of great assistance. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As stated on <a href="http://www.artistrising.com/shop/profile/67113/Noah-Nez.htm">my biography featured on the Artist Rising website</a>, </div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>"I have worked with
various types of mediums; including acrylic, ink, and charcoal. I have
even done some things with ceramics such as sculpting pinch pots out of
red clay. I was born on the Fort Apache reservation located in
Whiteriver, Arizona. So, I seek to display the perspective of Native
culture that rarely gets reflected in our American society to spread
awareness and inject Native Americans into the discussions about society
and our policies. I pretty much have been drawing my whole life, mostly
with pen and pencil. But, as of recently, I have found my voice and
style through exploring and familiarizing myself with the world of
graffiti and other forms of street art. Now, I only work with spray paint. Some of my biggest influences
are Andy Warhol, Ai Wei Wei, and of course Banksy. I do not posses
much formal art education, however, I do share similar motivations that
I can identify with in these artists' work. At some point, I no longer made art just
for the sake of making it. Plenty of artists can draw, but not everyone
has something to say. I felt that the meaning needed to be established
with a purpose. If art is to be a reflection of life then it should have
meaning beyond what the eye see's" (Nez 2013).</b></blockquote>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Like reading the written out work that gets displayed in mathematics, you can journey along with me in the quest to finding a sense of style by taking in the entire body of work that I have done so far. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Also, if anyone is interested, prints and originals are available through <a href="http://www.artistrising.com/shop/artist/67113/noah-nez.htm">my online gallery featured on Artist Rising</a>. Frames and boarders can be added and previewed as well. More pictures will be added and available soon! </div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td valign="top"><br /></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://imagecache.artistrising.com/artwork/xlg//6/648/EU1C000A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="http://imagecache.artistrising.com/artwork/xlg//6/648/EU1C000A.jpg" title=""Red Geronimo" by Noah Nez" width="491" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Nez, Noah. 2013. <i>Red Geronimo</i>. ArtistRising.com. Can be accessed at: <a href="http://www.artistrising.com/shop/profile/67113/Noah-Nez.htm">http://www.artistrising.com/shop/profile/67113/Noah-Nez.htm</a>. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Nez, Noah. 2013. Artist Rising. Art.com. Can be accessed at: <a href="http://www.artistrising.com/shop/profile/67113/Noah-Nez.htm">http://www.artistrising.com/shop/profile/67113/Noah-Nez.htm</a>. </span>Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249570413718115768.post-44957685599900291402013-03-25T17:12:00.000-07:002013-03-25T17:13:49.296-07:00Wisdom from the Origins Conference<div class="userContentWrapper aboveUnitContent">
<div class="-cx-PRIVATE-fbTimelineText__featured mbm">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="userContent">"End of the world" scenarios are common to cultures around the globe. There are many commonalities found throughout the various groups of people on Earth. Sometimes that can include symbols that resemble each other, or in other cases, similar stories and beliefs. Quite often, it is the fundamental misunderstanding of Native American religions that shows its' ugly little head in our current American culture and manifests itself in society as an attempt to "bridge the gap" between how they view Native beliefs to be and the patterns that they see in the world. One example of such profound misrepresentation and misuse of "The Power" and Native A</span><span class="userContent">mericans' cultural myths and stories appears in a special engagement called the </span><span class="userContent"><a href="http://www.csicop.org//sb/show/wisdom_from_the_origins_conference#When:19:58:54Z"><span class="userContent">Wisdom from the Origins Conferenc</span>e</a>*. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span class="userContent">*This article originally appeared in </span></b><span class="userContent"><b>Volume 22.3 of the Skeptical Briefs 2012 Fall
edition. </b></span></div>
<span class="userContent"></span></div>
<h4 style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></b></span></h4>
<h4 style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></b></span></h4>
<h4 style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></b></span></h4>
<h4 style="font-weight: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">I have written a few articles for the <i>Skeptical Briefs</i>
ranging in subjects from cryptozoology (the study of hidden animals) to
witchcraft. I try to offer a more critical look that is often not found
as another resource for those interested in putting together a more
accurate representation of what Native American beliefs actually depict.
