Anthropological advocacy?: Frank Speck and the mapping of Aboriginal territoriality in eastern ...

360 Pages·2013·6.03 MB·English

Anthropological advocacy?: Frank Speck and the mapping of
Aboriginal territoriality in eastern Canada, 1900-1950
By
Siomonn Pulla, Hon. B.A, M.A
A thesis submitted to
the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research
in partial fulfilment of the requirements
for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Carleton University
Ottawa, Canada
18 April 2006
©2006
Siomonn Pulla
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Library and Bibliotheque et
Archives Canada Archives Canada
Published Heritage Direction du
Branch Patrimoine de I'edition
395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington
Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4
Canada Canada
Your file Votre reference
ISBN: 978-0-494-16672-7
Our file Notre reference
ISBN: 978-0-494-16672-7
NOTICE: AVIS:
The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive
exclusive license allowing Library permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives
and Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver,
publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public
communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I'lnternet, preter,
telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans
loan, distribute and sell theses le monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres,
worldwide, for commercial or non­ sur support microforme, papier, electronique
commercial purposes, in microform, et/ou autres formats.
paper, electronic and/or any other
formats.
The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur
ownership and moral rights in et des droits moraux qui protege cette these.
this thesis. Neither the thesis Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels de
nor substantial extracts from it celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement
may be printed or otherwise reproduits sans son autorisation.
reproduced without the author's
permission.
In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne
Privacy Act some supporting sur la protection de la vie privee,
forms may have been removed quelques formulaires secondaires
from this thesis. ont ete enleves de cette these.
While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires
in the document page count, aient inclus dans la pagination,
their removal does not represent il n'y aura aucun contenu manquant.
any loss of content from the
thesis.
i*i
Canada
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Frank Speck and the young “Chief Red Thunder Cloud” in his office at the
University of Pennsylvania, December 1943. During World War II, Speck
developed a ethnobotany program at the university to help supplement American
medicinal supplies, largely shipped in from eastern Europe and Asia, with North
American Aboriginal traditional medicines. In this picture, he is seen with a
portion of a Zamia plant, used traditionally as a medicine by the Seminole in
Florida .“Chief Red Thunder Cloud” helped Speck collect information for the
program (American Philosophical Society, Frank Speck Papers, BOX 18, IV, E1,
Reel 9; originally published in the Philadelphia Bulletin, 27 December 1943:
“What’s good for Tummyache, Fleap Big Chief? Science Turns to Lore of Indians
to Ease Drug Shortage.”
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Abstract
An analysis of Frank Speck's anthropological representations of Aboriginal
territoriality in northeastern Canada indicates a direct connection between
anthropology and advocacy during the early part of the 20th century. In situating
Speck’s work on the Family Hunting Territory Complex within the context of
Aboriginal treaty and resource issues in Canada during the late 19th and early
20th century, this analysis examines how Speck’s representations of Aboriginal
territoriality challenged the strict management and regulation of Aboriginal
traditional territories and resource use by the Canadian government. This thesis
is not an intellectual biography. It is an examination of the practical conditions
and the working assumptions associated with the production, accumulation and
distribution of anthropological knowledge connected to the multiple domains of
Speck’s representation of Aboriginal territoriality. I argue that Speck was a
participant in a much larger political struggle that included the active engagement
of Aboriginal peoples. I also situate Speck’s representations of Aboriginal
territoriality within the broader field of ethnographic activity that existed prior to
the emergence of the discipline and Speck’s contributions to the discipline. I
examine the tensions of colonialism and Aboriginal-non-Aboriginal relations
inherent in the archives, texts and the networks of knowledge production
associated with this disciplinary history and the practical relations and
encounters that contributed to the production of anthropological knowledge
associated with Speck’s representations of Aboriginal territoriality.
iii
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Acknowledgements
I could never have completed this dissertation without the unconditional support
of my wife Lara. Not only my muse, she was my editor and an unlimited source
of encouragement when I felt like I had reached the end of my rope. I would also
like to extend a HUGE thank-you to my supervisor, Derek Smith, who pushed
me to wits-end, cultivating a trust and intellectual rapport that is irreplaceable and
invaluable. A very warm thank-you to Andrea Laforet for encouraging me to
“think outside the grid” and for instilling in me a profound appreciation for
classical ethnography, and Bruce Curtis for his patience and perseverance in
helping me to expand, and contract, my ideas, and also for his amazing turn
around time with edits, constructive comments and unending encouragement. I
could never have reached this point without the encouragement and support of
Bruce Hodgins, John Milloy, Molly Blyth and David Newhouse, who helped to
evoke my passion for issues relating to Aboriginal-settler relations. Also a
heartfelt thank-you to Stephen Augustine and Barry Cottam for all the stimulating
and thoughtful discussions over coffee, food and more coffee. Last, but not least,
thank-you to my family for their unconditional love and support, Carleton
University and Nazira Conroy for the financial and administrative support, Benoit
Theriault from the Museum of Civilization for all his help in the archives, and all
the managing partners at Public History Inc. (www.publichistorv.ca) for their
flexibility and indirect support which, in many ways, helped me to stay on course.
