Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2005, Theatre and Film

In his relatively short career, Drew Hayden Taylor has amassed a significant level of popular and critical success, becoming the most widely produced Native playwright in the world. Despite nearly twenty years of successful works for the theatre, little extended academic discussion has emerged to contextualize Taylor's work and career. This dissertation addresses this gap by focusing on Drew Hayden Taylor as a writer whose theatrical work strives to bridge the distance between Natives and Non-Natives. Taylor does so in part by humorously demystifying the perceptions of Native people. Taylor's approaches to humor and demystification reflect his own approaches to cultural identity and his expressions of that identity. Initially this dissertation will focus briefly upon historical elements which served to silence Native peoples while initiating and enforcing the gap of misunderstanding between Natives and non-Natives. Following this discussion, this dissertation examines significant moments which have shaped the re-emergence of the Native voice and encouraged the formation of the Contemporary Native Theatre in Canada. Finally, this dissertation will analyze Taylor's methodology of humorous demystification of Native peoples and stories on the stage. Of primary focus in this discussion is Taylor's use of a distinctly Native aesthetic as a means of constructing his works for the theatre, despite surface appearances of primarily western influence. To provide evidence of this Native aesthetic, Taylor's work and aesthetic goals, as expressed by Taylor, will be explored critically: First through a post-colonial critical framework and then through a Native-centered critical structure. Following these discussions, this study will focus on a textual analysis of several of Taylor's works for the theatre. These analyses demonstrate the manner in which Taylor actively works to demystify perceptions of Natives by utilizing Native sensibilities of humor, character, story, and setting (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2007, Teaching and Learning

The present study is a correlational study to determine if listeners' perception of (1) accentedness and (2) comprehensibility can be predicted from listener affiliated socio-cultural factors (referred to as listener factors). The listener participants were 60 Native Speakers of American English (referred to as Native Listeners, NL) who were undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in a large mid-western University. The listeners were divided into (1) the audio group who listened to four audio clips and (2) the video group who watched four video clips recorded from the same speakers. The speakers consisted of three Non-Native Speakers (NNS) with three ordinal categories of accents (e.g., Moderate Accent, Low Accent, Foreign Non Accent), and one NS with Native Non Accent. The audio group did not receive each speaker's Socio-Cultural Information (SCI) while the video group received SCI of each speaker. With respect to the between-group differences, the video group perceived the speakers' accentedness and nativeness more positively than the audio group. However, the video group perceived the speakers' comprehensibility more negatively compared to the audio group. The length of time in the program made the largest contribution to predict speakers' degree of accentedness. Listeners' frequency of interaction with accented speakers made the largest contribution to predict listeners' perception of comprehensibility. Among listener factors, SCI of the speakers, interaction, and exposure primarily contributed to predict whether the speakers sounded like native or non-native. From the listeners' point of view, the findings showed that SCI and the disclosure of speakers' identity were used positively in the listeners' perception of accentedness and nativeness. The findings of the study challenge the NNS principle in the sense that nativeness is not equal to non-accentedness. This study contributes to empowering NNS identities and helps them to be involved in speech communit (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Music (MM), Bowling Green State University, 2009, Music Ethnomusicology

Over the past century, musicians and researchers alike have argued how specifically “African” or “European” jazz is. Some camps stand by a clearly African origin of Jazz with its common elements of syncopation, polyphony, and presence of “blue” notes and raspy timbre elements that cannot be traced to Western music, while others who attribute jazz a more Western parentage often cite non-African elements such as a written music tradition and the use of Western harmonic structure. An inconsistency in these arguments, however, emerges in some styles of jazz; for example, early jazz, blues, and ragtime were not always “swung.” This inconsistency, among others, might be attributable to European music, to some styles of African music, or even to Native American music, a possibility that has been largely overlooked by jazz scholars. Jazz is often characterized by the “African” elements of oral transmission, repetition, and the centrality of rhythm; these elements, however, are also characteristic of most Native American musics. Despite the debates above, the exact origins of jazz remain obscure. One point that scholars most often agree on is that, regardless of where jazz's musical roots lie, the very beginnings of this American music were synthesized by the “African experience on American shores” (Gerard 136), which involved cultural contact with both Europeans and Native Americans during and after slavery and into the period when jazz started to develop in cities such as New Orleans and Chicago. The living experience of Africans in America, in at least some parts of the country, was often collective with Native Americans. These two groups frequently shared blood, culture, and sometimes even the experience of slavery together. The shared African American and Native American history can be seen not only in remaining musical and cultural remnants in New Orleans (often considered the birthplace of jazz) but also in the heritage of many of the jazz “greats,” such as George Le (open full item for complete abstract)

MA, Kent State University, 2023, College of the Arts / School of Art

Many museums display Native American clothing as part of their exhibitions, yet there are both successes and pitfalls to the way institutions present these garments. One common pitfall is that museums perpetuate the stereotype that Native cultures are stuck in the past by nearly always describing objects in historical contexts. Contemporary fashion is rarely discussed or displayed, except for in exhibitions specifically about Native arts. Some museums, such as the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), use display techniques to create exhibitions that fight stereotypes of Native peoples and highlight issues faced by Native communities. This investigation highlights the importance of display techniques in museums and how they utilize both historical and contemporary Native clothing in the execution of their exhibitions. It showcases the place occupied by Native fashion as a vital component of the American fashion identity. This thesis analyzes exhibitions from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, IAIA, and the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian. Clothing is a useful object for studying in museums because they are some of the most accessible art forms and touchstones; nearly everyone wears some form of clothing or body adornment. Therefore, this thesis investigates U.S. exhibitions of historical and contemporary Native fashions to demonstrate how museums can honor Native peoples in their representations

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2016, East Asian Languages and Literatures

The current study examines native Chinese subjects' reactions towards chengyu usage in a variety of social situations from the most formal speech to casual conversations among close friends. Specifically, native perceptions of chengyu performances conducted by native and non-native speakers are compared. The results reveal that foreign language learners benefit from employing chengyu when engaging in verbal communications with native Chinese counterparts by presenting a desirable C2 persona as perceived by native Chinese speakers. In formal, professional contexts, adequate chengyu capacities contribute to non-native speakers' presentation of authority and professionalism. In casual settings they enable a delightful persona who excels in the Chinese language and is knowledgeable in the cultural mores: one that opens doors for the foreigner to establish more intimate social relationships by taking the accommodation burden off the Chinese native speaker. Meanwhile, the unequal response towards native and non-native chengyu performance makes explicit the constraints on non-native speakers' sovereignty over chengyu usage. The unequal treatment of native and nonnative chengyu performance revealed in the experiment data draw attentions to the existence of the “native speaker effect”. Particularly to the point is the native speakers' mentality as the self-perceived, rightful owner of Chinese, which has substantial consequences in the way foreign language learners anticipate and get ready for participating in, and getting evaluated by, another culture. The construct of a pedagogy of expectations is proposed, which raises our awareness of the receptivity of learners in C2 environment. A pedagogy of expectations aims at enabling foreign language learners to recognize native speakers in C2 as the judges of their C2 performances, to identify what is culturally expected of themselves as “cultural outsiders”, and to develop strategies of using that expectations to achieve thei (open full item for complete abstract)

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2014, Leadership and Change

Public and scholarly analysis of the troubled relations of Natives and non-Natives (settlers) has been predominantly directed to the former, long-framed as “the Indian Problem.” This dissertation takes the different stance of focusing on the mind-sets of settlers and their society in perpetuating the trans-historical trauma and injustice resulting from foundational acts of dispossession. The approach is autoethnographic: after considering the settler world in which I grew up, critical episodes and developments in my career working with British Columbian First Nations are described and analyzed. This includes working with Kwakwaka'wakw, Haida, Wuikinuxv, Nuxalk and Lheidli T'enneh Nations over a 25-year period. I also look closely at my friendship with a Gitxsan artist, which painfully surfaced our differences and the dangerous colonial practice of settlers' telling indigenous life stories. Critical themes and learning drawn from this account indicate both some pitfalls and opportunities for empathic settlers to decolonize their minds and actions and thereby contribute to the broader decolonization story of the settler state of Canada. The electronic version of this Dissertation is at Ohiolink ETD Center, http://etd.ohiolink.edu and AURA http://aura.antioch.edu/ A video introduction by the author accompanies this document.

