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Dinosaurs And Indians: Paleontology Resource Dispossession From Sioux Lands
Fossils Collected From Sioux Lands: Who, What, When, & Where.
Along with all manner of European-American immigrants to North America’s Great Plains in the nineteenth century – farmers, miners, gamblers, soldiers, trappers, and many others – came hunters of dinosaur bones. Word had reached some of American archeology’s best-known names that a rich trove of ancient bones lay on Sioux (Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota) land. Paleontologists, including Othniel Charles Marsh (1831-1899), pioneer of American vertebrate paleontology, may have been illegally trespassing while exploring and collecting fossils on Indian lands. The search was on, and soon academic reputations were being built on fossils taken from Native lands and peoples, often without their consent. These fossil-collecting exploits helped build the foundation for the Peabody Museum of Yale University, and others, as the "golden age" of paleontology unfolded using fossil resources taken from Lakota lands and peoples. Lawrence W. Bradley, who was raised by an Oglala Lakota stepfather, brings this story to life from a Native point of view. This is fascinating reading, told the first time, as he calls for “a new concept of physical geography” that “exposes indigenous paleontology resource dispossession and allows paleontology to conscientiously advance into the twenty-first century.” Bruce E. Johansen Jacob J. Isaacson University Research Professor School of Communication and Native American Studies University of Nebraska at Omaha Johansen is the author of The Encyclopedia of the American Indian Movement (Greenwood, 2013), and other works.
Along with all manner of European-American immigrants to North America’s Great Plains in the nineteenth century – farmers, miners, gamblers, soldiers, trappers, and many others – came hunters of dinosaur bones. Word had reached some of American archeology’s best-known names that a rich trove of ancient bones lay on Sioux (Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota) land. Paleontologists, including Othniel Charles Marsh (1831-1899), pioneer of American vertebrate paleontology, may have been illegally trespassing while exploring and collecting fossils on Indian lands. The search was on, and soon academic reputations were being built on fossils taken from Native lands and peoples, often without their consent. These fossil-collecting exploits helped build the foundation for the Peabody Museum of Yale University, and others, as the "golden age" of paleontology unfolded using fossil resources taken from Lakota lands and peoples. Lawrence W. Bradley, who was raised by an Oglala Lakota stepfather, brings this story to life from a Native point of view. This is fascinating reading, told the first time, as he calls for “a new concept of physical geography” that “exposes indigenous paleontology resource dispossession and allows paleontology to conscientiously advance into the twenty-first century.” Bruce E. Johansen Jacob J. Isaacson University Research Professor School of Communication and Native American Studies University of Nebraska at Omaha Johansen is the author of The Encyclopedia of the American Indian Movement (Greenwood, 2013), and other works.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
286 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 3, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 10, 2020
In an incredibly well researched and well argued piece of scholarship, Bradly argues that vertebrae paleontology in the American West has, from its inception, been inexorably intertwined with native dispossession. Moreover he makes the point that these power relations not only built the foundations of elite institutions in the late 19th century, but that the practice of ignoring native sovereignty continues to recapitulate the accumulation of power today’s society. After detailing the 150 year history of bone extraction from reservations, the author does provide some legal grounding for a possibly more equitable relationship. As the book is the first edition it is somewhat outdated, and I would love to see where we are today, but overall this book is an absolute must read for fans of dinosaurs and political ecology alike.
February 22, 2019
A massively important and likely undervalued resource for anyone with even the faintest interest in paleontology and the culture of fossil hunting. Dr. Bradley details innumerable instances in which reputable museums, universities and government agencies knowingly and illegally removed invaluable fossil materials from Native American lands and Reservations. In his conclusion he offers guidance and possible solutions for building bridges between academic paleontology and empowerment and education of Native communities.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews