ERIC ED441639: Sheldon Jackson the Collector.

99 Pages·1999·2.3 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
RC 022 420
ED 441 639
Carlton, Rosemary
AUTHOR
Sheldon Jackson the Collector.
TITLE
Alaska State Museums, Juneau.
INSTITUTION
1999-00-00
PUB DATE
98p.; Photographs may not reproduce adequately.
NOTE
Alaska State Museums, 395 Whittier St., Juneau, AK 99801
AVAILABLE FROM
($14). Tel: [phone]; e-mail: [email protected].
Historical Materials (060)
Books (010)
PUB TYPE
MF01/PC04 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
Acculturation; *Alaska Natives; American Indian Culture;
DESCRIPTORS
American Indian Education; Art; *Cultural Maintenance;
Eskimos; Federal Indian Relationship; *Material Culture;
*Museums; *State History; Vocational Education
*Alaska; Eskimo Culture; *Jackson (Sheldon); Missionaries
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
Missionary, educator, humanitarian, and collector, the
Reverend Sheldon Jackson came to Alaska in.1877.to,assimilate Native
populations into the dominant White culture, but his collecting efforts
between 1877 and 1902 represent a significant effort to preserve the legacy
of Alaska Natives during a period of tumultuous change. A zealous missionary,
Jackson established numerous missions, schools, and churches during his early
work in Minnesota, the Rocky Mountains, and the Southwest. His interest in
collecting things grew during this period, and by the time he went to Alaska,
he had the support of the Smithsonian Institution and a display at the
Princeton Theological Seminary. His successful fundraising was fueled by his
public speaking abilities, his missionary newspaper , and educat.i.onal tours to
Native sites. He believed that Pmerican Indians wc,uld be better converted to
Christianity if they first learned the White man's lifestyle through concrete
educational experiences. JackLton hoped to avoid reservations by establishing
civil government and an education system in Alaska. In 1885, Jackson was
appointed as General Agent of Education for Alaska. Importing reindeer from
Siberia and teaching Alaska Natives to herd them tied in with his educational
goals for Alaska. He founded a vocational school at Sitka, and the Alaska
Museum of Natural History and Ethnology. Jackson did his collecting by
acceptable standards of the 19th century and in a relatively sensitive
manner. Although his collecting methods would not measure up to today's
museum practices, had he not collected, much of the state's material culture
would have been irretrievably lost. Appendices present the Society of Alaskan
Natural History and Ethnology constitutions and list exhibit catalogs,
Jackson's memberships in societies and organizations, world expositions
involving Jackson or his collections, and all known repositories of Jackson's
collections. (Contains end notes, many photographs, and an index.)
(TD)
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
EDUC TIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
his document has been reproduced
as
received from the person or organization
originating it.
Minor changes have been made
to
improve reproduction quality.
Points of view or opinions stated in
this
document do not necessarily represent
official OERI position or policy.
1,tiy,V;UOMMY-'
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS
BY
MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)."
Rosemary Carlton
Sheldon Jackson Museum
MINN AMON
The Collector
By Rosemary Carlton
Sheldon Jackson Museum
Alaska State Museums
Juneau, Alaska
1999
Alaska State Library Cataloging-In-Publication Data
Carlton, Rosemary.
Sheldon Jackson, the collector / by Rosemary
Carlton. 96 p. ; cm.
Published by: Alaska State Museums.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
2. Indians of
1. Jackson, Sheldon, 1834-1909.
North AmericaMaterial cultureAlaskaCollectors
and collecting. 3>AlaskaHistory-1867-1959. I.
Alaska State-Museums.
F909.C36 1999
© Copyright 1999
Published by Alaska State Museums
All rights reserved.
Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums
Alaska State Museums
395 Whittier St., Juneau, Alaska 99801
Sheldon Jackson Museum
104 College Dr., Sitka, Alaska 99835
Printed by the Friends of the Sheldon Jackson Museum
and the Friends of the Alaska State Museum
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter
1. "Gatherers and Grabbers"
7
2. "Go Ye Into All the World"
9
3. "God Blesses Aggressiveness"
13
4. "If I Can't be First, I Will be Foremost"
17
5. The Napoleon of Alaska
23
6. General Agent of Education
29
7. How Their Fathers Lived
43
8. At the Front
59
Afterword
69
Appendix
A. Exhibit Catalogs Containing Objects from the
Sheldon Jackson Collection, Princeton Art Museum
73
B. Memberships in Societies and Organizations
74
C. Society of Alaskan Natural History
and Ethnology Constitutions
75
D. World Expostitions and Sheldon Jackson
77
E. All Known Repositories of Objects
Collected by Sheldon Jackson
78
Endnotes
79
Index
93
PREFACE
to Alaska. Other works mention Jackson's
Born in 1834 to staunch Presbyterian
parents, Sheldon Jackson decided
collections at Princeton University, his founding
of the Alaskan Society of Natural History and
at an early age to dedicate his life to
"doing the Lord's work." His
Ethnology, and the substantial collection of his
artifacts made for the Chicago's World
schooling, friendships, and goals
Colombian Exposition in 1893. However,
focused on that purpose, and after completing
his education at Princeton Theological Seminary many questions about Jackson's collecting
remain unanswered. As a staff member of the
he began a life-long career in Presbyterian
missions and education.