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2014, Leadership and Change

This dissertation frames the first step on a journey toward understanding the current and future place that Native values have in an Alaska Native Corporation, a context of value conflict, resolution, adaptation, and change. My dissertation strives to answer the question, "What is the future of Native Values at Sealaska?" To carry out this study, I utilized the Ethnographic Futures Research Method (EFR) developed by Dr. Robert Textor. EFR, as a method, asks individuals to envision a pessimistic, optimistic, and probable future along with strategies to move the probable future more toward the optimistic vision. EFR is an innovative and unique way to study Native values at a corporate organizational level. I expected the process to result in a collective vision of what Sealaska could be like in 15 years if Native values are integrated as envisioned based on individual interviews and collective discussion of aggregated interview scenario compilation. However, instead it provides the foundation of that strategic foundation for the future of Sealaska. This research revealed a set of tangible, culturally relevant options that can now be discussed and developed into a focus for the future of Sealaska as well as a proposed process to reach that agreement. The dissertation strives to provide meaningful long-range strategic objectives to weave into the evolutionary strategic plan. This dissertation is accompanied by a MP4 video file that is referred to within the text. The video outlines motivation for author's selection of the topic. The electronic version of this dissertation is at Ohiolink ETD Center, http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd.

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2012, Linguistics (Arts and Sciences)

With the broader aim of providing insights into the notion of ‘native speaker', the study explored the role accent played in the evaluations of ‘native speakerness' by “native speakers” of American English. The study collected data from 173 Ohio University undergraduates using a structured questionnaire deployed online and semi-structured focus group interviews. Based on the findings of the research, the study claims that there are no logical/scientific bases for the concept of ‘native speaker' and the ‘native'/‘nonnative speaker' dichotomy. The findings confirm the assumption that the ‘native speaker' concept is more a political and ideological concept than a linguistic concept. While establishing that the ‘native'/‘nonnative speaker' dichotomy conceals more intense forms of division and discrimination in society, the study emphasizes the need for more studies that aim at deconstructing the ‘native speaker' concept in order to invalidate the said dichotomy.

MA, Kent State University, 2010, College of the Arts / School of Music, Hugh A. Glauser

Much knowledge about the Native American flute was lost following the suppression of Native American musical traditions by the United States government around the turn of the twentieth century. A renewal of interest in the instrument occurred in the latter part of the twentieth century, but few knew how to play the flute stylistically. As flute enthusiasts began meeting to learn and play together, flute circles emerged throughout North America and around the world. This thesis examines one such circle in Northeast Ohio and offers insight into the views and motivations of its members of Native descent. The practices of the flute circle and the relationships that formed among its members are investigated, as well as the reasons why these people have chosen to connect with their roots by means of playing the flute. In order to identify factors contributing to the resurgence of the flute's popularity, this study attempts to determine whether flutists believe that they are continuing the flute's traditions or creating a new musical style derived from past Native American flute practices. This paper also discusses broader trends in Native American music such as the flute circle phenomenon, Pan-Indianism, and integration with New Age music, World music, and other genres.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2010, Higher Education Administration

This qualitative study used narrative data to explore and understand eight Native Hawaiian college women's conceptions of identity. The utilization of personal storytelling and narrative provided opportunities for deeper exploration and understandings of Hawaiian identity. In addition, the use of Tribal Critical Race Theory (TribalCrit), identity performance constructs, and intersectionality research helped framed the study and provided lenses that acknowledged the impact colonization, societal expectations, and performance of self had on identity construction and understanding. The findings revealed that although all of the women acknowledged the importance of different facets of their identities, their Hawaiian cultural identities were the most significant for each of them. In-depth interviews enabled exploration of their definitions and conceptions of Hawaiian identity. Participants reflected on their experiences involving identity performance, cultural competency, and validation and described ways in which facets of their identities intersected to create unique lived experiences. In addition, participants reflected on their university experiences and discussed how the college experience shaped their understandings of identity.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2007, Higher Education Administration

