DOCSLIB.ORG

THE ROLE of GLADYS Tantaquidgefjn

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
THE ROLE of GLADYS Tantaquidgefjn THE ROLE OF GLADYS TANTAQUIDGEfJN MELISSA FAWCETr University of Connecticut The identity of the Mohegan people has been preserved as well as challenged by interaction with the non-Indian. This paradox has been sustained by three outstanding tribal leaders born in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, respectively. When a splinter-group of the Pequot nation first formed the Mohegan tribe in the 1620's, the rebels were an insecure minor­ ity within both the Indian and non-Indian world.l Forced to ally with the Puritans for survival, the Mohegan chief, Uncas, was nonetheless able to limit cultural contamination through his pragmatism and manipulative diplomacy. Mter U ncas' death in 1683, the devastating effects of accul­ turation combined with a power vacuum created a nearly dis­ astrous cultural and demographic degeneration. This trend was reversed in the mid 1700s by Samsom Occum. As a congre­ gational minister and skilled Indian woodsman, he was able to establish schools for his people with curriculum that balanced traditional and modern skills. Having survived the ravages of contact and acculturation by the creative implementation of non-lndian military and educa­ tional skills, the Mohegan had yet to face an even greater chal­ lenge. Mter the reservation was eliminated in 1861, cultural identity became increasingly difficult to maintain. By the late 1 This view of Mohegan origins is popular within the tribe itself. For the currently accepted scholarly interpretation see Neal Salisbury (1982). 136 MELISSA FAWCETT 19th century tribal elders were often too apathetic, too fearful or too skeptical of their offspring to pass on their knowledge. Gladys Tantaquidgeon was born into thb negative climate in 1899. As a young girl she was chosen to become cultural custodian by Fidelia Fielding, the last speaker of the language, and the tribal medicine women. With their passing in the early 1900s she was receptive to any opportunity to convey and expand her knowledge. That chance was afforded first by anthropologist Frank Speck, who adopted Gladys as protege and informant, and secondly by her work with numerous tribes through the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Arts and Crafts Board. Her life, like that of Uncas and Occum, was one in which non-Indian in­ fluences simultaneously challenged and preserved Mohegan iden­ tity. The following b a dbcussion of the fateful convergences that created this paradoxical situation, centering around the life of Gladys Tantaquidgeon. As thb essay b based on oral hbtory in­ terviews, it necessarUy involves Gladys' perceptions.2 Her words are modest and tend to downplay the pivotal nature of her role, therefore quotes are used sparingly. Yet, although she would never presume to present herself as a rival to Uncas or Occum for a premier position in tribal history, she does concede that she is their philosophical heir. Gladys believes that the pru­ dent utilization of non-Indian resources b essential to Mohegan continuity. The last speaker of the Mohegan-Pequot dialect was Fidelia Fielding, also known as "Jeets Bodernasha", or Flying Bird. Al­ though the reservation was terminated in 1861, Fidelia never overcame the feelings of bolation instUled in her by that system. She even continued to live in the last reservation-type "tribe house" (log dwelling) until her death in 1908. Gladys notes that Flying Bird's reclusive nature stood in sharp contrast to This article was researched through interviews conducted by the author with Gladys Tantaquidgeon at the Tantaquidgeon Indian Museum from June 20 to July 15, 1983. These tapes are stored at the Center for Oral History at the University of Connecticut. THE ROLE OF GLADYS TANTAQUIDGEON 137 the outgoing, friendly personalities of her other relatives. Miss Tantaquidgeon explains that "Aunt Fidelia did not participate in church projects...