Tribalography and Education
The question of print culture raises questions about Winnemucca's rhetorics. Since she considered herself more well-spoken than well-written, and her culture circulated spoken stories rather than published them, how is her work a new form of representation for the Paiute tribe? Furthermore, how does her tribe's value always of the plural community over individual complicate her representation between cultures?
To some native people she has been considered a traitor, and to others a hero. The controversy over the naming of a school in Reno, NV caused her conception to be discussed.
Winnemucca, though, would intend for this writing itself to be about the piutes. (Pg. 5) On pages 14 and 15, she describes her culture with pride so that her audience may better understand her people. Religion is a strong consideration here, and the conflict between Western religion and native religion in her identity would have been apparent.
The ghost dance is discussed on pg. 18 and 19, and Sarah distanced herself from the movement.
Pages 22 and 23 refer to the people of her tribe as well. Eventually, Winnemucca opened a schoolhouse for native children of her community and home near Pyramid Lake, after so many difficulties faced by Paiutes because of the reservation system. She recognizes herself a part from her people, but always with them, like on pages 54 and 55.
To consider this work a tribalography, is to also consider it a work of activism in education. Sarah wanted her people to receive a western education strictly in a native context, rather than assimilationist.
The Peabody sisters, Sarah's feminist friends, were essential to this activist work. Elizabeth Peabody, the woman who befriended Sarah just before this work, funded her school. The school in Reno was, after all, named after Winnemucca.The pages of the Winnemucca selection, Chapters 1 and 2, are laid out here for reference. If you need to, you may click any one of them to "turn" to that page at any time. Because, this little note will be in each page of the Winnemucca path!
Title Page, Table of Contents, Page 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57