Sheldon Jackson Museum in Sitka, Alaska, I
was often frustrated by the glaring lack of
Jackson's life can be divided roughly
information on one ofJackson's most positive
into four phases which are linked directly to
and lasting contributions to societyhis
geographical regions: his youth and education on
the East Coast from 1834 to 1858; his early
collecting.
years in Oklahoma and Minnesota as circuit rider When, how, what, where, and why
and church pastor from 1859 to 1869; his years
Jackson collected were questions no one had
in Denver as Superintendent of Missions for the
clearly or completely answered. Historians Ted
Hinckley and Douglas Cole touch on Jackson's
Rocky Mountain Presbytery from 1870 to 1882;
collecting, primarily in the Pacific Northwest,
and his final years in Alaska as Superintendent of
Missions and General Agent of Education from
but neither cover his early collecting nor his
great Arctic acquisitions. This book examines
1884 to 1908.
each of these questions as well as the important
Two biographies have been written
and lasting impact ofJackson's changing
about Jackson along with numerous short pieces
methods and motives for collecting.
emphasizing either his mission and educational
work, or his part in the introduction of reindeer
Rosemary Carlton
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Donald Baird's insights and photocopies
Historical research and writing
of information on the Sheldon Jackson
can be accomplished only
Collection in Princeton's Museum of Natural
through team effort. I would
History were invaluable since the bulk of the
like to thank the following
collection and documentation had been put
"team members" who coached
into "dead storage" the year I started this
me through this seemingly endless project;
project.
Dr. Robert Griswold, my thesis advisor;
Peter Corey, for his recommendations and
Many thanks to the librarians, historians,
curators, and archivists of the Smithsonian
leads to resources around the country and
Institution, the Field Museum of Natural History,
critical readings of the initial drafts; Carolyn
the P.T. Barnum Museum, the Gardner House at
Young and other museum staff members for
their suggestions and corrections; and Irene
Brown University, the University of Michigan
Museum of Anthropology, the Bishop Museum,
Shuler for her computer expertise and
editing skills.
Westminister College of Salt Lake City, the Trans-
Susan Miller and Kristen Gleason of the
Mississippi Expo Historical Association, the
Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, the
Presbyterian Historical Society unearthed
Montgomery County Historical Society, and the
numerous Jackson materials held there
their
Kettleson Memorial Library. Special thanks to the
genuine interest in Sheldon Jackson matched my
Stratton Library at Sheldon Jackson College,
own. William 0. Harris and his staff at the Speer
particularly Nancy Ricketts and the Volunteers in
Library, Princeton Theological Seminary, took
Mission, who assisted my research in many ways.
time from their busy schedules to arrange for the
The helpful research suggestions and
microfilming oftheir Jackson holdings.
encouragement from Alaska historian Ted
Without the persistence of Kay Shelton and
Hinckley were gratefully appreciated.
the financial support of the Alaska State Library,
My children, Charlotte and Derek, put up
the Sheldon Jackson Papers housed at the Speer
with my disappearances to the library and
Library, Princeton Theological Seminary, might
computer room and three trips to Oklahoma to
not have been microfilmed and made available
complete the Master's program that fostered this
to Alaskan researchers. Gladi Kulp, India Spartz,
book. My friends gave unending support and
and others on the staff of the State Library gave
encouragement but special thanks goes to Gary
me special assistance during my research in
Juneau as well as through many letters and
Candelaria for assuring me I could write this
phone conversations.
book when I was not sure I could.
