Collections and objections : aboriginal material culture in Southern Ontario, 1791-1914 / Michelle A. Hamilton.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hamilton, Michelle A., 1972-

Series:

McGill-Queen's native and northern series ; 63.

McGill-Queen's native and northern series ; 63

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Iroquoian Indians--Antiquities--Collection and preservation--Ontario.

Iroquoian Indians.

Ojibwa Indians--Antiquities--Collection and preservation--Ontario.

Ojibwa Indians.

Iroquoian Indians--Material culture--Study and teaching--Ontario.

Ojibwa Indians--Material culture--Study and teaching--Ontario.

Material culture.

Ojibwa Indians--Antiquities.

Iroquoian Indians--Antiquities.

Ontario.

Physical Description:

xvi, 308 pages, 12 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color), maps ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Montréal ; Ithaca : McGill-Queen's University Press, [2010]

Summary:

North America's museums are treasured for their collections of Aboriginal ethnographic and archaeological objects. Yet stories of how these artifacts were acquired often reveal unethical acts arid troubling chains of possession, as well as unexpected instances of collaboration. For instance, archaeological excavation of Aboriginal graves was so prevalent in the late-eighteenth century that the government of Upper Canada legislated against it, although this did little to stop the practice. Many objects were collected by non-Native outsiders to preserve cultures perceived to be nearing extinction, while other objects were donated or sold by the same Native communities that later demanded their return. Some Native people collected for museums and even created their own.

Providing a comprehensive overview of anthropological collecting in Ontario between 1791 and 1914, Collections and Objections details the complicated relationships between Euro-Canadian and Native cultures, the numerous ways in which Aboriginal objects were acquired, and the motives behind their collection. The concluding chapter connects historical practices of collecting to present-day debates over the stewardship of Aboriginal material culture in Canada and the United States.

A remarkable look at the relationships between the public, historical societies, governments, professional anthropologists, and various Native communities, Collections and Objections explores the legacy of interest in Aboriginal heritage. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 "Bric-A- Brackers and Pot-Hunters" Professionals and the Public 20

2 "For the General Good of Science" Historical and Scientific Society Museums 51

3 Aboriginal Responses to Archaeology 79

4 Colonialism, Ethnographic Collections, and Aboriginal Engagement 107

5 Usable Pasts: Interpreting Aboriginal Material Culture 143.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780773537545

0773537546

9780773537552

0773537554

OCLC:

614854371