Gilbert Livingston Wilson
Encyclopedia
Gilbert Livingston Wilson (1869 – 1930) was an ethnographer and a Presbyterian minister. He and his brother recorded the lives of three Hidatsa
family members; Buffalo-Bird-Woman, her brother Henry Wolf Chief, and her son Edward Goodbird. Wlison’s extensive and detailed writings remain an important source of information for historians, anthropologists, as well as the Hidatsa people.
, in 1869. He earned a bachelors degree from Princeton Theological Seminary
in 1899 after graduating from Wittenberg College, and was ordained a Presbyterian minister in Moorhead, Minnesota
. He then returned to Wittenberg and earned a master’s degree. In 1902, he became a pastor in Mandan, North Dakota
. Wilson was excited to live near Native Americans, as he enjoyed studying Indian life and folklore, and aspired to write sympathetic children’s books which accurately depicted Indian life and customs. Wilson married Ada Myers of Springfield in 1909 and had one child, who died suddenly in early adulthood. Later in life, Wilson was both a pastor in Stillwater, Minnesota
, as well as a professor of anthropology at Macalester College
in Saint Paul, where he also served as pastor.
Wilson’s career as an ethnographer began when he visited the Sioux
at Standing Rock Reservation in 1905. Two books came out of this early work; The Iktomi Myth (1906) and Indian Hero Tales (1907). The next year, Gilbert and his brother Frederick would visit the elderly Hidatsa woman, Buffalo-Bird-Woman, at Fort Berthold Reservation
in North Dakota. This began in earnest Wilson’s careful documentation of Hidatsa life. In following years, he would include other family members of Buffalo-Bird-Woman in his scholarship, most prominently her brother Henry Wolf Chief and her son Edward Goodbird. Wilson was also adopted into the Prairie Chicken Clan as a son to Buffalo-Bird-Woman and a brother to Edward in 1909.
Among the many published works (some posthumously) that came out of this relationship, were the ethnographic works; Agriculture of the Hidatsa: An Indian Interpretation (1917), The Horse and Dog in Hidatsa Culture (1924), Hidatsa Eagle Trapping (1929), The Hidatsa Earthlodge (1934) and the children’s books; Myths of the Red Children (1907) and Indian Hero Tales (1916). He also published Buffalo-Bird-Woman’s and Goodbird’s autobiography in Waheene: an Indian Girl’s Story, Told by Herself and Goodbird, the Indian.
Early in Wilson’s work at Fort Berthold, he generated great controversy when he bought the Waterbuster clan medicine bundle
from Wolf Chief, who converted to Christianity and was wary of shouldering the responsibility of bundle ownership. Wilson then sold the bundle to a wealthy New York collector, which angered many Hidatsa, especially those from the Waterbuster clan, as well as the curator of the State Historical Society of North Dakota
who tried to bar Wilson from the reservation. However, Wilson’s adopted family supported him and allowed him to continue his research,
As a student of Alfred Jenks, Wilson became a doctoral candidate in anthropology at the University of Minnesota in 1910. He received his degree in 1916 with his dissertation, Agriculture of the Hidatsa: An Indian Interpretation, This work is a classic of northern Plains ethnography, and is still used by scholars today to gain insights into traditional Hidatsa farming practices.
Wilson died on June 8, 1930, and his wife donated his works to the Minnesota Historical Society
.
“Among the Hidatsa I was taken down another peg. The Reverend Gilbert L. Wilson was neither particularly cultivated nor in any sense intellectual, but he was a superb observer. In the recording of ethnographic detail…I, the trained ethnologist, could not begin to compete with him.” -Robert Lowie
“The Wilson collections of Hidatsa Indian ethnographic materials… are unusual among U.S. museum collections for Plains Indian tribes in terms of size, comprehensiveness, and documentation.”
As is demonstrated by the above quotes, Gilbert Wilson was an astute observer, sensitive and talented writer, as well as a thorough and indefatigable researcher. His research used what was then considered state of the art methods, such as comprehensive notes and material samples, extensive photography and scetches, along with sound recordings on wax cylinders, and he was also one of the earliest practitioners of biographical anthropology with American Indians, although this is largely overlooked. According to Claude Lévi-Strauss, Wilson “had the inspired idea of letting his informants talk freely, and of respecting the harmonious and spontaneous fusion, in their stories, anecdotes, and meditation..."
