Native American Images Project
The Native American Images Project is an assortment of images from the vast collection gathered by The American Philosophical Society (APS). Created in colonial times by Benjamin Franklin and many of his "Founding Father" colleagues, the APS was meant to be an assemblage of useful knowledge to be preserved and shared.The Native American Images Project is categorized into galleries by themes. The images seen in the galleries are a small sampling of the archive of historical information stored by the Society over more than 200 years .
The Digital Library was created to encourage people to visit the American Philosophical Society Museum and Library in Philadelphia in person, but it offers a wide array of virtual resources to web visitors. In addition to printed materials, audio selections from the Native American Sound Recordings can also be accessed online. Although some excerpts are open to the public, the majority of the collection is protected for the reasons of cultural sensitivity, to be accessed by formal request to the APS to students and researchers. An interesting note about the origin of preserving Native American Language information is that the idea came from Thomas Jefferson when he was president of the United States and the APS simultaneously. To know that he was advocating for the curing of native languages while his government policies were destroying them is very troubling to me.
One of the galleries I found intriguing was Families and Communities. With my day job in marriage and family ministry, I took a strong interest in these images of families. I was glad to have a magnifying tool embedded in the viewing box to be able to get closer looks at the surroundings of the family in the picture above. To see their shelter, belongings and lifestyle made me curious about the Cocopa. I searched further on the site to find a recording of Josephine Thomas, a Cocopa from Arizona, recorded in the mid 1960's, just before I was born. I listened to Josephine Thomas speak and sing. She reminded me of my own grandmother, a gentle, soothing tone filled with wisdom. I imagined her hands working while her words floated over the room she was in, filling it with her memory. I can hear the hard work and care for her family in her voice
Sources and Links
Cocopa Settlement picture Baja, CA
http://www.amphilsoc.org/about
http://www.amphilsoc.org/exhibit/natamimages/families
Josephine Thomas
Hi Mary
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog. You touched my heart when you spoke about how hearing Josephine Thomas speak and sing remind you of your grandmother. What a wonderful memory she brought back for you.
Family and community are so important. I try to stay as connected to my community as much as possible.
Love the fall backdrop.
Delilah
Hello Mary,
ReplyDeleteVery good blog post!
Thank you for sending this link...I have added it to the proper section on my own blogger site so that other students can find you, whether or not they friend you.
Mary:
ReplyDeleteReally interesting post! I was surprised to see that Benjamin Franklin played a role as a founding father in the development of the American Philosophical Society. Keep up the good work!