iv
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
This dissertation is dedicated to the memory of Gladys Tantaquidgeon,
student and friend of Frank Speck and Mohegan Elder, who crossed over
to the spirt-world on the new moon of 2 November 2005. You will always
be remembered and respected for your contributions.
v
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE: Introduction and Methodology ...............................................1
Decolonizing post-colonialism ......................................................7
Frank Speck and the debate on the Algonquian family
hunting territory system............................................................ 13
Continuing debates regarding Speck’s family
hunting territory system................................................................28
Methodology................................................................................................32
Notes.............................................................................................................40
CHAPTER TWO: Science meets the vanishing Indian: the civilizing of
ethnology and the standardization of 19th century anthropological
practices .................................................................................................................41
Standardizing anthropological practices: Linnaeus, Buffon
and the progressive nature of Man .......................................................45
William Robertson, Lewis Henry Morgan and the social
organization of Aboriginal property relations.................................. 53
Problematizing Orthogenesis: Franz Boas, Frank Speck and
the debate with Morgan’s ghost..............................................................62
Notes.............................................................................................................97
CHAPTER THREE: From exotic objects of desire to subjects of
Imperial control?: European mapping practices, anthropology and
the representation of Aboriginal traditional territories................................100
Colonialism’s grid: European mapping practices and the
regulation of Aboriginal traditional territories....................................105
Longitude, Latitude and Ptolemy’s Geographia................. 106
vi
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Mapping Terra Nullius: The abstract grid of colonialism .. 115
Thinking outside the grid: Aboriginal geographic knowledge
and Frank Speck’s representations of Aboriginal territoriality ... 129
Concessionary and complementary representations
of space: the territory of anthropology................................ 141
Notes...........................................................................................................156
CHAPTER FOUR: Conflict and Collaborations: Aboriginal
territoriality and jurisdictional disputes over Aboriginal resource
and land use in eastern Canada ......................................................................159
Understanding Aboriginal title..............................................................161
Resisting regulation: Conservation, control and controversy over
Aboriginal rights in eastern Canada, 1880-1930 .............................. 170
Notes..........................................................................................................212
CHAPTER FIVE: "Friend of the Indians": Frank Speck, anthropological
advocacy, and the representation of Aboriginal territoriality ...................219
Advocacy and Anthropology: Decolonization
through collaboration .............................................................................222
“Protector of the Red Man:” Frank Speck and the
socio-political construct of the family hunting territory
complex in eastern Canada....................................................................230
“Would you believe that Dr. Speck?”: The basic call to
consciousness—the wampum affair and the treaty rights
of the Six Nations Iroquois....................................................................258
“The Indian Lives”: Identity-politics and the status
of the Virginia Indians.............................................................................276
Notes .........................................................................................................292
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
CHAPTER SIX: Conclusions .......................................................................... 300
REFERENCES CITED.........................................................................................314
Archival and Manuscript Sources ........................................................314
Legal References.....................................................................................317
Secondary Sources .............................................................................. 318
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Table of Illustrations
Figure 1: Map of the Northeast Culture Area.....................................................6
Figure 2: 12th and 15th century T-0 maps ........................................................107
Figure 3: 14th century world map......................................................................109
Figure 4: 8th century world map.........................................................................111
Figure 5: 16th century reprint of Ptolemy’s map of the World.....................113
Figure 6: 1891 map of Edmonton Alberta and surrounding area...............120
Figure 7: 1902 map of Treaty No. 10 District .................................................122
Figure 8:1774 map of Aboriginal territories southwest
of Hudson Bay ....................................................................................................126
Figure 9: Innu Caribou Scapula Bone Maps...................................................135
Figure 10: Frank Speck’s 1928 map of family hunting territories of
the Mattagami First Nation.................................................................................148
Figure 11: Extract of Clark Wissler’s 1914 map of the Northeast
culture group ......................................................................................................150
Figure 12: Frank Speck’s 1924 hand-drawn map of the different
bands of Naskapi, Cree and Montagnais living in Labrador........................151
Figure 13: 1914 map of John McEwan’s hunting territory ..........................244
Figure 14: 1915 map of Innu hunting territory...............................................249
ix
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.