(as did other family members)...she was not pleased with non-Indian neighbors." Memories of "punbhment for speaking the native tongue" kept FideUa from teaching her niece the language. However, seeing merit in the traditional­ ism of the Tantaquidgeon family, she did choose to teach young Gladys the ways of the woodland little people or "makiawbug." Gladys vividly remembers having been greatly impressed by one family dinner at which Great Aunt Fidelia abruptly excused her­ self to talk to these magical mbchevious beings. In her last years, Mrs. Fielding presented her niece with a beaded belt that had belonged to Fidelia's grandmother and language mentor, Martha Uncas. That gift was a symbol of Gladys' position as guardian of the traditional culture. She has always treasured that belt, well aware of the responsibility borne by the bearer. Gladys' three "grandmothers", Lydia Fielding, Emma Baker and Mercy Ann Mathews trained her in folklore and related medicine skilb. WhUe only the former was in fact a grand­ mother, and the latter not even a blood relative, all were cher- bhed equally. They too had Uved through the reservation pe­ riod, yet their Uves were not as clouded by the past as was that of Fidelia. When overseer-rule ended in 1861, these women set about to rejuvenate the ancient Thanksgiving for the Corn Har­ vest, known as "The Green Corn Festival" or "Wigwam". That revived version was held in conjunction with the Mohegan Con­ gregational Church. Indian and non-Indian craft work and foods were sold at thb two-day event. Their concern with tradition led these three grandmothers to choose precocious young Gladys to become the next Mohegan Medicine woman. Gladys recalls that her grandmothers took her to the fields at five years of age to gather herbs and that the adventure kindled a spark which even­ tually led to her research and pubUcations in the field of Algo­ nquian medicine. She also remembers that in casual conversa­ tion, perhaps about the weather, these women would comment on folklore. However, the deeper meaning of their comments 138 MELISSA FAWCETT regarding Moshup or Granny Squanit did not become fully ap­ parent until she began to study neighboring tribes later in her life. With her selection as cultural custodian by both FideUa Field­ ing and her grandmothers, Gladys' responsibUity to the Mohegan was established. Yet, both of these sources had conveyed infor­ mation to her at such a young age that non-Indian education and broader experience with other tribes was necessary for her fully to organize and develop what she had been taught. It was anthropologist Frank Speck who introduced Gladys to broader Indian and non-Indian influences. Speck first en­ countered the Mohegan in 1902 as a young Columbia University student. He and Professor J.D. Prince planned a research trip to the tribal land base in UncasvUle, Connecticut. Speck was profoundly impressed with the imminent loss of the language, medicine and folk beliefs among the Mohegan. While Gladys was only an infant at the time, she remembers her elders later saying that they Uked him very much due to his friendly personality and non-aggressive mannerisms. Gladys contrasts Speck's appeal with that of a Bureau of Indian Af­ fairs fact-finder she observed while working with the Penobscot in the 1930s. Miss Tantaquidgeon remarks that "she was so ag­ gressive, I know for a fact that they (the Penobscot) were not telling her the truth." Gladys beUeves that it was not merely Speck's charisma that allowed him to succeed where the govern­ ment worker faUed. She credits hb success to the fact that hb theories were in their formative stages. He was to participate in a give-and-take relationship with her people. Even the ec­ centric Fidelia Fielding responded to thb dynamic rapport and allowed Speck to record the language. While she in no way wishes to diminish thb latter accomplishment, Gladys believes that Speck's greatest and most lasting contribution to the Mo­ hegan (and to other tribes as well) was that hb work made them Indian-conscious. For example, the Tantaquidgeon family re­ turned to their original name, which they recently anglicized to "Quidgeon". THE ROLE OF GLADYS TANTAQUIDGEON 139 By the time Gladys was a young girl, Speck became aware of her chosen position and potential. He made her education his responsibility. Formal high school training was not available to Gladys. But, Dr. and Mrs. Speck began to take her on trips to various east coast cities from the time she was eleven years old. More importantly, she began spending her summers at the Speck cottage on Cape Ann, Massachusetts. On what Gladys called her "learning vacations" she Uved with a menagerie of