We Are Cowlitz: A Native American Ethnicity

by Darleen A. Fitzpatrick

Overview

Cowlitz are a Coast Salish group of southwestern Washington who are defined by where they are from, their line of descent, and their level of prestige vis-á-vis other groups along the coast and in the interior. In this book, Darleen Fitzpatrick probes the interconnection between culture and the boundaries that surround it, suggesting that Coast Salish ideology, which centers upon a class/prestige system and a code of ethics, links social structure with culture. These features initiate Cowlitz ethnic boundaries and the development of related cultural signs, which both transmit and communicate Cowlitz collective ethnic identity, as well as salience of ethnicity. Dr. Fitzpatrick provides a modest semiotic analysis of culture that distinguishes the cultural signs Cowlitz expresses, some of which are not attached to the ideology, to help readers understand their meaning.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761826095
Publisher:	University Press of America
Publication date:	08/18/2004
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.83(w) x 8.92(h) x 0.84(d)

About the Author

Darleen A. Fitzpatrick, a consulting anthropologist, holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Washington.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 List of Figures Chapter 2 Preface Chapter 3 Ideology: The Problem; Coast Salish Ideology: Traditional Ethnicity Chapter 4 The Meeting: Cowlitz Ethnicity; Political and Social History; Cowlitz Litigation; The Cowlitz Community Chapter 5 Being Cowlitz: Emergent Ethnicity: Being Cowlitz: Collective Identity; Being Cowlitz: Ethnic Boundaries; Being Cowlitz: Social Recognition and Salience of Ethnicity; Being Cowlitz: Cultural Diacritica; Image and Counter-Image; References; Index