ipl-logo

Dorothy Lippert

720 Words3 Pages

In this article, Dorothy Lippert, a Native American, covers the complex dynamic between Native Americans and museum collections, more specifically the archeologists that recover and archive the so called artifacts. This complex relationship between the artifacts, with the scientific importance and ability to educate, and the cultural importance of the artifacts to native peoples is one that is forever changing. Curators are in charge of putting together exhibits, but as Mrs. Lippert examines, the archaeologists that collect and find these artifacts have a unique relationship with these items. This relationship is unique because once archaeologists have control of an item, they decide what the item will be called, how they will classify the …show more content…

She explains that during a meeting with Caddo gentlemen, they made the comment that “they were the first Caddos in a thousand years to see these objects” and explained that she felt that as a Native American, she had failed them (Lippert 2006). While she was fulfilling the legal need to consult them, she also address that this was a significant experience . She gives a personal experience in order to say, that while she is a Native, she has fallen short in her job as an archeologists. She wants her fellow coworkers to understand that while the profession needs to improve the relationship between both the native peoples they are working with, and the culturally important artifacts, they can do so by trying. An active effort is necessary to improve the strained relationship between the two …show more content…

She provides enough personal experience, and critique of herself, to be able to question the others in the field without coming across as rude. She makes her point of the importance of cultural resources and the need for the better relations between archaeologists and the native peoples, in relation to artifacts. She makes the article easy to read, and covers many different point of views. She proves her thesis by providing personal examples of how she has failed other natives, while also providing other examples of shortfalls, such as the possible misuse of Devils Tower, and Zuni War gods sculptures . The article provides enough information to support her thesis, and while the main theme seems to be toward fellow colleagues, she makes the article interesting for the general

Show More
Related

  • Summary Of Museum Of The Plains White Person By Rayna Green

    598 Words  | 3 Pages

    In this excerpt from a work of satire, Dr. Rayna Green proposes the establishment of a “Museum of the Plains White Person” and goes on to explain how, where, and why it should be built and what the museum will include. Dr. Green wrote this speech so that white people could experience the disrespect the Native Americans receive when they are talked about. Dr. Green effectively satirizes the beliefs of white people about Native American through the use of an insensitive and ignorant tone which is emphasized by assumptious diction and syntax. The location of the museum is over an “abandoned ceremonial ball court” which is extremely disrespectful to the ceremonies held on it and to those who performed them. Dr. Green ignores the fact that it is ceremonial ground that holds importance to other people.

    Read More

  • Dahlonega Gold Museum Research Paper

    471 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Dahlonega Gold Museum has long since been an attraction for tourists to this little mountain town. It harbors many displays of historical artifacts and interesting items that tell the story of how Dahlonega became the city it is today. From huge gold nuggets, to maps of the mines, to a document signed by the 10th president of the United States- the Gold Museum features objects that brilliantly display the charm and the history of Dahlonega. But as wonderful as the artifacts are, they can’t compare to the hospitality of the historians and volunteers who work at the Gold Museum.

    Read More

  • Summary: Custer Died For Your Sins

    1682 Words  | 7 Pages

    He will invariably have a thin sexy wife with stringy hair, an IQ of 191, and a vocabulary in which even the prepositions have eleven syllables” (79). In this text, Deloria argues how anthropologists purposely contrast themselves from Indians on reservations with how they dress to show their overwhelming wealth and intelligence over Indians while also crudely mocking how anthropologists pretend to be hierarchical snobs. High school students would be intrigued with the sass Deloria uses in his writing. Another appropriate type of reading would be Native Americans’ personal narratives of their own experiences on colonization, American politics, cultural appropriation, and more. Dawnland Voices edited by Siobhan Senier, for instance, would be a spectacular reading for this proposed class since it includes intimate indigenous short stories, poems, and writings from the New England region.

    Read More

  • Kennewick Man Essay

    1135 Words  | 5 Pages

    This skeleton, named the “Kennewick Man” due to its location in Kennewick, Washington, was the oldest, most well-reserved skeleton found in North America. Shortly after the remains were unearthed, controversy and debate surrounded the home and origin of the skeleton. “Archaeologist Dr. James Chatters, working on contract with the Benton County coroner, thought that the bones might not be Native American.” If this were proven to be true, it would cause massive waves in what we thought we knew about our science and history. Initially classified as “Caucasoid”, Chatters modified his

    Read More

  • African Burial Ground Essay

    478 Words  | 2 Pages

    In May of 1991, a three hundred year silence was shattered with the discovery of the African Burial Ground in lower Manhattan. Widely acknowledged as one of the most significant American archeological finds of the twentieth century. Prior to the 1991 discovery, plans to erect a 34-story, $276-million federal building required that a cultural resource survey, including archeological field-testing, be completed. Under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, such research is required on any project using public funds that may have the potential to impact historic resources. During the last days of the excavation, the archaeological team discovered a missing chapter of New York history¿the

    Read More

  • Orlando Museum Essay

    1045 Words  | 5 Pages

    Knowing that I am an arts ' enthusiast, she searched for local events pertaining to art and stumbled across tickets to this event on the OMA websites list of attractions. The intended exhibit of the Antiques Vintage and Garden Show was a bit of a snooze and we ended up spending over two hours in the room designated for the Pre-Columbian art works instead, which happened to line up with the time period of the art works studied in this course of Art History. Through my experience at this exhibit it was revealed to me the importance of the natural world in every Mesoamerican cultures form of art. Specifically, this was proven by the fact that the materials utilized were part of each cultures stomping grounds, literally, in reference to clays and ceramics, also by the subjects and scenes depicted in such works revolved around the natural environment at hand, and lastly shown by the value of animal life depicted through their representation and symbolism. As we entered a small, yet brightly lit room we were overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of authentic Mesoamerican art works and

    Read More

  • Body Ritual Among The Nacirema Analysis

    1419 Words  | 6 Pages

    Horace Miner, a American Anthropologist wrote an academic essay titled “Body Ritual Among the Nacirema.” In this article Miner described some of the bizarre rituals and practices of the “Nacirema” which the reader comes to find out that he is talking about North Americans. The way Miner goes into detail about how these people live makes them seem foreign. Thus making the norm for an American lifestyle seem odd because the certain type of lingo Miner uses to make this “tribe” more exotic then the actually are. His point in doing this is to show the reader how obnoxious anthropologist can be when they are explain a different culture.