artists, professors, and assorted Algonquian Indians. Had she not sought non-Indian contact, she might never have met these numerous related Indian people. For Algonquian group organization was weak, and Gladys' family never associated with other tribes. Her worldview was profoundly affected by these summers with the Specks. She had never known any Indians outside of her own tribe. At Cape Ann, Indian chiefs and medicine women were no longer uncles and aunts. They were Gabe Paul, the Penobscot, or Joe Little Bear, the Micmac. Suddenly, she was Gladys Tantaquidgeon, the Mohegan. Even more significant in the long run were the similarities she discovered between herself and these Indians. The elementary fieldwork she conducted on these vacations during day-trips to neighboring tribes led to an increased sense of Algonquian identity. Thereafter she would refer to the Gay Head, Mashpee and others that she vbited as "our friends" or "our cousins". Not only was she now part of a larger Algonquian identity, she abo saw herself as somehow different from non-Indian children. WhUe she had never been treated differently by her white playmates at home, the non- Indian children on these summer trips expected her to perform feats of athletic prowess as a result of her ethnic background.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 'Gladys and the Native American Long Long Trail of Tears'
    The University of Manchester Research 'Gladys and the Native American Long Long Trail of Tears' Link to publication record in Manchester Research Explorer Citation for published version (APA): Newby, A. (2016, Feb 16). 'Gladys and the Native American Long Long Trail of Tears': Reading Race, Collecting Cultures - The Roving Reader Files. Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre. https://aiucentre.wordpress.com/2016/02/16/gladys-and-the-native-american-long-long-trail-of-tears/ Citing this paper Please note that where the full-text provided on Manchester Research Explorer is the Author Accepted Manuscript or Proof version this may differ from the final Published version. If citing, it is advised that you check and use the publisher's definitive version. General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the Research Explorer are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. Takedown policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please refer to the University of Manchester’s Takedown Procedures [http://man.ac.uk/04Y6Bo] or contact [email protected] providing relevant details, so we can investigate your claim. Download date:01. Oct. 2021 Gladys and the Native American Long Long Trail of Tears The Roving Reader Files Posted on 16/02/2016 (https://aiucentre.wordpress.com/2016/02/16/gladys-and-the-native-american-long-long-trail- of-tears/) Have you thought about your worldview recently? Do you believe deep down everyone everywhere should think like you? We’ve all done it.
    [Show full text]
  • Geena Clonan
    Malta House of Care Geena Clonan: Founding President of the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame In 1993, while working as the Managing Director of the Connecticut Forum, Geena Clonan of Fairfield realized there was a gaping hole in our state – namely, there was no organization or venue that collectively celebrated the achievements of the many, many Connecticut women who had made groundbreaking contribu- tions locally, nationally, and internationally. After consulting with the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca, NY, Geena and her team set about changing that, and in May 1994, established the Connecti- cut Women’s Hall of Fame. Since then, 115 women representing eight different disciplines have been inducted into the Hall – women like Gov. Ella Grasso, opera singer Marian Anderson, Mohegan anthropologist Gladys Tantaquidgeon, and abolitionist Prudence Crandall, to name just a few. In November 2017, three wom- en who have distinguished themselves in law enforcement and military service will be inducted. Their stories, and those of the other inductees, are beautifully told in the “Virtual Hall” on the organization’s web site. Under Geena’s 20+-year leadership as Founding President, the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame re- mained true to its mission “to honor publicly the achievements of Connecticut women, preserve their sto- ries, educate the public and inspire the continued achievements of women and girls.” Says Geena: “It has been personally rewarding and one of my proudest pursuits in community service to tell, through the Connecticut
    [Show full text]
  • ED281680.Pdf
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 281 680 RC 015 963 TITLE Eastern Indians: An Annotated Bibliography with Emphasis on Indigenous Tribes of Connecticut. INSTITUTION Connecticut State Dept. of Education, Hartford. PUB DATE 86 NOTE 72p. AVAILABLE FROM Connecticut Department of Education, State Office Building, Capitol Ave., Hartford, CT 06106 (free). PUB TYPE Reference Materials Bibliographies (131) EDRS_PRICE MFOI/PC03 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *American Indian Culture; *American :ndian History; American Indians; *Audiovisual Aids; Childrens Literature; *Content Analysis; Elementary Secondary Education; Ethnic Bias; *Ethnic Stereotypes; Evaluation Criteria: Instructional Material Evaluation; Library Materials; Racial Bias; *Reading Materials; Resource Materials; Tribes IDENTIFIERS *Connecticut; New England; United States (Northeast) ABSTRACT The 137 books, audiovisual materials/sources, resource people and places, teacher resources, and bibliographies in this annotated bibliography for elementary and secondaryschool use were selected by members of the Connecticut Indian Education Council, the majority of whom are Native Americans. The Council attemptedto include items describing American Indians of Connecticut andthe Eastern Woodlands which avoided stereotypes, were factually correct and balanced, had no distortion or bias, andwere generally accessible. The Council considered all listed materials, published between 1643 and 1985 (majority after 1970), to be useful andabove average resources with the exception of those in a section entitled "Caveat Lector" which lists popularly used materials containing serious distortion, error, or bias. Bibliographical entriesare arranged alphabetically by author in 10 sections: Connecticut,New England, Eastern Woodlands, North America, Audiovisual Materialsand Sources, Resource People and Places, 17th and 18th Century Primary Sources, Teacher Resources, Bibliographies, and Caveat Lector (Reader Beware). Each entry contains an annotation, evaluativecomments, and reading/interest level designation.
    [Show full text]
  • Possessing, Dispossessing, and Repossessing Lost Wampum Belts
    University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Department of Anthropology Papers Department of Anthropology 3-2018 Broken Chains of Custody: Possessing, Dispossessing, and Repossessing Lost Wampum Belts Margaret Bruchac University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/anthro_papers Part of the Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Bruchac, M. (2018). Broken Chains of Custody: Possessing, Dispossessing, and Repossessing Lost Wampum Belts. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 162 (1), 56-105. Retrieved from https://repository.upenn.edu/anthro_papers/179 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/anthro_papers/179 For more information, please contact [email protected]. Broken Chains of Custody: Possessing, Dispossessing, and Repossessing Lost Wampum Belts Disciplines Anthropology | Social and Behavioral Sciences This journal article is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn.edu/anthro_papers/179 Broken Chains of Custody: Possessing, Dispossessing, and Repossessing Lost Wampum Belts MARGARET M. BRUCHAC Assistant Professor of Anthropology Coordinator, Native American and Indigenous Studies University of Pennsylvania Introduction In the spring of 2009, two historical shell bead wampum belts1—iden- tified as “early” and “rare” and valued at between $15,000 and $30,000 each—were advertised for sale at a Sotheby’s auction of Amer- ican Indian art objects2 belonging to the estate of Herbert G. Welling- ton.3 One belt, identified as having been collected by Frank G. Speck from the Mohawk community in Oka (Kanesatake, Quebec) before 1929, was tagged with an old accession number from the Heye Foun- dation/Museum of the American Indian (MAI; MAI #16/3827). The second belt, collected by John Jay White from an unknown locale before 1926, was identified as Abenaki; it, too, was tagged with an old MAI number (MAI #11/123; Figure 1).
