The American Indian and the problem of history / edited by Calvin Martin.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Martin, Calvin, editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States--Historiography.

United States.

Canada--Historiography.

Canada.

Indians of North America--Historiography.

Indians of North America.

Historiography.

Genre:

Aufsatzsammlung.

Physical Description:

xiv, 232 pages ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Oxford University Press, 1987.

Summary:

The problem of history for North American Indians is that historical consciousness has been irrelevent to them, traditionally -- perhaps even dangerous. Time, with its attendant experiences, realities and knowledge, was not linear, progressive, and novel. Their vision of themselves in relation to the cosmos was very different from the anthropocentric perspective that came to dominate Western thinking.

Each of the eighteen authors herein wrestles with the phenomenon that in writing about Indians and whites in concert scholars are perforce trying to mesh two very different structures and systems of reality and knowledge -- two fundamentally different cosmologies -- which in fact do not really fit together. Each confronts the problem from his or her distinct experience as historian, anthropologist, professional writer, Native or non-Native American, in an essay written expressly for this volume.

This is not a book about methodology; it probes far deeper than that. It questions whether formal Western history has the philosophical power and imagination to enable scholars to write about the life and world of societies who were not conceived in history, who did not willingly launch themselves out onto an historical trajectory, and who performed in the Western vision and errand of history only through coercion. Here, then, is a study of the "metaphysics" of writing Indian-white history.

North American Indians have traditionally held conceptions of history, time and the universe that are vastly different from those of European civilizations. How, then, can Western historians begin to write accurately and without bias about societies who shunned "history" and who performed in our Western vision and errand of history only through coercion? Here, eighteen prominent authors wrestle with the phenomenon that in writing about Indian-white relations they are perforce trying to mesh two fundamentally different world-views. In pieces written expressly for this volume, the contributors--who include a cross-section of historians, anthropologists, professional writers, and native Americans--cover such diverse topics as cultural pluralism and ethnocentrism, native American dancing and ritual, the experiences of native American women, and attitudes toward the environment.In considering the deep and chronic issues of Indian-white relations, these controversial essays look anew at Indian cultural ideals and restore them to their proper place in American history.

Contents:

Introduction: An Introduction Aboard the Fidele 3

1 The Metaphysics of Writing Indian-White History / Calvin Martin 27

2 Cultural Pluralism Versus Ethnocentrism in the New Indian History / Robert F. Berkhofer, Jr. 35

3 American Indians and American History / Neal Salisbury 46

4 Thoughts on Early Canadian Contact / Cornelius J. Jaenen 55

5 Demographics of Native American History / Henry F. Dobyns 67

6 Pagans, Converts, and Backsliders, All: A Secular View of the Metaphysics of Indian-White Relations / Mary Young 75

7 Revision and Reversion / Vine Deloria, Jr. 84

8 Distinguishing History from Moral Philosophy and Public Advocacy / Wilcomb E. Washburn 91

9 Indians on the Shelf / Michael Dorris 98

10 The Metaphysics of Dancing Tribes / Richard Drinnon 106

11 On the Revision of Monuments / Frederick Turner 114

12 Envision Ourselves Darkly, Imagine Ourselves Richly / Christopher Vecsey 120

13 Fox and Chickadee / Robin Ridington 128

14 I May Connect Time / Peter Iverson 136

15 Present Memories, Past History / Peter Nabokov 144

16 Personal Reflections / N. Scott Momaday 156

17 White Buffalo Woman / Henrietta Whiteman 162

18 From a Native Daughter / Haunani-Kay Trask 171

19 Socioacupuncture: Mythic Reversals and the Striptease in Four Scenes / Gerald Vizenor 180

Epilogue: Time and the American Indian 192.

Introduction : An introduction aboard the Fid<U+fffd>ele

The metaphysics of writing Indian-white history / Calvin Martin

Cultural pluralism versus ethnocentrism in the new Indian history / Robert F. Berkhofer, Jr.

American Indians and American history / Neal Salisbury

Thoughts on early Canadian contact / Cornelius J. Jaenen

Demographics of Native American history / Henry F. Dobyns

Pagans, converts, and backsliders, all : a secular view of the metaphysics of Indian-white relations / Mary Young

Revision and reversion / Vine Deloria, Jr.

Distinguishing history from moral philosophy and public advocacy / Wilcomb E. Washburn

Indians on the shelf / Michael Dorris

The metaphysics of dancing tribes / Richard Drinnon

On the revision of monuments / Frederick Turner

Envision ourselves darkly, imagine ourselves richly / Christopher Vecsey

Fox and chickadee / Robin Ridington

I may connect time / Peter Iverson

Present memories, past history / Peter Nabokov

Personal reflections / N. Scott Momaday

White Buffalo Woman / Henrietta Whiteman

From a native daughter / Haunani-Kay Trask

Socioacupuncture : mythic reversals and the striptease in four scenes / Gerald Vizenor

Epilogue : Time and the American Indian.

Introduction : An introduction aboard the Fidèle

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 221-232).

Local Notes:

HSP Copy: Indian Rights Association Complimentary Collection

ISBN:

019503855X

9780195038552

0195038568

9780195038569

OCLC:

13426017

Online:

Publisher description