Readings are grouped generationally. Grandparents – Parents – Children – Grandchildren.
Grandparents are those First Nations anthropologists who worked with the founding generation of institutional anthropology (late 19th and early 20th centuries). Of the many such people we will focus on three: Gladys Tantaquidgeon (1899 – 2005; Mohegan, who worked with Frank Speck), Ella Deloria (1889 – 1971; Dakota, who worked with Franz Boas), and William Beyon (1888 – 1958; Tsimshian, who worked with Franz Boas and Maurice Barubeau, among others). Each of these First Nations scholars played pivotal roles in shaping the path of institutional anthropology through their work, research, writings, and influence.
Parents are the first generation of First Nations anthropologists who found work as faculty within institutional anthropology in the post world war II era. While others may have proceeded them in the academy the parent generation were among the first who worked as scholars beyond the domain of education or law with formal university appointments. Included here are Beatrice Medicine (1923 – 2005; Lakota), Alfonso Ortiz (1939 – 1997; Pueblo).
Children form the generation that arose following the wave of new social movements birthed in the turbulent 1970s. These scholars studied with the parents and stories of the grandparents entering the professoriate in the 1980s and 1990s. With this generation came a shift in focus away from the more ‘anthropologically looking’ work of the parents. Ideas of identity, authority, governance and methodology become more apparent.
Grandchildren have been freed to explore evermore diverse lines of engagement. Here the influence of transdisciplinarity arise more fully. These are the scholars of the 21st century building with the legacies of those who went before them
In each unit we will consider four attributes of the authors’ work: inspiration, transformation, self-reflection, and embodiment.
- Week 1-2. Grandparents: William Beynon, Ella Deloria, Gladys Tantaquidgeon. [early 20th century].
- Tuesday, May 12. Opening. Introduction to Beynon, Deloria, Tantaquidgeon.
- Thursday, May 14. ‘A Good Question.’
- Tuesday, May 19. ‘Researchers in their own right.’
- Week 2-3. Parents. Beatrice Medicine, Alfonso Ortiz, and others. [post WWII] .
- Thursday, May 21. Overview. Starting with Medicine.
- Tuesday, May 26. Medicine. Starting with Ortiz
- Thursday, May 28. Ortiz. In-class reflective essay (first half of class).
- Week 3-5. Children. [late 20th century]
- Tuesday, June 2. Marker, Perley.
- Thursday, June 4. Ranco, Simpson.
- Tuesday, June 9. Tallbear.
- Week 5-6. Grandchildren. [early 21st century]
- Thursday, June 11. Bunten
- Tuesday, June 16. Fortney and Gray.
- Thursday, June 18. Spencer and Manson. Last class wrap up.