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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