    [Show full text]
  • Marking Relationships
    University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Department of Anthropology Papers Department of Anthropology 2015 Mackosi’kwe’s Baskets: Marking Relationships Margaret Bruchac University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/anthro_papers Part of the Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Bruchac, M. (2015). Mackosi’kwe’s Baskets: Marking Relationships. Penn Museum Blog, Retrieved from https://repository.upenn.edu/anthro_papers/110 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/anthro_papers/110 For more information, please contact [email protected]. Mackosi’kwe’s Baskets: Marking Relationships Abstract On August 1, 1938, before leaving the Maniwaki reserve in Quebec, Canada, anthropologist Frank G. Speck paid a visit to his old friends, Michel Buckshot and his wife Angelique, better known as Mackosi’kwe (also spelled Meshkosikwe, meaning “Beaver Meadow Woman”). Mackosi’kwe was skilled in pyroscapulimancy, a technique for divining future prospects in hunting and travel by scorching the shoulder blades of Indigenous deer, caribou, beaver, and other animals in a fire, and then reading the cracks and marks. In Speck’s case, she started with a deer scapula, followed by that of a hare, to predict an unexpected break in the return trip, but an otherwise safe journey home. Disciplines Anthropology | Social and Behavioral Sciences This other is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn.edu/anthro_papers/110 On August 1, 1938, before leaving the Maniwaki reserve in Quebec, Canada, anthropologist Frank G. Speck paid a visit to his old friends, Michel Buckshot and his wife Angelique, better known as Mackosi’kwe (also spelled Meshkosikwe, meaning “Beaver Meadow Woman”).
    [Show full text]
  • Frederick Johnson Photograph Collection
    Frederick Johnson photograph collection Rachel Menyuk 2018 National Museum of the American Indian 4220 Silver Hill Rd Suitland 20746-2863 [email protected] http://nmai.si.edu/explore/collections/archive/ Table of Contents Collection Overview ........................................................................................................ 1 Administrative Information .............................................................................................. 1 Biographical/Historical note.............................................................................................. 2 Arrangement note............................................................................................................ 3 Scope and Contents........................................................................................................ 2 Names and Subjects ...................................................................................................... 3 Container Listing ............................................................................................................. 5 Series 1: United Sates: Delaware, Nanticoke, 1924-1927....................................... 5 Series 2: Canada: Quebec and Ontario, Various Communities, 1925-1930.......... 13 Series 3: Canada: Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, Mi'kmaq (Micmac), 1930-1931............................................................................................................... 50 Frederick Johnson photograph collection NMAI.AC.001.038 Collection Overview Repository:
    [Show full text]
  • Volume 6, Issue 1
    History of Anthropology Newsletter Volume 6 Issue 1 1979 Article 1 January 1979 Volume 6, Issue 1 Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/han Part of the Anthropology Commons, and the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons Recommended Citation (1979) "Volume 6, Issue 1," History of Anthropology Newsletter: Vol. 6 : Iss. 1 , Article 1. Available at: https://repository.upenn.edu/han/vol6/iss1/1 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/han/vol6/iss1/1 For more information, please contact [email protected]. UNIVERSITY 1- MUSEU LI8RAR¥ RY OFAN TABLE OF CONTENTS SOURCES FOR THE HISTORY OF ANTHROPOLOGY The Julian H. Steward Papers . 3 FOOTNOTES TO THE HISTORY OF ANTHROPOLOGY Separation and Linkage in American Indian Linguistics, c. 1900 . ..•. ..... 6 CLIO 'S FANCY: DOCUMENTS TO PIQUE THE HISTORICAL IMAGINATION Anti-Imperialism and Anthropology: The Case of Frederick Starr. 9 RESEARCH IN PROGRESS. 11 BIBLIOGRAPHICA ARCANA I . Recent Work by Subscribers 11 II. Suggested by Our Readers .. 12 I II. The History of Anthropology in Italy . 13 IV. Cambridge Anthropology .... 13 V. American Doctoral Dissertations in the History of Anthropology through September 1977. 14 LIBRARIES SUBSCRIBING TO HAN .•. 16 ANNOUNCEMENTS . 17 2 THE HISTORY OF ANTHROPOLOGY NEWSLETTER Subscription Rates Individual subscribers (U.S. & Canada) $3.00 Student subscribers 2.00 Institutional subscribers 4.00 Subscribers outside u.s. & Canada 4 . 00 Back issues 2.00 A red line across your mailing label means that your subscription has expired. Checks for renewals or new subscriptions should be made out, in u.s. dollars, to History of Anthropology Newsletter.
