Mediating indigenous geographies: a discourse analysis of Chickasaw media

Abstract

A growing area of research within geography is the use of media as a source for cultural interpretation. Since all media is produced within a culture, it is socially constructed within places, describes places, and diffuses to places, it has relevance to geographers. Many cultures produce their own media to communicate with the rest of the world, especially in areas of the world where multiple cultures interact. As minorities in a Western culture, Native Americans use technologies to bring their culture to the mainstream or to build a stronger nation within. A prime example of this can be seen within the Chickasaw tribe whose development of public relations videos have significance to its relationship within the greater community of Oklahoma. The educational video An Enduring Nation: A Short History of the Chickasaw Nation and the commercial series United We Thrive are examples of a videos produced by the Chickasaw tribe, with Chickasaw funds, that provide an opportunity to analyze the discourse being communicated and ideas are represented. Using a grounded approach and discourse analysis, this study will find an interpretation of the messages in these Chickasaw public relations videos.