Some topics covered include; Navajo Skinwalkers, Native American
Legends, and the New Age Mysticism that shows up around Native American
Spirituality. </span></b></span></h4>
<span class="userContent"> </span></div>
</div>
Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249570413718115768.post-57644321559629155492012-10-31T16:09:00.002-07:002012-11-21T14:28:10.528-07:00Navajo Skinwalkers<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>"There is little documented information about the details of “witchcraft” among the Navajo—or Diné, as they call themselves. What is relatively well known is their term “Skinwalker,” or “yee naaldlooshii,” which means, “with it, he goes on all fours.” This is a reference to the special ability to transform into a four-legged animal. While there are many self-published books and websites that offer some insight into this world of Navajo witchcraft, much of the information is obscure and does not provide any sort of real account for how these stories and their details came into being." (Nez 2012) </b></span></h3>
</blockquote>
<br />
I have written a few articles for the Skeptical Briefs ranging in subjects from cryptozoology (the study of hidden animals) to witchcraft. I try to offer a more critical look that is often not found as another resource for those interested in putting together a more accurate representation of what the evidence suggests and what Native American beliefs actually depict. The excerpt presented above was based from the full article that originally appeared in Volume 22.1 of the Skeptical Briefs 2012 spring edition, which is now available over on the CSI website simply titled, <a href="http://www.csicop.org/sb/show/skinwalkers/"><b><i>Skinwalkers</i></b></a>. <br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Not only does CSI offer a network of people interested in seeing paranormal investigations (or anything considered to be "fringe" ) using science appropriately, but it also publishes an official journal, Skeptical Inquirer magazine. The list of founding members of CSI includes some rather well known scientists, academics, and science writers such as Carl Sagan, Isaac Asimov, Philip Klass, Paul Kurtz, Ray Hyman, James Randi, and Martin Gardner. If you needed another reason to join, CSI also offers the Skeptical Briefs, a special newsletter with articles featuring regular columnists and different skeptical groups from around the world, exclusively to its' *Associate Members.
</span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Those at CSI have graciously made some past articles available online, not just from the <a href="http://www.csicop.org/si/archive">Skeptical Inquirer magazine</a>, but the <a href="http://www.csicop.org/sb/">Skeptical Briefs newsletter</a> as well! </span></span></b><br />
<br />Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249570413718115768.post-40595827416442590462012-07-26T00:03:00.000-07:002012-11-01T02:06:56.447-07:00Sharing Native American Culture and Offering a Unique Brand of Skepticism<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">
<h4 style="font-weight: normal;">
<i>Recently, I was privileged with an opportunity to share some insight into Native American culture and offer a unique brand of skepticism to the associate members of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI), a nonprofit scientific educational organization.</i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></h4>
<h4 style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></h4>
<h4 style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></h4>
<h4 style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Not only does CSI offer a network of people interested in seeing paranormal investigations (or anything considered to be "fringe" ) using science appropriately, but it also publishes an official journal, <i>Skeptical Inquirer</i> magazine. </span><span style="font-size: small;">The list of founding members of CSI includes some rather well
known scientists, academics, and science writers such as Carl Sagan,
Isaac Asimov, Philip Klass, Paul Kurtz, Ray Hyman, James Randi, and
Martin Gardner. </span><span style="font-size: small;">If you needed another reason to join, CSI also offers the <i>Skeptical Briefs,</i> a special newsletter with articles featuring regular columnists and different skeptical groups from around the world, </span><span style="font-size: small;">exclusively to its' *Associate Members. </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></h4>
<h4 style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></h4>
<h4 style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I have written a few articles for the <i>Skeptical Briefs</i> ranging in subjects from cryptozoology (the study of hidden animals) to witchcraft. I try to offer a more critical look that is often not found as another resource for those interested in putting together a more accurate representation of what Native American beliefs actually depict. Some topics covered include; Navajo Skinwalkers, Native American Legends, and the New Age Mysticism that shows up around Native American Spirituality. </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></h4>
<h4 style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></h4>
<h4 style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Those at CSI have graciously made some past articles available online, not just from the <a href="http://www.csicop.org/si/archive"><i>Skeptical Inquirer </i>magazine</a>, but the <a href="http://www.csicop.org/sb/"><i>Skeptical Briefs</i> newsletter</a> as well! So, for those of you who are not Associate Members of CSI and have not been able to read any of my past articles, here is your chance to check one of them out, <a href="http://www.csicop.org/sb/show/thunderbirds/"><i>Thunderbirds</i></a>. </span></h4>
<h4 style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://csi-store.myshopify.com/products/csi-associate-membership"><b><i>*How to become an Associate member of the Committee for Scientific Inquiry</i></b></a></span><br />
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<br /></div>
Native Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07638524433407465480noreply@blogger.com3