This study sought to answer two primary research questions: (a) Are there statistically significant differences between the persistence to graduation rates of Native American college students who attend tribal colleges and Native American college students who attend mainstream institutions of higher education in America; and (b) What are the factors that affect the persistence to graduation rates of Native American college students? Results of institutional-level data analysis using data obtained through the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) showed statistically significant differences in enrollment, persistence, and graduation and degree receipt based on institutional characteristics. Further analysis using student-level data obtained through license to use restricted access data sets from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study 1995-96 and the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study 1996-2001 confirmed findings from IPEDS analysis, but advanced analysis was not fully completed because the number of cases was insufficient to maintain stability in testing. One major finding of this study was that the broad claims of tribal college success are not entirely supported within the data that were examined.

Master of Arts (M.A.), University of Dayton, 2023, English

English is the global language taught throughout the world by native speakers; however, it is also increasingly taught by multilingual teachers for whom English is not their first language. Problems can arise in TESOL classrooms when students question an international instructor's qualifications; some evenly prefer native-speaking English teachers despite the knowledge and expertise of their international TESOL instructors. TESOL teachers also encounter other kinds of bias related to their race, ethnicity, or different religious practices. These forms of prejudice can be overtly expressed in the classroom but can also be evidenced in teaching evaluations. Such experiences can lead an instructor to question whether their pedagogies are out of alignment, or if the source of students' negative perceptions might create an overwhelming and unhealthy environment. Therefore, it is worth knowing whether the attitudes or behaviors students display in a non-native English teacher's class seem to be particularly inflected with potential connections with racism, and how teachers might reduce student bias of American English speakers and the “native” identity as a marker of professional excellence. The author collected data from her personal vignettes and Students Evaluation of Teachers (SET) of her two composition classes in the 2022 Fall semester. The data were examined using an autoethnographic methodology, and they demonstrate the existence of both explicit and implicit bias toward the teacher. The project concludes with some recommendations for ways to offer support and resources to TESOL faculty in higher education.

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2022, Educational Studies

This constructivist narrative inquiry thesis focuses on the stories Native American student-athletes share about their college choice, academic, and athletic experiences. I review existing literature on Native American student athletes' persistence and retention as well as college choice and environmental themes that support Native students and student-athletes. I then share my research design, including methodology, methods for story collection, and proposed methods for narrative analysis. The most common association by non-Native collegians between the phrases "Native American" and "college athletics" is any number of offensive college mascots. Rarely do non-Native people think of Native American student-athletes or consider what it means to be Native and a college student competing in intercollegiate athletics. Using narrative inquiry and Tribal Critical Race Theory as a theoretical framework, I elevate the throughlines within the Native American student-athlete collegiate experience and suggest best practices for both —Higher Education Administration and Athletics—by listening to and understanding Native American student-athletes' experiences in choosing a college/university and their athletic and academic experiences while attending an NCAA Division institution. The findings of this study indicate Native American student-athletes are unfamiliar with the athletic recruiting process and Native American campus resources have a positive influence on the Native American student-athlete experience. Recommendations are provided.

BA, Oberlin College, 2020, Anthropology

This thesis explores the "life history" of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). It chronicles NAGPRA's story beginning with what created the perceived need for such an act, the work and the groups of people that went into its ultimate advent in 1990, the "nitty-gritty" details/language of the policy itself, and its various successes and failures throughout the years. With research conducted through the lens of legal anthropology, this paper focuses on the certain "requirements" (education, class, race, ethnicity, tribal affiliation, etc.) that have allowed people(s) to actively participate in the formation/policy-building of NAGPRA, become NAGPRA representatives, and benefit from the policy.The primary focus of this thesis is on the question "What is the legal culture of NAGPRA?" It examines NAGPRA's legal culture by utilizing American sociologists Patricia Ewick and Susan S. Silbey's legal consciousnesses of before, with, and against the law. It then goes on to show that a fourth, new consciousness --beyond the law -- presents itself in the legal culture of NAGPRA. This fourth consciousness is developed in this thesis and necessary to more fully address the spirit of the law -- a key force in building and sustaining the legal culture of NAGPRA.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, Chemistry

