Cell-Phones and Spears: Indigenous Cultural Transition Within the Maasai of East Africa

The Maasai of East Africa are excellent examples of Indigenous culture in transition. In spite of pressure from the outside, Maasai currently maintain their cultural identity to choose which parts of western culture and modernity they accept or reject. The major issues they now confront are Christianity, Education, Technology, and Tourism. Education is likely the most catalytic for long-term cultural change from the outside, but tourism is the most pressing of these issues. This article is not a study of colonized domination or the imposition of change from the outside~in, but of the internal dialogue among Indigenous people themselves about their relationship with the western world. It reveals a surprising degree of cultural autonomy and a dynamic culture that is adjusting to a new, globalizing world

Contested waters: an environmental history of the Colorado River

Includes bibliographical references and index.Part 1. A river through time -- Conquering the wild Colorado: the river before 1945 -- Farming the desert: agricultural water demands -- Saving the river: the environmental movement -- Sharing the shortage: a river in control -- Part 2. Currents of today -- The metropolis and the desert: growing cities in the west -- Owning the river: Indian water rights and settlements -- Crossing the border: US-Mexico relations and the river -- The water market: banking and selling the Colorado River -- Conclusion

For a White Revolution: John F. Kennedy and the Shah of Iran

The story of American relations with Iran during the Kennedy administration is one of misunderstandings and missed opportunities. Shah Muhammad Reza Pahlavi often manipulated and thwarted Kennedy\u27s policy toward Iran and used American fears of Communism to gain increased financial aid and military support. Disagreements among US policy-makers also contributed to an inconsistent policy toward Iran. These factors resulted in the bolstering of a dictatorship out of touch with the Iranian people, inevitably leading to the revolution that occurred in 1978-79

Perspectives on power: John F. Kennedy and United States-Middle East relations

A study of President John F. Kennedy's policy toward the Middle East illustrates the agency and unexpected power wielded by so-called "third world" countries during the Cold War era. In spite of careful planning in Washington, Middle East leaders often manipulated and directed Kennedy's approach to the region. Regional actors used American fears of Communism to gain increased financial aid, military support, and influence in the United Nations. Although seeming to submit to Western pressures in exchange for such support, these leaders played both superpowers against each other and shaped policy according to local needs. While this relationship meant a degree of dependency upon the United States, it also brought the ability to wield influence beyond their actual economic and military strength.During this period, the American approach to the region shifted, not so much because of Kennedy's efforts to change it, but because of the actions of Middle East players. Israel persuaded Kennedy to sell it missiles, beginning a gradual process of becoming an arsenal for Israel. The Shah of Iran managed to persuade the United States that he was a reformer, thus assuring a steady flow of dollars. Eventually, the support of royalist Arab regimes vis-a-vis more radical ones further indicted the United States as an enemy of Arab nationalism.Thesis (Ph.D.)--Western Michigan University, 2002.School code: 0257