Indigenous Philosophy Vol. 16, No. 1
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NEWSLETTER | The American Philosophical Association Indigenous Philosophy FALL 2016 VOLUME 16 | NUMBER 1 FROM THE CHAIR Anne Waters SUBMISSION GUIDELINES ARTICLES Shelbi Nahwilet Meissner Introduction Shay Welch Native Cognitive Schemas and Decolonizing Democratic Ethics Gertrude James González de Allen Indigenous Identity in Articulations of Existence in Afro-Caribbean Philosophy BOOK REVIEW Laura R. Graham and H. Glenn Penny: Performing Indigeneity: Global Histories and Contemporary Experience Reviewed by Shay Welch VOLUME 16 | NUMBER 1 FALL 2016 © 2016 BY THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL ASSOCIATION ISSN 2155-9708 APA NEWSLETTER ON Indigenous Philosophy AGNES B. CURRY, EDITOR VOLUME 16 | NUMBER 1 | FALL 2016 doing indigenous philosophy at one of our APA divisional FROM THE CHAIR meetings, and to contact any of our newsletter editors to contribute to the newsletter. This past year exhibits many changes and great new strides of progress for our committee. Shortly after I accepted Our newsletter has seen a few changes as well with the a regular committee appointment, I also accepted an dedicated assistance of Agnes Curry and Erin Shepherd appointment as interim chair, filling in for Kyle Powys White, (APA national office). Agnes Curry accepted appointment as as he was called to other important academic duties. We managing editor and is doing a terrific job of coordination thank Kyle for his dedicated passion, insight, and vision and editing of the newsletter. Shay Welch (continuing while steering this committee into action motivated toward member as newsletter editor, Spelman College), organized forward-looking projects during his tenure. And speaking our 2016 Pacific Division program alongside Brian, and of tenure, Kyle this past year received tenure as full-time she has recently stepped forward as our newsletter book philosophy faculty at Michigan State University (East review manager. As chair of the Diversity Committee of Lansing) and is now the first Native American philosopher the organization Feminist Ethics and Social Theory, Shay to receive tenure in a philosophy department granting a has contributed greatly to the visibility of Indigenous doctoral degree. Congratulations, Kyle!!! philosophers, a definite plus for our APA committee. We thank Agnes, Shay, and Shawn Burns (Shawn recently As new interim chair, and on behalf of this committee, I and resigned due to other commitments) for their purposeful we welcome new members of this committee who accepted and generous time and representation given to making our appointments this past year. Brian Burkhart (California State newsletters a reality. University, Northridge) has returned as committee member, and has graciously accepted responsibility, alongside Jacob The committee is also making small steps of progress Held (continuing member, University of Central Arkansas) toward grant writing. We would appreciate anyone with to present programming at our 2017 Central Division interest, experience, or with time to give toward this effort, meeting. (If you are interested in participating, contact Brian whether writing, consulting, or simply advising, to please or Jacob). Andrew Smith (Drexel University), shortly after his contact Lori or myself via email as soon as you can. Our appointment, hit the ground running and has already put committee’s 20th anniversary is coming upon us soon, together, with Agnes Beatriz Curry (University of St. Joseph), and it would be assistive to the field if we, alongside our 2017 Eastern Division program. Papers from this program those interested, could arrange an academic celebration will find a home in our spring 2017 newsletter. Scott Pratt in recognition of the work this committee has done during (University of Oregon) is also once again on our committee, these past 20 years. We look forward to hearing from anyone and has promised to present us, with the help of Zayin Cabot interested who would like to participate, with a grant, or as (continuing member, California State University, East Bay) program participant at any of our regional conferences. with a 2017 Pacific Division meeting program (contact Scott or Zayin if you have interest in participating). Andrea Sullivan As associate chair and interim chair, Lori and I thank all Clarke, Muskogee Nation of Oklahoma, after finishing her committee members for their contributions this past year, Ph.D. in the field of philosophy of science at the University of as well as those many persons who have contributed to Washington in Seattle, has accepted a post-doctoral position the recent revitalization of this committee. We look forward at Depauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. And last, but to even more activity this coming year, and sharing as