    [Show full text]
  • Children's Literature Bibliographies
    appendix C Children’s Literature Bibliographies Developed in consultation with more than a dozen experts, this bibliography is struc- tured to help you find and enjoy quality literature, and to help you spend more time read- ing children’s books than a textbook. It is also structured to help meet the needs of elementary teachers. The criteria used for selection are • Because it is underused, an emphasis on multicultural and international literature • Because they are underrepresented, an emphasis on the work of “cultural insiders” and authors and illustrators of color • High literary quality and high visual quality for picture books • Appeal to a dual audience of adults and children • A blend of the old and the new • Curricular usefulness to practicing teachers • Suitable choices for permanent classroom libraries Many of the books are award winners. To help you find books for ELLs, I have placed a plus sign (+) if the book is writ- ten in both English and another language. To help you find multicultural authors and il- lustrators, I have placed an asterick (*) to indicate that the author and/or illustrator is a member of underrepresented groups. They are also often cultural insiders. I identify the ethnicity of the authors only if they are is clearly identified in the book. Appendix D in Encountering Children’s Literature: An Arts Approach by Jane Gangi (2004) has a com- plete list of international and multicultural authors who correspond with the astericks. Some writers and illustrators of color want to be known as good writers and good illustrators, not as good “Latino” or “Japanese American” writers and/or illustrators.
    [Show full text]
  • Forging Partnerships Between Scholars, Archives, and Indigenous Communities*
    Digital Knowledge Sharing: Forging Partnerships between Scholars, Archives, and Indigenous Communities* Timothy B. Powell Abstract: The article reviews a digital repatriation project carried out by the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research at the American Philosophical Society over the course of eight years (2008-present). The project focused on building digital archives in four indigenous communities: Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Penobscot Nation, Tuscarora Nation, and Ojibwe communities in both the United States and Canada. The article features insights from traditional knowledge keepers who helped to create a new system of co- stewarding the APS’ indigenous archival materials and recounts how the APS established protocols for cultural sensitivity. A new model of community-based scholarship is proposed to create a more equal and respectful relationship between indigenous communities, scholars, and archives. [Keywords: History of Archives; Digital Repatriation; Digital Knowledge Sharing; Community-Based Scholarship; Cherokee; Tuscarora; Penobscot; Anishinnaabe; Ojibwe. Keywords in italics are derived from the American Folklore Society Ethnographic Thesaurus, a standard nomenclature for the ethnographic disciplines.] We are living in a remarkable historical moment when the combination of digital technology and cultural revitalization movements in Indian Country have created an unprecedented opportunity to rethink the stewardship of Native American archival collections. What follows is the story of the American Philosophical
    [Show full text]
  • Great Women in Connecticut History
    GREAT WOMEN IN CONNECTICUT HISTORY PERMANENT COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN 6 GRAND STREET HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT AUGUST 26, 1978 COMMISSIONERS OF THE PERMANENT COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN Sh irley R. Bysiewicz, Chairperson Lucy Johnson, Vice Chairperson Helen Z . Pearl, Treasurer Diane Alverio Dorothy Billington Thomas I. Emerson Mary Erlanger Mary F. Johnston Barbara Lifton, Esq . Minerva Neiditz Flora Parisky Chase Going Woodhouse LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION MEMBERS Betty Hudson, Senator Nancy Johnson, Senator Charles Matties, Representative Margaret Morton, Representative STAFF MEMBERS Susan Bucknell, Executive Director Fredrica Gray, Public Information Coordinator Linda Poltorak, Office Administrator Jeanne Hagstrom, Office Secretary Elba I. Cabrera, Receptionist/Typist " ... when you put your hand to the plow, you can't