"A Better and Surer Food Supply": Promoting Foodways in the US Federal Education System for Alaska Natives, ca. 1884-1960
Author(s): mark cassell
Year: 2018
Summary
The Alaska Organic Act of 1884 established federal civil administration for the new American colony ceded by Russia in 1867. A key provision concerned the education of Alaska Natives: "The Secretary of the Interior shall make provision for the education of the children of school age in Alaska, without reference to race". The federal education system for Alaska Natives, directed by missionaries after 1884, the US Bureau of Education after 1905, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs after 1931, strived to bring American civilization to Natives, because "They are a race worth saving". Influencing Native foodways was a key element of this goal; for missionaries and federal administrators, foodways were linked with the broader program for the health and well-being of Native individuals, families, and villages. Using data gathered from the National Archives, mission and federal reports, and teacher memoirs, this paper examines institutional efforts to manage Alaska Native foodways.
Cite this Record
"A Better and Surer Food Supply": Promoting Foodways in the US Federal Education System for Alaska Natives, ca. 1884-1960. mark cassell. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, New Orleans, Louisiana. 2018 ( tDAR id: 441380)
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Keywords
General
Alaska Native
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Education
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US colonization
Geographic Keywords
North America
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United States of America
Temporal Keywords
1867-1960
Spatial Coverage
min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;
Individual & Institutional Roles
Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology
Record Identifiers
PaperId(s): 800