Post by emilylevine on May 29, 2009 18:03:35 GMT -5
Hello. I am Emily Levine---from Nebraska. I am a horticulturist and a historian who has been a student of Great Plains native history and culture since childhood.
You may know me from my edition of the Bettelyoun/Waggoner manuscript, With My Own Eyes: A Lakota Woman Tells Her People's History.
Currently, I am working on editing another manuscript by Josephine Waggoner. This one consists of two sections (My Land, My People, My Story and Lives of the Chiefs). I have been given original holographic and typescript materials, poems, and photographs by Josephine's family and entrusted to do this work. I feel a heavy responsibility, but it is a great honor and privilege. I hope to do her justice. The last book took ten years of evenings and weekends; I hope to have this one done sooner---especially as some of the family members are quite elderly. Right now the manuscript is over 400 pages plus over 100 pages of my explanatory notes. Because I have a "regular" job, this work must fit in around that.
I discovered this forum while conducting research for the notes---and the LBHA boards as well. I cannot express how meaningful this forum has become for me, a lifeline to a community as I work on Waggoner's book.
I am so impressed by the knowledge to be found here. You all know so much it blows me away. And the willingness to share is extraordinary. Also, the kind and courteous demeanor, even in the face of sometimes ignorant or misinformed people, is a pleasant change from other forums where there is a degeneration into nastiness that I just can't stand. But here, it seems that everyone is helping each other learn.
I am especially taken by the make up of the members; the interchange between native and Anglo/European/American. My experience has been that there is at times an unnecessary (albeit, sometimes understandable) breakdown between native and non native in this sort of endeavor. The recent exchange between Aurelia, Ephriam, Kingsley, and Dietmar in the Sans Arc thread is an example of of this spirit. Honestly, it kind of chokes me up. Each group--and those who belong to both--has so much to offer. Each group possesses necessary information, vital to obtain a full whole view.
I like the European input and have not felt any of the romaticizing of Indians that sometimes can be found especially there.
I have not had time to look at much besides the L/Dakota threads and the general info, but I imagine there's just as much impressive material and good spirit. Jinlian's Crow stuff is really something.
There are times when I think to share a source I use or have recently discovered, but I fear you all probably already know about it. I do want to share. And there are discussions on these boards that call out for Waggoner's voice (via her manuscript), but I am leery of just cutting and pasting and posting her words out of concern for her and her family. She has been ripped off a lot and once something is out there in the internet ether, there's no way to control how other people will use it. I'm not thinking of members here, but those who might just stumble onto it. I am very protective of her work. That said, I have and will continue to post small bits of info from her, and certainly if anyone has any specific questions or is looking for specific info, let me know and I'll see if there is anything in the manuscript to pass along.
Conversely, I have read a lot of useful information here and would like to use some of it, so I may be contacting individual members to obtain permission. I am also generating a list of questions to post here that have arisen doing my research on the explanatory notes. I hope you all can help me out on some things.
I am especially in awe of the photographs that members have located and posted! I thought I had a fairly broad knowledge, and am surprised by how much more is out there than what I knew about. I sure wish folks would cite the sources of their photographs (as well and written material).
I realize this is not much of an introduction of myself, but more of a rambling gush about the forum...
I've been a groundskeeper most of my adult life...quit for a while and went to school where I got a degree in Great Plains Studies (I'm a Prairie Girl...), spent 3 years working in the archives at the Nebraska State Historical Society, but had to get back outside.
I'm sending Dietmar a photo of me to post with this; it's me at Kadlecek's ranch on Beaver Creek in the beautiful Pine Ridge country of northwest Nebraska. (Yes, I'm making a scowling "don't take my picture face).
Thanks to all of you for what you have built here.
Mitakuye oyasin
Emily
You may know me from my edition of the Bettelyoun/Waggoner manuscript, With My Own Eyes: A Lakota Woman Tells Her People's History.
Currently, I am working on editing another manuscript by Josephine Waggoner. This one consists of two sections (My Land, My People, My Story and Lives of the Chiefs). I have been given original holographic and typescript materials, poems, and photographs by Josephine's family and entrusted to do this work. I feel a heavy responsibility, but it is a great honor and privilege. I hope to do her justice. The last book took ten years of evenings and weekends; I hope to have this one done sooner---especially as some of the family members are quite elderly. Right now the manuscript is over 400 pages plus over 100 pages of my explanatory notes. Because I have a "regular" job, this work must fit in around that.
I discovered this forum while conducting research for the notes---and the LBHA boards as well. I cannot express how meaningful this forum has become for me, a lifeline to a community as I work on Waggoner's book.
I am so impressed by the knowledge to be found here. You all know so much it blows me away. And the willingness to share is extraordinary. Also, the kind and courteous demeanor, even in the face of sometimes ignorant or misinformed people, is a pleasant change from other forums where there is a degeneration into nastiness that I just can't stand. But here, it seems that everyone is helping each other learn.
I am especially taken by the make up of the members; the interchange between native and Anglo/European/American. My experience has been that there is at times an unnecessary (albeit, sometimes understandable) breakdown between native and non native in this sort of endeavor. The recent exchange between Aurelia, Ephriam, Kingsley, and Dietmar in the Sans Arc thread is an example of of this spirit. Honestly, it kind of chokes me up. Each group--and those who belong to both--has so much to offer. Each group possesses necessary information, vital to obtain a full whole view.
I like the European input and have not felt any of the romaticizing of Indians that sometimes can be found especially there.
I have not had time to look at much besides the L/Dakota threads and the general info, but I imagine there's just as much impressive material and good spirit. Jinlian's Crow stuff is really something.
There are times when I think to share a source I use or have recently discovered, but I fear you all probably already know about it. I do want to share. And there are discussions on these boards that call out for Waggoner's voice (via her manuscript), but I am leery of just cutting and pasting and posting her words out of concern for her and her family. She has been ripped off a lot and once something is out there in the internet ether, there's no way to control how other people will use it. I'm not thinking of members here, but those who might just stumble onto it. I am very protective of her work. That said, I have and will continue to post small bits of info from her, and certainly if anyone has any specific questions or is looking for specific info, let me know and I'll see if there is anything in the manuscript to pass along.
Conversely, I have read a lot of useful information here and would like to use some of it, so I may be contacting individual members to obtain permission. I am also generating a list of questions to post here that have arisen doing my research on the explanatory notes. I hope you all can help me out on some things.
I am especially in awe of the photographs that members have located and posted! I thought I had a fairly broad knowledge, and am surprised by how much more is out there than what I knew about. I sure wish folks would cite the sources of their photographs (as well and written material).
I realize this is not much of an introduction of myself, but more of a rambling gush about the forum...
I've been a groundskeeper most of my adult life...quit for a while and went to school where I got a degree in Great Plains Studies (I'm a Prairie Girl...), spent 3 years working in the archives at the Nebraska State Historical Society, but had to get back outside.
I'm sending Dietmar a photo of me to post with this; it's me at Kadlecek's ranch on Beaver Creek in the beautiful Pine Ridge country of northwest Nebraska. (Yes, I'm making a scowling "don't take my picture face).
Thanks to all of you for what you have built here.
Mitakuye oyasin
Emily