Annika Johnson

regarding a patron question:

Patron question: I was wondering, do you know if the Special Collections or Athenaeum contain

works on Native American symbolism and/or cosmology? Of specific interest would be any

maps or astronomical images created by Native American groups (i.e. not maps of Native

American spaces created by non-Native persons). Examples of the "medicine wheel" or similar

material would be ideal.

Annika’s response:

Almost everything in the collection is by a non-Native person, but many artists/ethnographers gleaned

their knowledge from Native informants, so the info is there but the Euro-centric view must be taken

into account. Henry Rowe Schoolcraft's 5-volume set is a good example of this.

…

The Navajo sand paintings folio is probably the closest to what they're looking for. They're extremely

sensitive pochoir prints). You could refer them to this with the caveat that they cannot publish (including

on social media) or exhibit images of the folio without permission from the tribe, which I'm happy to

assist with.

 https://hclib.bibliocommons.com/item/show/5554122109

Otherwise, they'll primarily find information about Native cosmology in anthropology texts (again, they'll

have to read with a grain of salt):

Any Bureau of American Ethnology annual reports and bulletins (Smithsonian) are usually pretty

straightforward anthropological texts and often have images or explain art imagery. They're all late

19th-early 20th century, but include some of the foundational texts for the anthropology field (works by

Franz Boas, Frances Densmore, James Mooney, etc). There's some in the main stacks (original and

reprints) and some published by BAE in the Athenaeum.

 They can refer to this website that has the contents of each

report: http://rla.unc.edu/Archives/BAE-pubs.html

 Most on in 4th floor reference (from 1890s - 1930)

Missionaries were primarily the ones to document customs (though obviously with the intention to

convert)

Lafitau's Customs of the American Indians - he was a Jesuit who studied the Iroquois and compared

Native to ancient classical culture. Of course it's super biased but the images are incredible

 English translation

 Original

I'm most familiar with (and the collection is strongest in) missionaries working in MN

 Whipple, History of the Ojibway Nation, 970.3 W29

 Stephen Riggs, Dakota grammar, texts, and ethnography, PM1021.R481973

 Samuel Pond, Legends of the Dakota, PS2649.P38L4

Texts that can be found in the regular stacks that feature Native voices on cosmology (largely subject

related to mythology, history and philosophy of religion)

Black Elk (Lakota)

 Niehardt, Black Elk Speaks (Lakota)

 Epes Brown, Black Elk's The Sacred Pipe, E99.O3B5 1971

Anything by Ella Deloria (she was Dakota and an anthropologist who documented her own tribe's

customs)

 Dakota Texts PM1024.A2 D4 2006

 Speaking of Indians

Vine Deloria, God is Red: A Native View of Religion E98.R3D44

Jerry Gill, Native American Worldviews, E98.C79 G56 2002 (a good reference publication)

Schoolcraft's Index (really useful guide and pretty rare!)

 https://hclib.bibliocommons.com/item/show/5368180109