How Much Money Would It Take To Make You Give Up Chess?

when you say the indigenous cultures of america dr. frank are you meaning Indian history. Surely there is precious little of that, being that the Indians had no written language. I mentioned to a friend your field and he was convinced you are into indigent studies, the study of the poor? what a silly man. please explain.

I did not see Dr. Frank mention indigenous history. Perhaps you meant someone else. I address this question in my Pacific Northwest History class over the course of an hour or two. Here's a partial outline:

Documentary Bias

Traditional historiography constructs the story based on written documents

primary, secondary, tertiary

For a period of interaction between non-literate peoples and peoples with a text-based culture, the story will be slanted towards those with texts

European culture is rooted in texts

Indigenous Americans were non-literate

Non-Literate Peoples

In non-literate cultures the spoken word is primary and fully adequate

non-literate means the culture is not print based; reading and writing are irrelevant

Do not confuse non-literate with illiterate: illiteracy is the absence of necessary reading and writing skills in a print culture

Sources of Native History

1. Orature

n.

the stories, songs, legends, histories, tales, and the like that are communicated through voice; the collective record of a non-literate culture; a compound word derived from oral literature, but deemphasizing textual epistemology 

Sources of Native History

1. Orature

A. Orature proper, or “true” orature

True orature cannot be presented in a classroom. It exists only within a community of people that defines itself through stories that are voiced, rather than a society constructed through texts

Sources of Native History

1. Orature

A. Orature proper, or “true” orature

B. Orature artifacts, or records of orature

i. textual record

“The First Ship Seen by the Clatsop,” as told by Charles Cultee to Franz Boas, summer 1891, published 1894

Barbara S. Efrat and W.J. Langlois, eds., “The Contact Period as Recorded by Indian Oral Traditions,” Sound Heritage 7 (1978), 54-61. 

Sources of Native History

1. Orature

A. Orature proper, or “true” orature

B. Orature artifacts, or records of orature

i. textual record

ii. sound recording

Elizabeth Wilson’s “Walla Walla Poo Story,”

13 minute audio recording.

Walla Walla Poo Story

Record your observations from Wilson’s story concerning:

hunting

traditional religious beliefs/religious change

horses

relationship to neighboring peoples

language

Sources . . .

1. Orature

2. Documents

Examples of documents

journals

correspondence

archived records

Sources . . .

1. Orature

2. Documents

A. documents of exploration

i. journal of George Vancouver

exercise in historical interpretation:

Sources . . .

1. Orature

2. Documents

A. documents of exploration

i. journal of George Vancouver

ii. journals of Lewis and Clark

trade relations along lower Columbia

Sources . . .

1. Orature

2. Documents

A. documents of exploration

B. documents of trade

i. Alexander Ross, Adventures of the First Settlers on the Oregon or Columbia River

beginnings of ethnographic description: Ross’s chapters 28-31 are among the first written descriptions of the customs of the Okanogan Peoples

Sources . . .

1. Orature

2. Documents

A. documents of exploration

B. documents of trade

i. Alexander Ross, The Fur Traders of the Far West

ii. Edward Curtis’ photograph of Wishram woman

Sources . . .

1. Orature

2. Documents

A. documents of exploration

B. documents of trade

C. documents of missions

i. Pierre DeSmet, maps (e.g. map of territory)

ii. Nicolas Point, sketches

Sources . . .

1. Orature

2. Documents

A. documents of exploration

B. documents of trade

C. documents of missions

D. documents of non-Indian settlement

Sources . . .

1. Orature

2. Documents

3. Material Culture

Sources . . .

1. Orature

2. Documents

3. Material Culture

A. historical specimens

i. NW Coast architecture

ii. artifacts

cedar hat acquired by Lewis and Clark

link to Peabody Museum (Harvard)

Sources . . .

1. Orature

2. Documents

3. Material Culture

A. historical specimens

B. archaeological specimens

i. The Ancient One?

link to NPS site (Kennewick Man is Native American)

Sources . . .

1. Orature

2. Documents

3. Material Culture

4. Ethnography

A. classic

B. contemporary

Sources . . .

1. Orature

2. Documents

3. Material Culture

4. Ethnography

A. classic

i. notes on Vancouver’s enigmatic poles 

I would give up chess, video games, and all my friends if somebody would hire me for a job. I'm broke!!