11. Explain how Pueblo tribes “played up their own Indianness” to fight against the
Bursum Bill.
The Pueblo tribes strategically emphasized their Native identity by uniting and making a
dramatic entrance into a New York City courtroom dressed in their traditional attire,
accompanied by singing and drumming. This spectacle aimed to capture the attention of
businessmen who had likely never encountered authentic Native Americans before.
Although their presentation portrayed a sense of authenticity, it was a deliberate effort to
create an impression that may not have been entirely accurate to their everyday customs
and practices.
12. How are Indians attempting to reclaim the power of naming in mainstream America
(e.g., sports mascots, tribe names)? Have they been successful?
Indian American activists successfully advocated for multiple sports teams and colleges
to change their mascots or team names, including notable institutions like Stanford, the
University of Oklahoma, and Dartmouth College. Even the Crayola Company removed
the "Indian red" color from their 64-pack of crayons, despite its original reference to a
color found in India. Despite resistance from the Washington football team, which
initially claimed their name "Redskins" was meant to honor Native American tribes, they
eventually succumbed to pressure and changed their name. Overall, the efforts of Indian
American activists have been largely successful in prompting changes to offensive
mascots and names.
13. What does NAGPRA state are the lines of evidence that can be used to determine
cultural affiliation? What are some of the problems with this statement?
NAGPRA defines cultural affiliation as determined by a preponderance of evidence from
various sources such as geographical, kinship, biological, archaeological, linguistic,
folkloric, oral tradition, historic records, or expert opinions (Thomas 2001:226).
However, this definition poses challenges when artifacts or remains cannot be
definitively affiliated with one culture. Consequently, the burden falls on the Department
of the Interior to make distribution decisions, which, as noted by Felix Cohen,
underscores the overarching influence of federal law on Indian affairs (Thomas
2001:226). This dynamic makes it more difficult for Indian tribes to assert their rightful
claims.
14. What is “reserved sovereignty”? How does it apply to tribal sovereignty if
Kennewick Man is found to be non-Indian?
Reserved sovereignty refers to the principle that Indian tribes possess inherent rights that
are superior to and predate the rights of other citizens within the territory. Even if
Kennewick Man is determined to be non-Indian, the sovereign rights of Native American
tribes will still be respected. This is because, historically, European settlers recognized