The elucidation of protein structure and the interactions of proteins with each other, with ligands, and with other (bio)molecules is a critical step in the understanding of their biological function. Native mass spectrometry (nMS) has emerged as an advantageous technique to study critical attributes of biomolecular complexes. Surface-induced dissociation (SID) is a tandem MS activation method that provides valuable information on biomolecular complex connectivity, relative location of ligand binding interfaces, and relative strength of interaction interfaces between subunits. This dissertation focuses on the implementation and application of SID in high-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometers and the development of non-denaturing separation techniques coupled to native mass spectrometry. SID has previously been incorporated into time-of-flight (TOF) and Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometers; however, implementing SID in Orbitrap instruments provides a combination of resolution, speed, and sensitivity that increases the range of samples amenable to nMS-SID analysis. The first part of this work describes the design, fabrication, and implementation of SID into high mass range Orbitrap mass spectrometers. The performance of the modified instruments was benchmarked by analyzing well-studied protein complexes and comparing the results to those previously obtained on well-established SID instrument platforms. Next, the high-resolution capabilities of the SID-Orbitrap instrument were used to probe the relative location of ligand binding within pentameric protein complexes. It was shown that ligands are largely retained on subcomplexes generated by SID and that the stoichiometry of ligand to subcomplex can be used to differentiate between protein complexes that bind ligands at the interface of subunits, and complexes that bind ligands within individual subunits. Transferring samples into MS-compatible solution conditions is time consuming an (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2020, Cross-Cultural, International Education

In its efforts to become a globally recognized country and to increase its human capital, South Korea created the English Program in Korea, or EPIK program, in 1995 to bring Western, English-speaking people to the country to teach English as a foreign language in Korean public schools (Chang, 2018, EPIK, 2013). However well-intentioned this program may have been, these teachers often have very little understanding of Korean language, culture, or customs (Shin & Kellogg, 2007). They are hired by the EPIK program under the pretense that they do not need such knowledge and supports will be provided in country (Herbert & Wu, 2009, Jeon, 2010, EPIK 2013). With very little training, EPIK teachers are expected to not only teach and work in a new country and culture, but also live successfully in that culture. This study set out to explore what experiences and aspects of culture may impact EPIK teachers as they seek to adjust to Korean schools and life, or their acculturation and self-efficacy. A Hermeneutic phenomenological study was created using 60 to 120-minute in-depth interviews with nine, female EPIK teachers living in the same city. Results of interviews were supported and triangulated with two self-reporting scales, an acculturation scale and a teaching self-efficacy scale. Results showed that participants identified community as one of the most important aspects of their experience in Korea and related building strong community with their schools and co-teachers as what most helped them to adjust to living and teaching in South Korea. Other aspects identified as having a strong influence were placement on the hierarchy and power distance within schools, classroom discipline, and adjusting to small life differences. This study strongly recommends that the EPIK program needs to create more stable policies for what is expected of its Western teachers, formalize what supports they will have in and outside of schools, and also standardize the co-teacher selecti (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2019, English

The fast growth of globalization and internationalization of businesses have necessitated developing intercultural business communication. Professionals in today's global job market, particularly those working in multilingual environments, need to be able to communicate with people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. In this global, technological network, English language competency is for many at the forefront of communication skills needed because of a need for a common lingua franca for international communication. In order to better facilitate communication among native English speakers (NES) and non-native English speakers (NNES), we need to recognize and prepare to help students and professionals work in global multicultural and multilingual contexts. In this dissertation, I argue that we need to look in depth at oral and written professional communication in global contexts. I use frame of English for Specific Purposes (ESP), and I seek to answer how NNES and NES professionals communicate in multilingual, multicultural workplace environment using English as a lingua franca. Focusing on companies in the Gulf States, I conducted 27 interviews with NES and NNES professionals from a wide variety of companies and positions, and I received survey responses from more than 120 NES and NNES professionals. The results show first-person accounts of the challenges faced and opportunities created in the multilingual, multicultural workplace context and detail when and why English or Arabic is used for what purpose. From these accounts, I draw detailed recommendations for business communication pedagogy and curriculum to aid all professionals (both NES and NNES). Some of the recommendations for corporate workplace training and for professional communication education in native-English and non-native English countries include: the importance of self-awareness in language usage for both NES and NNES professionals, the need for cultural intelligenc (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts, Miami University, 2018, History