    Read More

  • Overcoming Adversity In American Indian Culture

    1315 Words  | 6 Pages

    People lack a great amount of knowledge about these people, and they are a massive part of this country’s history. Now, we can go through and depict this artifacts by their meanings and signs. This artifact was actually founded by PNSN Research Scientist Ruth Ludwin, she studied the pacific northwest tribe for a very long time. The article specific about all of the earthquakes at the Cascadia Subduction Zone.

    Read More

  • What The Awl Means Summary

    1452 Words  | 6 Pages

    She introduces her primary intensions to replace orthodox archeological methods, by integrating Native American voices into her project. But, Spector’s specific motives to dismantle the ignorance people hold towards Native American specifically in archeology, is ineffective. Spector gives effective judgment when expressing her internal

    Read More

  • Bad Indians By Deborah Miranda Summary

    1007 Words  | 5 Pages

    Throughout history, there have been many literary studies that focused on the culture and traditions of Native Americans. Native writers have worked painstakingly on tribal histories, and their works have made us realize that we have not learned the full story of the Native American tribes. Deborah Miranda has written a collective tribal memoir, “Bad Indians”, drawing on ancestral memory that revealed aspects of an indigenous worldview and contributed to update our understanding of the mission system, settler colonialism and histories of American Indians about how they underwent cruel violence and exploitation. Her memoir successfully addressed past grievances of colonialism and also recognized and honored indigenous knowledge and identity.

    Read More

  • Petalesharo's Speech Of The Pawnee Chief

    170 Words  | 1 Pages

    Petalesharo’s writing reflected the treatment of Native Americans during the 1800s. Being a Native American himself, Petalesharo was able to give perspective on a point in history typically viewed from a white man’s opinion. The excerpt “Petalesharo” explains how the Native American was able “to prevent young women captured by other tribes from being sacrificed”, making Petalesharo well liked by the Americans (588). Petalesharo gave the “Speech of the Pawnee Chief” infront of Americans to convey the differences between Native Americans and Americans through emotion, logic, and credibility, which showed how the two groups will never be the same, but still can coexist in the world together.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Quanah Parker Comanche Chief

    870 Words  | 4 Pages

    As the son of a Comanche chief and a white captive by the name of Cynthia Ann Parker, Quanah Parker rose from the status of a Comanche warrior to their tribal leader. Although not much is known about Parker’s personal life and early years, he plays a vital role in William T. Hagan’s book “Quanah Parker, Comanche Chief”. In this book, Hagan identifies the Comanche Chief through his upbringing to his death, describing his transactions with local Indian agents, presidents, high officials in Washington and the cattlemen of the western United States territory. The author presents the Indian chief as a “cultural broker” between the cultures of the white southerners and his tribal members, presenting a blend of beliefs that are heralded as progressive and traditional as he maintained the control and organization of his tribe. During a period of transition for the Comanche people,

    Read More

  • In Paula Gunn Allen's Essay 'Where I Came From Is Like This'

    1012 Words  | 5 Pages

    In all the different tribes, none of the women are seen as less than the men, however in European culture at the time, the women were seen as weak and lesser beings. Gunn Allen tackles this issue using ethos logos and pathos by appealing to the readers through logic, emotion and her personal experiences. With Ethos Gunn Allen makes herself a credible source by mentioning that she is a “half breed American Indian woman. ”(83) making her story worth paying attention to rather than if it were a story by an outsider who truly has nothing to do with the American Indian women.

    Read More

  • Everyday Use By Alice Walker Analysis

    1258 Words  | 6 Pages

    How does a person value heritage and what type of impact does it hold on a family with a substantial history? Taking a glimpse beneath the surface of family relationships and views on traditional heritage, author Alice Walker showcases a true grasp on letting readers see into the compassionate lives of three strong female leads. With her short story “Everyday Use” each character relatable and described in such detail, the reader can truly sympathize and understand the impact heritage brings to a family. Walker’s compelling short story “Everyday Use” explores how complicated family dynamics can impact the attitude towards heritage through the three female leads. Family can occupy strong roots dating back generations with steadfast traditions that appreciate true meaning and personal endearment to family members.

    Read More

  • American Museum Of Natural History Essay

    1392 Words  | 6 Pages

    The museum is huge, and after just looking at animals my feet usually start to hurt so I never get to see every single exhibit. During this visit, I first went to see The Hall of Mexico and Central America. The hall was predominantly full of artifacts and models of monuments found in Mexico that were created by the Aztecs. During week five, I read “History and Power” which spoke about the Aztec empire. The reading said, “Human sacrifice was a key element of the political and religious system, and by the late fifteenth century the Aztecs began to make war with their neighbors with the sole objective of capturing future victims” (p. 6), the Aztecs relied on human sacrifice and made it into a huge part of their routines.

    Read More

More about Dorothy Lippert

Open Document