Electa Quinney: Stockbridge Teacher

by Karyn Saemann

Electa Quinney loved to learn. Growing up in the early 1800s in New York, she went to some of the best boarding schools. There she learned how to read, write, and solve tough math problems―she even learned how to do needlework. Electa decided early on that she wanted to become a teacher so she could pass her knowledge on to others. But life wasn’t simple. Electa was a Stockbridge Indian, and her tribe was being pressured by the government and white settlers to move out of the state. So in 1828, Electa and others in her tribe moved to Wisconsin. Almost as soon as she arrived, Electa got to work again, teaching in a log building that also served as the local church. In that small school in the woods, Electa became Wisconsin’s very first public school teacher, educating the children of Stockbridge-Munsee Band of the Mohican Indians as well as the sons and daughters of nearby white settlers and missionaries. Electa’s life provides a detailed window onto pioneer Wisconsin and discusses the challenges and issues faced by American Indians in the nineteenth century. Through it all, Electa’s love of learning stands out, and her legacy as Wisconsin’s first public school teacher makes her an inspiration to students of today.

Genres: Biography

112 pages, Paperback

First published March 4, 2014

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I would give the book 5 stars for topic, I would have to give it 1 for execution. Biographies of indigenous women are few and far between, especially for younger readers, so I was thrilled to learn about Quinney. In the 1820's she was the first public school teacher in the territory that would eventually become the state of Wisconsin. The school, which was funded by the Stockbridge, was open to all children and offered instruction in math, reading, geography, public speaking among other things. While I understand that there is very little written documentation about Quinney's life, I feel a lot of the book of was given over to topics that weren't very relevant. I also felt the destructive role of the U.S government in indigenous affairs was downplayed to such an extent that it (and a few other things) made me uncomfortable with the author as a reliable source.

[Sherri · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a good biography for young readers readability. However, with adult eyes the content seemed off topic and redundant as a biography for Quinney. Since there are many holes in her biography for lack of evidence; most content was conjecture or of people in her realm. Also, the government involvement of Indian affairs was mentioned but almost an aside that a young reader would not grasp the challenges of the relationship. As well as the internal struggle with the tribal leaders or the Civil War period. This does peak my interest for future reading on the topic someday.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This biography uses Electra Quinney's life to share information about a time in Wisconsin's early history. Much of the information about her comes from letters written to her. While there are gaps, the author is very clear about what is known and what is guesswork. This book seems intended for a younger audience (2nd-4th grade) and includes definitions of vocabulary words and name pronunciations at the bottom of pages.

[Colette! · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great subject of a fascinating life, though I had to give a side-eye for the way some of the controversial subjects were glossed over.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review Copy: Publisher

Last summer I attended the WI American Indian Studies Institute (http://readingtl.blogspot.com/2013/08...) and while I was there found out that the Wisconsin Historical Society was planning to publish this biography. Since I was able to visit the museum on the Mohican reservation and learn a little about Electa Quinney, I was eager to finally read the finished product. This is a great addition to the Badger Biographies series. I appreciate that the people chosen for the series are from so many different walks of life and there is a fairly even mix of male and females.

Though this may appear to be a book written only for Wisconsin readers, Electa was born in New York and the book traces the path she took to Wisconsin and then to Indian Territory and back again so it covers a lot of ground. Saemann explains the reasons for the movement of the Mohican Nation and the includes history of other nations as they were forcibly moved into the Indian Territory too. This book would be a great overview of American Indian history regardless of a reader's geographical location.

Another positive aspect of the book is how the author explains that, "Understanding Electa's life is like working on a jigsaw puzzle." This is a great analogy. The research that was done for the book helped to uncover some of the details of her life, but much is missing. Saemann fills in some of the missing pieces with possibilities, but lets the reader know when there are holes. I think students will benefit from knowing that we can't always "google" something and know all of the answers. Sometimes in history there are gaps that may never be filled.

Like the other books in this series, the layout of the book is much like a textbook. There are many photos and other images scattered throughout and the text has a sufficient amount of white space around it so that young readers won't be overwhelmed. There are also many words in bold text that include definitions at the bottom of the page.

Electa's childhood is explained in addition to her positive boarding school experience at a Quaker school. Included with this is a history of the Stockbridge tribe and its move to Wisconsin. Readers will find that the Stockbridge families were living in houses made of logs with barns and farms. Once Electa moved to Indian Territory, we also find out about the first Indian newspaper in the United States - The Cherokee Phoenix which was a bilingual paper. Details of this kind have the potential to challenge beliefs that readers may have about American Indians.

Electa Quinney seems to have been a woman who valued learning and teaching and I am glad we have this record of her life. More than that though, I am happy to see the broader history of the Mohican and Cherokee Nations that the book encompasses. This will be an excellent addition to libraries throughout Wisconsin and beyond. I am eager to share it with my staff and students.

Review originally posted at http://readingtl.blogspot.com/2014/04...

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting, quick read. (I think this is listed as being a children's book.) What a fascinating woman! Mentions lots of places around north-central Wisconsin.