| Anthropology, specifically studies on indigenous people, has always found routes to connect to spaces shared by aboriginal communities and sociocultural anthropology. Despite the long and varied history between the two worlds, many anthropological analyses on indigenous subject matter have not been holistic in explaining Native American life ways. My research is a demonstration of how social scientists can entwine a First Nations worldview with Western philosophy in their analyses without diminishing either outlook. By engaging in an inquiry of a First Nations community, the Tuscarora Indian Nation of New York, and by weaving one singular thread of Tuscarora reservation life, consensus building, I present a clearer and more accurate portrayal of the community. The Tuscarora serve as a good example for this exercise because of their pre-European model of governance, struggles with modernity, and the plurality within the community. I incorporate aspects of Michel Foucault's brand of post-structuralism to reach my goal. Through this avenue my research is able to show how the Tuscarora Indian Nation self-regulates the ever-changing definition of identity and maintain community. |