put it down until you get to the end of the row. " -Alice Paul CREDITS Project Coordinator: Fredrica Gray, Public Information Coordinator. Review and Comment: Susan Bucknell, Executive Director, PCSW and Lucy Johnson, Chair of the PCSW Public Information Committee Initial Research and First Draft: Shawn Lampron Follow-up Research and Second Draft: Erica Brown Wood Production Typist: Elba Cabrera Special Assistance for the Project was given by: Shirley Dobson, Coleen Foley, Lynne Forester, Sharice Fredericks, Lyn Griffen, Andrea Schenker, and Barbara Wilson Student Artists from Connecticut High Schools: Nancy Allen for her illustration of Alice Paul, Kathleen McGovern for her illustration of Josephine Griffing,
    [Show full text]
  • Springtime in N'daki Menan, the Homeland of the Teme-Augama
    Springtime in n’Daki Menan, the Homeland of the Teme-Augama Anishnabai: Babies, Cradleboards and Community Wrapping by Alexandra Kahsenniio Nahwegahbow A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Art History Carleton University Ottawa (Odawa, Unceded Algonquin Territory), Ontario © 2013 Alexandra Kahsenniio Nahwegahbow ii Abstract This is a study of how the tikinaagan (cradleboard) as an object related to pre-colonial Indigenous childcare can be metaphorically investigated as a model for traditional social frameworks that illustrate the central place and role of babies and young people within Anishinaabe families and communities. Through this, I approach the ornamentation and arrangement of a small cradleboard collected by Frank Speck in the early-twentieth century during his visit to the territory of n'Daki Menan in northeastern Ontario. By exploring the historical context in which this cradleboard was created, used, and collected I address the gaps in the early literature where the Indigenous voice and value placed on these objects were disregarded or overlooked. I argue that cradleboards, through their stylistic design and contextual power, have the ability to communicate traditional knowledge and values of parenting, family and community across generations to present day. iii Acknowledgements First and foremost I would like to offer my warmest gratitude to June Twain, Mary Katt, and Virginia McKenzie for taking the time to sit with me and share their stories. I am so grateful for what I learned from each of them and for the ways in which they helped this thesis shapeshift and re-form into what it now is.
    [Show full text]
  • Museums, Native American Representation, and the Public
    MUSEUMS, NATIVE AMERICAN REPRESENTATION, AND THE PUBLIC: THE ROLE OF MUSEUM ANTHROPOLOGY IN PUBLIC HISTORY, 1875-1925 By Nathan Sowry Submitted to the Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of American University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences July 12, 2020 Date 2020 American University Washington, D.C. 20016 © COPYRIGHT by Nathan Sowry 2020 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED For Leslie, who has patiently listened to me, aided me, and supported me throughout this entire process. And for my parents, David Sowry and Rebecca Lash, who have always encouraged the pursuit of learning. MUSEUMS, NATIVE AMERICAN REPRESENTATION, AND THE PUBLIC: THE ROLE OF MUSEUM ANTHROPOLOGY IN PUBLIC HISTORY, 1875-1925 BY Nathan Sowry ABSTRACT Surveying the most influential U.S. museums and World’s Fairs at the turn of the twentieth century, this study traces the rise and professionalization of museum anthropology during the period now referred to as the Golden Age of American Anthropology, 1875-1925. Specifically, this work examines the lives and contributions of the leading anthropologists and Native collaborators employed at these museums, and charts how these individuals explained, enriched, and complicated the public’s understanding of Native American cultures. Confronting the notion of anthropologists as either “good” or “bad,” this study shows that the reality on the ground was much messier and more nuanced. Further, by an in-depth examination of the lives of a host of Native collaborators who chose to work with anthropologists in documenting the tangible and intangible cultural heritage materials of Native American communities, this study complicates the idea that anthropologists were the sole creators of representations of American Indians prevalent in museum exhibitions, lectures, and publications.
    [Show full text]