The Heard Museum held an exhibit several years ago about the Native
Boarding School experience. There was an accompanying book, by
Margaret Archuleta, I believe.
Jessica Welton
On May 18, 2007, at 4:05 PM, Anita Wills wrote:
> I understand your point and want to clarify my remark. There are
> few historians of color, who have accepted writings about the white
> American experience. By that statement, I mean that their writings
> are not accepted over the writings of those who lived the
> experience. Within the Native and African experiences here in
> America is seems more acceptable for white historians to write our
> experiences. That is probably unique to America, I don't know. My
> point is not to say that others should not write our history, but
> that we are lacking a body of writing from Native and African
> perspectives. I do like reading from those who are making
> observations, but when they come to conclusions that fit their own
> bias, well it is hard to accept.
>
> I want to thank everyone who has responded for being open to the
> discussion. I am open to everyones opinion, and hope that I am
> responding in kind.
>
> Anita
>
>> From: "Lyle E. Browning" <[log in to unmask]>
>> Reply-To: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia
>> history <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: Indian Schools
>> Date: Fri, 18 May 2007 13:43:38 -0400
>>
>> On May 18, 2007, at 12:47 PM, Anita Wills wrote:
>>
>>> (snip).... I don't believe anyone would try to step in the shoes
>>> of Jewish people, and try to explain away the holocaust.
>>> Yet, it seems to be acceptable to do exactly that when it comes
>>> to Natives and blacks in America.
>> I don't think that is the case. Anyone with a hint of
>> intelligence will not be denying what happened. We argue about
>> issues within both, but not the bigger picture of either. The
>> lack of a substantive body of historical material written by
>> either group kind of limits things to later materials in the WPA
>> format with the problems previously discussed. Sure, there are
>> misguided souls who will argue in the face of overwhelming
>> evidence that the holocaust never happened, that Native American
>> culture didn't take a massive hit and/or didn't bring it on
>> themselves, and that African-Americans were a happy lot working
>> on the plantations with their basic needs provided. But, you have
>> to compare their numbers now to what they were 50 years ago to
>> see how perceptions change due to increasing amounts of
>> scholarship nuking the old stereotypical arguments. One must also
>> keep up one's guard in any event lest it be forgotten and repeated.
>>>
>>> The only people who can describe what happened and its' impact
>>> are the ones who were affected by the events.
>> Now that is just so wrong. No-one owns history. The folks who
>> went through the holocaust are in general in their 80's and
>> within probably 20 years all will be gone. It is probably correct
>> to say that they have a definite stake in their history due to
>> their immediacy. After they're gone, holocaust publications will
>> necessarily be written by folks who weren't directly affected.
>> Sometimes distance provides objectivity.
>>
>> But, there are no African-American former slaves living and no
>> Native Americans living who were transported. The numbers of
>> Native Americans, like the holocaust survivors, who went through
>> enforced acculturation a la Carlisle, are also getting up in
>> years if not all already gone.
>>
>> Even those folks who endured the idiocy that was Jim Crow are
>> getting long in the tooth and will not so much longer be amongst us.
>>
>> After that, scholars and researchers will beaver away and produce
>> their works, and that work will be based upon their interests and
>> what the historical record has for them to interpret.
>>
>> Ned Heite and I were bemoaning the fact that most archaeologists
>> come from an urban or suburban background and are out there
>> interpreting rural farms without any direct experience with and/
>> or knowledge of them. While not at the same level as folks
>> finding a collection of milk bottles and interpreting it as a
>> cow's nest, the lack of experience inevitably means something
>> will be lost because it is not perceived as meaningful. On the
>> other hand, due to their diverse backgrounds and interests,
>> people will look at farms from economic viewpoints and from other
>> viewpoints that provide insight beyond the straight experiential
>> views.
>>
>> From a personal perspective, I was an (American) site supervisor
>> on a Viking (Scandanavian) site off the north coast of (Gaelic/
>> British) Scotland. After generations of European folks digging
>> Viking sites, it was my meagre contribution to tease out the
>> chronological sequence of building types for the first time.
>> Contributions to history are not the sole province of those who
>> lived it.
>>
>> Lyle Browning, RPA
>
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