This thesis examines the National Congress of American Indians, the oldest and most representative Native American rights organization, and its lobbying efforts during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations to define and develop the concept of Native American self-determination. Based on the preservation of tribal status by rejecting termination, consultation and participation in the process of policy formation, and self-sufficient economic development, the NCAI promoted this vision of self-determination through legislative action by way of resolutions and testimonials to influence a new direction of federal Indian policy during the transitional decade between the 1950s' termination era legislation and the 1970s' proclaimed self-determination.

Master of Arts (M.A.), University of Dayton, 2018, English

The influx of international students into universities in the United States in the past few years (Project Atlas, 2017) has had a direct impact on the number of international students visiting the writing centers (Hall, 2013; Devet et al., 1997). While studies show that a huge population of international students find writing tutors to be more approachable and helpful than many of their classroom instructors (as cited in Williams, 2002), this same population has reportedly shown resistance in working with international peer tutors in many of the writing centers across the country. Although the “native speaker fallacy” (Phillipson, 1992) is nothing new to the field of language education, the belief that the tutoring skills of the international writing tutors who speak English as their second language is any less than the domestic tutors who are native speakers of English simply defeats the purpose and goal of writing centers— which is to achieve an environment where the tutor and the tutee can engage in a healthy conversation about the writing and the writing process in general. This study sought to find out if “native speaker fallacy” is prevalent among international students in the domain of writing tutoring in writing centers. The findings of the study indicates presence of not only one but two types of native speaker fallacies—markedly making room for categorization of native speaker fallacy. While the first fallacy discovered directly connects with Philipson's (1992) traditional definition of native speaker fallacy, the second fallacy discovered has little correlation with the definition but is linked more to the cognition that people have about their own linguistic ability in English; the study is naming this newly found fallacy as the outer circle discrepancy. The data collected from this study helps to raise awareness of such biases or fallacies and assists the field of education (writing centers included) to design specialized instructional approaches and a (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts in English, Youngstown State University, 2017, Department of Languages

This discussion contends that Sherman Alexie's work assembles an intricately woven class system in which white society and Indians are situated. Within his system, characters (Indian and white) move in and out of class groups looking for the “authentic Indian.” Conflict created by movement within this class structure reflects Alexie's perception of the turmoil over real “Indianness” or Indian identity. Alexie's Indians, identity elusive, drift in and out of class groups. Class groups Alexie builds resemble in part those of the United States with a focus on socio-economic factors—education, wealth, income, religion, ethnicity, gender and sexuality. These factors act as levers moving individuals in and out of status groups. Because several factors typically impact a person, class levers push Alexie's characters in different directions at the same time. What distinguishes Alexie's class system from the American one is the search for Indianness. Identity elusive, characters are unsure of where they belong. Often, Alexie's Indians seem to belong nowhere, not even to themselves. Chapter 1 of this discussion looks at Alexie's class system as a whole and its impact on Indian identity. Chapter 2 considers religion and spirituality as levers moving Alexie's characters toward Indianness, defined in this stratum by a shared feeling of hopelessness and damnation. Conversely Chapter 3 argues that sex and sexuality are the levers with the potential to move the Indian closer to his authentic self, an embattled identity, but a hopeful one nonetheless. This discussion attempts to deconstruct Alexie's class system, not just to expose the elusiveness of Native American identity, but also to find the author's real Indian--on and off the reservation.