Alice Cunningham Fletcher


Alice Fletcher

 




Alice Cunningham Fletcher’s  field diary from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History had an extremely interesting resources related to the Cuban born female who lived among the Indians for scientific reasons.   Although, Alice was born on March 15, 1838 in Havana, Cuba she had American Parents.  She was privately educated and was able to travel to various places during her youthful years before settling near the Boston area (Smithsonian).  Before the year 1880 Alice had become associated with the Peabody Museum of Harvard University and was listed among the official personnel of the museum. 

Alice specialized in the ethnology of the Omaha Indians and other Plains Indian tribes this study lead her to study comparative ethnomusicology as well as allowed her to sought out various  aspects of the Federal Indian policy  of the 19th century anthropological theory (Smithsonian).  It was obvious that her research on the Native Americans prompted her interest to many important factors within the Native Americans lives, which lead her to document her all her experiences in her field diary.  Her continuous concerns lead her to become and employee of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.  Alice was the most dedicated friend the Native American would have.  She made it a point to pursue the matter of creating a bill that would allow the Omaha people the right to claim title of the land they rightfully owned. 

The web resources selected for this course are very informative and interesting.  As I read about Alice and her inner need to help the Native Americans, well I was relieved to learn of someone who would be a true advocate for the Native Americans.  Alice had such a desire to embrace the Native American stories and songs.  I was taken away when I read that she cared so much for them that she heled the Native Americans learn the English land in order  for them to be able to be productive American Citizens.

During my readings, I learned about the terrible forceful abuse that took place one the Native Americans during the time when they were stripped form their parents and holds by the government in order to put them in boarding schools.  Those schools would not only physically abuse them but also mentally abuse them while slowly stripping them of who they really are. The Native Americans are the first Americans and although books have tried to erase them from history as being the first the truth will always be known.  They are our history. 

           



Work Cited:


http://anthropology.si.edu/naa/exhibits/fletcher/foreword.htm

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