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 > > _________________________________________________________________ > PC Magazine’s 2007 editors’ choice for best Web mail—award-winning > Windows Live Hotmail. http://imagine-windowslive.com/hotmail/? > locale=en-us&ocid=TXT_TAGHM_migration_HM_mini_pcmag_0507