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CHAPTER 1
"Gatherers and Grabbers"
Alaska's Nineteenth Century Collectors
issionary, educator,
climate, geography, and natural resources, and
humanitarian, and collector,
collecting cultural objects from the people they
the Reverend Dr. Sheldon
encountered. Furs and examples of material
Jackson first came to Alaska
culture from the indigenous people of the
in 1877 to continue
Northwest and Alaska trickled back to the
Christianizing the Native peoples of America.
academic centers in Europe and North
While collecting was not Jackson's main
America. Excited and encouraged by these
purpose for being in Alaska, it became, at least
early finds, scholars and collectors continued
for anthropologists and Alaska Natives, one of
searching for materials to enrich their
the most important services he performed
collections and to answer long-standing
during his long and productive life. Jackson
questions about the indigenous people of the
was undoubtedly the most prodigious and
Americas.
important of amateur collectors in Alaska. His
By the mid-nineteenth century examples of
simple childhood habit of collecting plants and
Alaskan material culture could be found in
minerals developed into an adult passion for
various collections around the globe. Drawn to
gathering and exhibiting the material culture of
Alaska by military, business, humanitarian and
Alaska Natives.'
scientific interests, early collectors in the region
Jackson, of course, was not the first Euro-
were of three basic types. One group, mainly
American to gather Alaska Native artifacts, nor
traders, travelers, managers, and military
was he unaffected by the collecting efforts of
personnel posted in remote locations, gave little
his predecessors. The writings of Captain
thought to the accumulation and transference
James Cook, who had charted Alaska's waters,
of knowledge; these amateurs, indiscriminate
stimulated interest in the North Pacific and
grabbers of anything Native-made, gathered
prompted other Europeans to explore the
curios for personal pleasure or financial gain, or
area. Explorers, navigators, and traders such as
because they were asked to by institutions such
Robert Gray, George Vancouver, Jean La
as the Smithsonian. Many missionaries and
Perouse, and Alexander Baranov explored the
teachers working for Sheldon Jackson fell into
Northwest coast gathering information on
this category.
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A second group of collectors in Alaska
assimilating Alaska Natives into the American
mainstream. In Alaska for only a few months
was inspired by scientific ideals. Well-educated
and connected to leading museums, members
out of every year, Jackson relied heavily on
of this group concerned themselves with people stationed there year-round to supply
understanding Native peoples and with
him with artifacts for his collections. Since
neither Jackson nor his field workers had
preserving material culture. Naturalists William
Dall, Edward Nelson, and John Murdoch,
formal training in anthropology, natural history
or museum work, the resulting collections were
Smithsonian representative James Swan and
amateur ethnologist Lt. George Thornton
rather haphazard as well as inadequately
Emmons were among those who realized that
documented.
aboriginal cultures were changing and felt
While Jackson respected scientists and even
compelled to collect before these cultures
incorporated some scientific practices into his
vanished completely' own work, in reality he remained an amateur
with a great deal of interest in and enthusiasm
Farsighted collectors instituted a more
formal system of assembling objects than was
for collecting. Aware that indigenous cultures
practiced by the grabbers, with the best
could soon vanish or be dramatically altered by
example of organized collecting being the late
acculturation, Jackson assembled a magnificent
1890s Jesup Expedition. Sponsored by the
body of Alaskan materials. With many lesser
American Museum of Natural History and the
amateur collections just now coming back to
Imperial Russian Academy of Sciences, and
Alaska, it is significant that the bulk of Jackson's
staffed by anthropologists and scientists, the
extraordinary collection never left.
Jesup Expedition had enough financial backing
The story of collecting in Alaska is long
and complex, covering three centuries,
and expertise to systematically accumulate data
and objects from aboriginal groups throughout
hundreds of people, dozens of motives and
methods, and of course, dramatic cultural
Alaska and Siberia. Careful research and
collecting broadened scholars' understanding
changes. Whims of fate such as personality,
ofAlaska and Siberia's Native people and
timing and connections have made some
resulted in the transfer of huge collections of
collectors more successful than others. Single-
artifacts to museums on the East Coast and in
minded, ambitious, uncompromising, self-
Europe.'
assured, farsighted and caring, Sheldon Jackson
The third group of collectors in Alaska
was in the right places at the right times with
consisted of people who had a spiritual or
the right people. Although Jackson's primary
intellectual interest in Native populations and
mission in Alaska was to assimilate Native
who were aware of the importance of
populations into the dominant white culture, his
preserving aspects of rapidly changing cultures.
collecting efforts between 1877 and 1902
represent a significant effort to preserve the
Sheldon Jackson fit into this group, which
legacy of Alaska Natives during a period of
included missionaries, educators, business
people and government officials bent on
tumultuous change.'
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