Beyond practicing relatively enlightened and sensitive anthropology, Wilson also left an enormous record of published writings, notes, photos, and letters. This has been a boon to historians, archaeologists and other anthropologists interested in past cultures, as well as the Hidatsa people themselves, who after more than a century of systematic assimilation
, can have a material record to compliment what still exists in their collective oral literature.
1904 Indian Legends. Woman’s Home Companion 31: 47-48
1906 The Iktomi Myth. Collections of the State Historical Society of North Dakota 1: 474-475
1907 Myths of the Red Children. Illus. Frederick N. Wilson. Ginn & Co. Boston, MA.
1916 Indian Hero Tales. Illus. Frederick N. Wilson. American Book Co. New York, NY.
1917 Agriculture of the Hidatsa Indians: An Indian Interpretation. Studies in the Social Sciences, No. 9. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
1924 The Horse and Dog in Hidatsa Culture. Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History 15: 125-311.
1926 Hidatsa Eagle Trapping. Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History 30: 99-245.
1934 The Hidatsa Earthlodge. Ed. Bella Weitzner. Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History 33: 341-420.
Hidatsa
The Hidatsa are a Siouan people, a part of the Three Affiliated Tribes. The Hidatsa's autonym is Hiraacá. According to the tribal tradition, the word hiraacá derives from the word "willow"; however, the etymology is not transparent and the similarity to mirahací ‘willows’ inconclusive...
family members; Buffalo-Bird-Woman, her brother Henry Wolf Chief, and her son Edward Goodbird. Wlison’s extensive and detailed writings remain an important source of information for historians, anthropologists, as well as the Hidatsa people.
Life and work
Gilbert Wilson was born in Springfield, OhioSpringfield, Ohio
Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River, Buck Creek and Beaver Creek, approximately west of Columbus and northeast of Dayton. Springfield is home to Wittenberg...
, in 1869. He earned a bachelors degree from Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary is a theological seminary of the Presbyterian Church located in the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey in the United States...
in 1899 after graduating from Wittenberg College, and was ordained a Presbyterian minister in Moorhead, Minnesota
Moorhead, Minnesota
Moorhead is a city in Clay County, Minnesota, United States, and the largest city in northwest Minnesota. The population was 38,065 at the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Clay County....
. He then returned to Wittenberg and earned a master’s degree. In 1902, he became a pastor in Mandan, North Dakota
Mandan, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,718 people, 6,647 households, and 4,553 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,642.8 per square mile . There were 6,958 housing units at an average density of 683.7 per square mile...
. Wilson was excited to live near Native Americans, as he enjoyed studying Indian life and folklore, and aspired to write sympathetic children’s books which accurately depicted Indian life and customs. Wilson married Ada Myers of Springfield in 1909 and had one child, who died suddenly in early adulthood. Later in life, Wilson was both a pastor in Stillwater, Minnesota
Stillwater, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,143 people, 5,797 households, and 4,115 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,340.0 people per square mile . There were 5,926 housing units at an average density of 915.7 per square mile...
, as well as a professor of anthropology at Macalester College
Macalester College
Macalester College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was founded in 1874 as a Presbyterian-affiliated but nonsectarian college. Its first class entered September 15, 1885. The college is located on a campus in a historic residential neighborhood...
in Saint Paul, where he also served as pastor.
Wilson’s career as an ethnographer began when he visited the Sioux
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
at Standing Rock Reservation in 1905. Two books came out of this early work; The Iktomi Myth (1906) and Indian Hero Tales (1907). The next year, Gilbert and his brother Frederick would visit the elderly Hidatsa woman, Buffalo-Bird-Woman, at Fort Berthold Reservation
Fort Berthold Reservation
The Fort Berthold Indian Reservation is a U.S. Indian reservation in western North Dakota that is home for the federally recognized Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, also known as the Three Affiliated Tribes...
in North Dakota. This began in earnest Wilson’s careful documentation of Hidatsa life. In following years, he would include other family members of Buffalo-Bird-Woman in his scholarship, most prominently her brother Henry Wolf Chief and her son Edward Goodbird. Wilson was also adopted into the Prairie Chicken Clan as a son to Buffalo-Bird-Woman and a brother to Edward in 1909.
Among the many published works (some posthumously) that came out of this relationship, were the ethnographic works; Agriculture of the Hidatsa: An Indian Interpretation (1917), The Horse and Dog in Hidatsa Culture (1924), Hidatsa Eagle Trapping (1929), The Hidatsa Earthlodge (1934) and the children’s books; Myths of the Red Children (1907) and Indian Hero Tales (1916). He also published Buffalo-Bird-Woman’s and Goodbird’s autobiography in Waheene: an Indian Girl’s Story, Told by Herself and Goodbird, the Indian.