certainly not least, Lori Underwood (Christopher Newport we continue to build this field of Indigenous philosophy. University) has joined the committee as our new associate Finally, we invite everyone, in their own way, to begin to chair (see below for Lori’s and my academic biographies). think about and celebrate our work of the past 20 years. I would like to thank our newsletter committee members BIOS for all of their support in preparing the fall 2015 Dr. Lori Underwood currently serves as dean of the College newsletter, the spring 2016 newsletter, and now our fall of Arts & Humanities at Christopher Newport University. She 2016 newsletter. Newsletter editors anticipate receiving is a professor of philosophy specializing in Immanuel Kant’s papers on topics of programming sessions from the three ethical and political philosophy. Her most recent scholarship divisional conferences this academic year. We encourage is an application of Kantian Cosmopolitanism and alterity all APA members, and current non-members with interest, theory to issues of global terrorism and the democratization to contact our programmers, and/or newsletter editors, or movements of the Arab Spring. Dr. Underwood earned her anyone on our committee, if they would like to engage in bachelor of arts degree in philosophy and history as well APA NEWSLETTER | INDIGENOUS PHILOSOPHY as her master of arts in philosophy from the University of Memphis. She earned her doctorate in philosophy from ARTICLES the University of Missouri, Columbia. Lori is of Cherokee decent through both her maternal and paternal lines. Introduction Dr. Anne Waters, J.D., Ph.D. Seminole, Choctaw, Shelbi Nahwilet Meissner Chickasaw, Cherokee, and Jewish descent; a CIC, GPPC, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY NWSA, Pergamon Press, Liberty Fund, Helen Steiner, and Rockefeller Scholar, and recipient of NEH and National The American Philosophical Association committee session Science Foundation grants. Physically and psychologically on contemporary Indigenous philosophy was held at challenged, non-binary retired feminist. Two doctorates APA Pacific at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco, (law and philosophy), and editor, philosopher, poet, and CA, on March 31, at 9:00 am. The session was arranged lawyer published in several international philosophy and by the APA Committee on the Status of Indigenous American Indian journals and anthologies. Edited the Philosophers and chaired by Shelbi Nahwilet Meissner, a only anthology by American Indians holding a Ph.D. in Ph.D. student at Michigan State University. The first paper, philosophy, American Indian Thought: Philosophical Essays titled “Environment Is Not Land: Coloniality, Locality, and (Blackwell, 2003), co-edited first American philosophy Environmental Philosophy,” was presented by Brian Yazzie anthology of diverse and minority voices, American Burkhart, director of American Indian Studies at California Philosophies: An Anthology (Blackwell, 2003), co-guest State University, Northridge. The second paper, “Native edited special issue of Hypatia - A Journal of Feminist Cognitive Schemas and Democratic Ethics,” was presented Philosophy: Indigenous Women in the Americas (Indiana by Shay Welch, an assistant professor of philosophy at University Press, 2003). As co-editor of Living Indigenous Spelman College. The third and final paper, “Indigenous Philosophies Series (SUNY Press), published The Dance of Identity in Articulations of Existence in Latin American and Person and Place: One Interpretation of American Indian Caribbean Thought,” was presented by Gertrude James Philosophy, and Listening to Ourselves: A Multilingual González de Allen, an associate professor of philosophy at Anthology of African Philosophy. Founder and past chair Spelman College. A thought-provoking discussion with the of APA Indigenous philosophy committee, originator and audience followed the presentations. The papers by Shay current co-editor of the APA Newsletter on Indigenous Welch and Gertrude James González de Allen appear in this Philosophy, serve on APA Board of Officers Task Force on issue. Diversity/Inclusion. Member of Phi Sigma Tau and Barrister, Phi Delta Phi. Native Cognitive Schemas and SUBMISSION GUIDELINES Decolonizing Democratic Ethics We invite you to submit your work for consideration for Shay Welch publication in the spring 2016 newsletter. We welcome SPELMAN COLLEGE comments and responses to work published in this or past issues. We also welcome work that speaks to Recent developments in political philosophy have philosophical, professional and community concerns attempted to remedy the exclusionary forces of Western regarding indigenous philosophies and philosophers of all political philosophy, namely, deliberative forms of global indigenous nations. Editors do not limit the format democracy.