Future-ish: Case Study: Indigenous Peoples

Showing posts with label Case Study: Indigenous Peoples. Show all posts

Future-ish Case Study | A Promising Sci-Fi Dilemma: Watch Prey in Nʉmʉ Tekwapʉ̲ (Comanche) or English? The Answer: Both.

Future-ish Case Study | 24-06

Author | Sean G. Schmidt

Publication Information | Future-ish, 2024. Published in Schmidt, S. G. (2024). Future-ish: case studies and context for exploring the science, design, and culture shaping the future (2nd ed.). Innovative Ink Publishing.

Abstract

Indigenous languages have faced obstacles for centuries, from historical colonization efforts that attempted to eradicate entire cultures to more modern challenges, including social barriers to the use of Indigenous languages. Efforts to revitalize Indigenous languages started to grow in the late 20th century, with many Indigenous communities now having full programs to revitalize their languages. These language revitalization efforts have resulted in positive health benefits for Indigenous individuals and communities. In addition to the efforts Indigenous communities are making, the motion picture industry has also played a role in Indigenous language revitalization. The 2022 science fiction blockbuster Prey is one of the latest films to feature an Indigenous language, Comanche. While other films were dubbed well after production, Prey filmmakers planned and offered a full dub in Comanche at the time of release. With the success of Prey, other filmmakers may look to integrate Indigenous languages in their productions as well.

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Future-ish Case Study | ʔálʔal: A New Home for Native Americans in Seattle

Future-ish Case Study | 24-04

Author | Sean G. Schmidt

Abstract

The Chief Seattle Club in Seattle, Washington, has served the Native American community in the city with meals, housing, and other services for over 50 years. In 2022, the organization completed a unique development project called ?al?al that provides additional housing for the low-income and homeless Native community in the city, as well as other amenities, including a cafe that serves traditional Indigenous foods. ?al?al is one of the newest development projects in the country that demonstrates the multi-faceted value of culturally sensitive and responsive architecture.

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Future-ish Case Study | The Stars Do Not Align for the Thirty Meter Telescope on Maunakea in Hawaii

Future-ish Case Study | 24-01

Author | Sean G. Schmidt

Abstract

The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) is a proposed new astronomical observatory on the Island of Hawaii in the Hawaiian islands. The mountaintop of Maunakea, a sacred mountain to the Native peoples of Hawaii, was selected as the preferred location for the telescope, but the project has faced opposition from the start from Native Hawaiians and activists around the world due to the cultural significance of the area, as well as ongoing and prospective environmental impacts to the high-elevation ecosystem of Maunakea. Few, if any, options remain for the project to move forward. A comprehensive analysis of the controversy suggests that the situation is not a simple case of science versus culture. Rather, it is a conflict between commercial science and traditional culture and an example of ongoing disregard and disrespect for people and place.

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