Early in Wilson’s work at Fort Berthold, he generated great controversy when he bought the Waterbuster clan medicine bundle
Medicine bundle
A medicine bundle is a wrapped package used by Native Americans for religious purposes. A package of this type can also be referred to as a medicine bag. Medicine bundles are usually employed as a ritual aid in Shamanistic religions...
from Wolf Chief, who converted to Christianity and was wary of shouldering the responsibility of bundle ownership. Wilson then sold the bundle to a wealthy New York collector, which angered many Hidatsa, especially those from the Waterbuster clan, as well as the curator of the State Historical Society of North Dakota
State Historical Society of North Dakota
The State Historical Society of North Dakota is an agency that preserves and presents history through museums and historic sites in the state of North Dakota...
who tried to bar Wilson from the reservation. However, Wilson’s adopted family supported him and allowed him to continue his research,
As a student of Alfred Jenks, Wilson became a doctoral candidate in anthropology at the University of Minnesota in 1910. He received his degree in 1916 with his dissertation, Agriculture of the Hidatsa: An Indian Interpretation, This work is a classic of northern Plains ethnography, and is still used by scholars today to gain insights into traditional Hidatsa farming practices.
Wilson died on June 8, 1930, and his wife donated his works to the Minnesota Historical Society
Minnesota Historical Society
The Minnesota Historical Society is a private, non-profit educational and cultural institution dedicated to preserving the history of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was founded by the territorial legislature in 1849, almost a decade before statehood. The Society is named in the Minnesota...
.
Legacy
"[Hidatsa Eagle Trapping is] one of the finest masterpieces in all anthropological literature." -Claude Lévi-StraussClaude Lévi-Strauss
Claude Lévi-Strauss was a French anthropologist and ethnologist, and has been called, along with James George Frazer, the "father of modern anthropology"....
“Among the Hidatsa I was taken down another peg. The Reverend Gilbert L. Wilson was neither particularly cultivated nor in any sense intellectual, but he was a superb observer. In the recording of ethnographic detail…I, the trained ethnologist, could not begin to compete with him.” -Robert Lowie
Robert Lowie
Robert Harry Lowie was an Austrian-born American anthropologist. An expert on North American Indians, he was instrumental in the development of modern anthropology.-Biography:...
“The Wilson collections of Hidatsa Indian ethnographic materials… are unusual among U.S. museum collections for Plains Indian tribes in terms of size, comprehensiveness, and documentation.”
As is demonstrated by the above quotes, Gilbert Wilson was an astute observer, sensitive and talented writer, as well as a thorough and indefatigable researcher. His research used what was then considered state of the art methods, such as comprehensive notes and material samples, extensive photography and scetches, along with sound recordings on wax cylinders, and he was also one of the earliest practitioners of biographical anthropology with American Indians, although this is largely overlooked. According to Claude Lévi-Strauss, Wilson “had the inspired idea of letting his informants talk freely, and of respecting the harmonious and spontaneous fusion, in their stories, anecdotes, and meditation..."
Beyond practicing relatively enlightened and sensitive anthropology, Wilson also left an enormous record of published writings, notes, photos, and letters. This has been a boon to historians, archaeologists and other anthropologists interested in past cultures, as well as the Hidatsa people themselves, who after more than a century of systematic assimilation
Cultural assimilation
Cultural assimilation is a socio-political response to demographic multi-ethnicity that supports or promotes the assimilation of ethnic minorities into the dominant culture. The term assimilation is often used with regard to immigrants and various ethnic groups who have settled in a new land. New...
, can have a material record to compliment what still exists in their collective oral literature.
Selected publications
1903 Little Ugly Boy and the Bear; and, The Rainbow Snake. Mandan, ND.1904 Indian Legends. Woman’s Home Companion 31: 47-48
1906 The Iktomi Myth. Collections of the State Historical Society of North Dakota 1: 474-475
1907 Myths of the Red Children. Illus. Frederick N. Wilson. Ginn & Co. Boston, MA.
1916 Indian Hero Tales. Illus. Frederick N. Wilson. American Book Co. New York, NY.
1917 Agriculture of the Hidatsa Indians: An Indian Interpretation. Studies in the Social Sciences, No. 9. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
1924 The Horse and Dog in Hidatsa Culture. Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History 15: 125-311.
1926 Hidatsa Eagle Trapping. Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History 30: 99-245.
1934 The Hidatsa Earthlodge. Ed. Bella Weitzner. Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History 33: 341-420.