The People of the Eye: Deaf Ethnicity and Ancestry

260 Pages·2016·3.13 MB·English

by  Harlan Lane

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"A valuable contribution to Deaf Studies and other fields, The People of the Eye
will certainly improve our understanding of humanity."
-Yerker Andersson, President Emeritus, World Federation of the Deaf
"A wonderful contribution that certainly makes a convincing case for Deaf
ethnicity."
-Dennis Cokely, Director, American Sign Language Program; Director, World
Languages Center, and Professor and Chair, Department of Languages,
Literatures and Cultures, Northeastern University
"Outright fascinating."
-Richard Eckert, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, University of
Wisconsin-Richland
"Elegant prose, meticulous research, and well-aimed quotes make a convincing
case for ethnicity. I especially enjoyed the spirited debate in the 'Yes, But'
section, which had me on the edge of my seat. The historical portrait of early
Deaf American life, which the authors painted so vividly, is sure to inform and
inspire many generations to come."
-Anna Mindess, Interpreter Educator, and author of Reading Between the Signs:
Intercultural Communication for Sign Language Interpreters
"The genealogical work in this book is groundbreaking. It goes beyond elite-
driven histories and shows a dense web of interconnections among grassroots
Deaf people. This book fundamentally alters our understanding of the origins of
the American Deaf community."
-Joseph Murray, Assistant Professor, Department of Deaf Studies, Gallaudet
University
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Series Editors
Marc Marschark
Patricia Elizabeth Spencer
A Lens on Deaf Identities
Irene W. Leigh
The World of Deaf Infants: A Longitudinal Study
Kathryn P. Meadow-Orlans, Patricia Elizabeth Spencer, and Lynn Sanford
Koester
Sign Language Interpreting and Interpreter Education: Directions for Research
and Practice
Edited by Marc Marschark, Rico Peterson, and Elizabeth A. Winston
Advances in the Sign Language Development of Deaf Children
Edited by Brenda Schick, Marc Marschark, and Patricia Elizabeth Spencer
Advances in the Spoken Language Development of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing
Children
Edited by Patricia Elizabeth Spencer and Marc Marschark
The Gestural Origin of Language
David F. Armstrong and Sherman E. Wilcox
Deaf Cognition: Foundations and Outcomes
Edited by Marc Marschark and Peter C. Hauser
The People of the Eye: Deaf Ethnicity and Ancestry
Harlan Lane, Richard C. Pillard, and Ulf Hedberg
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Harlan Lane
Richard C. Pillard
Ulf Hedberg
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On the nature of the Deaf:
"The deaf are ... first, last, and all the time the people of the eye."
-George Veditz (President, National Association of the Deaf, 1861-1937). Ninth
Convention of the National Association of the Deaf and Third World's Congress
of the Deaf, 1910. Philadelphia: Philocophus Press, 1912. p. 30.
On sign language and the Deaf:
"The topic that concerns you, gentlemen, rather than an ordinary medical issue
is, above all, a lofty question of humanity and civilization which requires deep
reflection, not only by doctors but by teachers, philosophers and scholars."
-Ferdinand Berthier (French Deaf leader and educator, 18031886). Observations
sur la mimique consideree dons ses rapports avec 1'enseignement des sourds-
muets. A M. le President et a Messieurs les Membres de I'Academie Imperiale
de Medecine. Paris: Martinet, 1853. (transl. H. Lane)
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List of Illustrations xiii
Acknowledgments xv
Introduction xvii
Part I: Ethnicity and the DeafWorld
1. Cultural Cohesive Forces 3
Language 3
Bonding to One's Kind 8
Cultural Rules and Values 10
Social Institutions 15
The Language Arts 17
The Visual Arts 20
History 20
Ethnic Territory 26
Kinship 28
Ancestry in the DeafWorld 30
Socialization 32
2. Ethnic Boundaries 34
Outside Forces 34
Inside Forces 35
Multiethnicity 40
Summary 41
3. Yes, But 45
On Assimilation 45
On Deaf Bodies 46
On Socialization 49
On Other Challenges to Deaf Ethnicity 49
On Scholarly Recognition 51
On Disability 52
On Deaf Diversity and American Pluralism 56
Notes to Part I 59
Part II: Deaf Ancestry: Henniker, NH, and Martha's Vineyard, MA
4. Context: Settling the New World 81
5. The Brown Family of Henniker, NH 89
6. Martha's Vineyard 97
Vineyard Lineages 97
A Kentish Enclave 101
Life and Marriage on Martha's Vineyard 103
7. Assimilating and Differentiating Societies 106
The Bali Example: Desa Kolok 109
Notes to Part II 110
Part III: Deaf Ancestry in Maine-Northern Cluster
8. Migration from Martha's Vineyard to Maine 123
The Smith-Parkhurst Clan 124
The Davis Clan 125
The Newcomb Clan 126
The Smith-Hinckley Clan 127
The Sebec Lovejoys 127
The Samuel Allen Clan 128
9. Other Settlers in the Northern Cluster 131
The Jellison Clan 131
The Jack Clan 132
The Berry Clan 133
The Lovejoy Clan 135
Where Deaf People Lived 138
Notes to Part III 140
Part IV: Deaf Ancestry in Maine-Southern Cluster
10. Southern Cluster 147
The Rogers-Holmes Clan 147
The Badger-Boardwin-Brown-Glidden Clan 147
The Campbell Clan 149
The CurtisRowe Clan 151
Notes to Part IV 160
Part V: Deaf Ancestry: Summary and Reflections
Summary 163
Reflections 165
Notes to Part V 168
Appendices
Appendix A. Briefly Noted Lineages 171
Appendix B. What the Pedigrees Reveal about Genetic Transmission 179
Appendix C. Pedigree Methods 182
Appendix D. Every Name Index to Pedigrees at Our Website 187
Notes to the Appendices 234
Figures 2 through 17 237
Index 261
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Figure 1 Thomas Brown portrait
Figure 2 Brown pedigree
Figure 3 Tilton pedigree
Figure 4 Mayhew pedigree
Figure 5 Skiffe pedigree
Figure 6 Smith-Parkhurst pedigree
Figure 7 Lambert pedigree
Figure 8 Newcomb pedigree
Figure 9 Allen pedigree
Figure 10 Jellison pedigree