Duke University Press Log

U.S. Supreme Court Rules Against Native Hawaiians

Indian Country Today reports that on March 31, the U.S. Supreme Court "ruled that Congress’ apology for overthrowing the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893 bears no moral, political or legal weight in stopping the State of Hawaii from selling 1.2 million acres of land seized during the illegal regime change before resolving land claims by Native Hawaiians." J. Kēhaulani Kauanui, author of Hawaiian Blood, is quoted in the article, saying "This (ruling) is a legal fiction to cover up the fact that the U.S. government accepted the stolen lands from the Republic of Hawaii government that confiscated these lands after the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. The Republic of Hawaii could not have ceded these lands in 'absolute fee' to the United States because they were stolen. The U.S. government accepted the stolen goods and cannot prove title because they were stolen without Hawaiian people’s consent and without compensation."

Cattelino Interviewed on WMFE

Jessica Cattelino, author of High Stakes: Florida Seminole Gaming and Sovereignty, was interviewed on WMFE Orlando's Intersection. She and interviewer Mark Simpson discuss why the Seminoles first opened a casino in 1979 and what the impact of gambling on the reservations has been, including how gambling revenues have helped the tribe pass on cultural traditions.

Cattelino Interviewed in Gulfshore Life

Jessica Cattelino, author of High Stakes: Florida Seminole Gaming and Sovereignty, is interviewed in the Florida magazine Gulfshore Life. The article is about new challenges faced by the Seminole Tribe since the development of their highly successful gaming empire. Cattelino says, "Seminoles, in a single generation, have gone from widespread poverty to a massive shift in economic fortune, and this has allowed them and also forced them to ask tough questions that go to the very heart of dilemmas that we see every day in the United States: What is a just society? How is wealth best distributed? How much of it should go to individuals versus government programs? How do you encourage people to value hard work?"

Abalone Gets Endangered Species Status

The black abalone, a Pacific coast mollusk that is a central feature in many Pacific coast Native tribes' cultures, was granted endangered species status this week. The abalone used to be abundant along the California coast but a withering syndrome, apparently caused by rising ocean temperatures, has caused their numbers to dwindle. In Abalone Tales, Les Field collaborates with many Native co-authors to look at the place of the abalone in California and Native history and culture. The essays in the book shed light on abalone’s role in cultural revitalization, struggles over territory, tribal appeals for federal recognition, and connections among California’s Native groups.

Navajo Nation Open Casino

The Navajo Nation opens its first casino today in Arizona. As NPR reports, the Navajo come late to the Indian gaming business. Twice during the 1990s, the Navajo rejected proposals to build casinos, reports the Arizona Republic. But now, with unemployment around 56%, the tribe is ready to give it a try. In her new book High Stakes: Florida Seminole Gaming and Sovereignty, Jessica Cattelino looks at how the Seminoles, the first tribe to open a casino, have handled the windfall that enterprise has brought them. Instead of losing their culture, as some feared, they have instead used their millions to teach their history, language and culture through the building of schools and museums and have supported the tribe with medical care and employment. Because the Navajo come so late to the casino business, however, it is unlikely that they will share the Seminoles' phenomenal success.

Tengan Reviewed in Honolulu Star-Bulletin

Ty P. Kāwika Tengan's new book Native Men Remade: Gender and Nation in Contemporary Hawai‘i gets a mention in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. The reviewer writes, "“Beginning with a history of Hawaii and the impacts of foreigners on Hawaiian culture, we can see how the men have come to question their roles in modern society. The author makes extensive use of interviews and first-person narratives from the members, which makes for a rich learning experience.” Tengan's book is an ethnography of a Hawaiian men's group called the Hale Mua.

History Behind the Dangerous Abalone Catch

Saturday's Los Angeles Times has a piece on the dangerous work of diving for abalone off California's coast. At least seven divers have died this year in their quest for the slow-moving mollusk. The abalone catch has been in decline for years and the animal is at risk for extinction, as Les W. Field writes in his collection Abalone Tales: Collaborative Explorations of Sovereignty and Identity in Native California. The book, a collaborative ethnography written with several members of California's Native tribes, describes the importance of the abalone in California history, presenting different perspectives on the multifaceted material and symbolic relationships between abalone and the Ohlone, Pomo, Karuk, Hupa, and Wiyot peoples. While California’s abalone are in danger of extinction, their symbolic power appears to surpass even the environmental crises affecting the state’s vulnerable coastline.