Ruth Underhill
Encyclopedia
Ruth Murray Underhill was an American anthropologist. She was born in Ossining-on-the-Hudson, New York, and attended Vassar College
, graduating in 1905 with a degree in Language and Literature. In 1907, she graduated from the London School of Economics and began travelling throughout Europe. During World War I, she worked for an Italian Orphanage run by the Red Cross. After the war, she married Charles C. Crawford and published her first book The White Moth. Her marriage ended in 1929 and by 1930 she decided to go back to school to learn more about human behavior. After speaking with Franz Boas
and Ruth Benedict
in the Anthropology Department at Columbia University
, she decided to pursue the field, graduating in 1937. She wrote numerous books on Native Americans and helped to dispel many myths about their culture.
.
In 1919, Underhill was living in upstate New York, managing a farm, renting and remodeling houses and writing. In 1920, her first novel The White Moth, was published. In the same year, she married Charles C. Crawford. Their marriage ended nine years later. After her divorce, she decided to go back to school. Ruth describes her entry into Columbia University as "a search for something she could do to help humanity." After wandering from department to department, she found herself in Anthropology. It was there that she found the encouragement and direction she was seeking. Under Franz Boaz and Ruth Benedict
, Ruth began the study of anthropology and Native Americans. This led her to one of the earliest scientific studies of the Tohono O’odham of Arizona, a work that would establish Ruth Underhill in the profession. Because of her age, the Tohono O’odham allowed her to live with them for several summers, where she was able to study the women closely. She later wrote a book titled Autobiography of a Papago Woman, which chronicled the life of Maria Chona, an elderly member of the Tohono O’odham Nation.
After graduating from Columbia with her PhD in 1937, she began employment with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, then the Bureau of Indian Affairs
. She traveled around to various schools and taught the teachers what Native Americans were really like in order to improve curriculum and morale. She also assisted in negotiations between the BIA and Native American groups.
She continued to work for the government until 1949. Those years were quite productive for Dr. Underhill as she worked on education for American Indians and began to write and publish.
In 1949, Dr. Underhill accepted a position as Professor of Anthropology with the University of Denver
. After four years of teaching, she retired in order to travel. According to her oral histories, she stayed three months at a time in Israel, India and Israel. After traveling the world, she returned to Denver to teach, write and publish. One of her most popular books was Red Man’s America, originally published in 1953. In 1956, KRMA-TV produced a series of 30 documentary films which corresponded with the book and shared the same title. Each film focused on a specific region in North America and examined the native culture and people of that region.
In 1979, Underhill was honored by the Tohono O’odham Nation, for her work in preserving their past. On October 28, 1981, she was presented with an award from the Colorado River Indian Tribes
for her sincere, devoted and untiring effort in the gathering of information of their culture. On her 100th birthday in 1983, Colorado Governor Richard Lamm declared August 22 as Ruth Underhill Day. She died a year later on August 15.
Ethnobiology of the Papago Indians, with Edward Castetter, University of New Mexico Bulletin #275, 1935
Autobiography of a Papago Woman, 1936
Social Organization of the Papago Indians, 1937
Singing for Power, 1938
First Penthouse Dwellers of America, 1938
A Papago Calendar Record, University of New Mexico, 1938
Social Organization of the Papago Indians, Columbia University Press, 1939
Hawk Over Whirlpools (fiction), 1940
The Papago Indians of Arizona and their Relatives the Pima, 1941
"Papago Child Training," Marriage and Family Living, Nov. 1942
Pueblo Crafts, United States Indian Service, 1946
Papago Indian Religion, Columbia University Press, 1946
Workaday Life in the Pueblos, 1946
Indians of the Pacific Northwest, 1946
Ceremonial Patterns in the Greater Southwest, 1948
Red Man’s America, 1953
Here Come the Navajo!, circa 1934-1947
The Navajos, 1956
Religion Among American Indians, 1957
Beaverbird (fiction), 1959
Antelope Singer (fiction), 1961
Withdrawal as a Means of Dealing with the Supernatural, 1961
Red Man’s Religion, 1965
"The Papago Family," Comparative Family Systems, 1965
First Came the Family, 1967
So Many Kinds of Navajo, 1971
The Papago and Pima Indians of Arizona, 1979 (ISBN 0-910584-52-4)
Religious Practices of the Papago Indians, unknown publication date
Vassar College
Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...
, graduating in 1905 with a degree in Language and Literature. In 1907, she graduated from the London School of Economics and began travelling throughout Europe. During World War I, she worked for an Italian Orphanage run by the Red Cross. After the war, she married Charles C. Crawford and published her first book The White Moth. Her marriage ended in 1929 and by 1930 she decided to go back to school to learn more about human behavior. After speaking with Franz Boas
Franz Boas
Franz Boas was a German-American anthropologist and a pioneer of modern anthropology who has been called the "Father of American Anthropology" and "the Father of Modern Anthropology." Like many such pioneers, he trained in other disciplines; he received his doctorate in physics, and did...
and Ruth Benedict
Ruth Benedict
Ruth Benedict was an American anthropologist, cultural relativist, and folklorist....
in the Anthropology Department at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, she decided to pursue the field, graduating in 1937. She wrote numerous books on Native Americans and helped to dispel many myths about their culture.
Early life
Ruth Underhill was born in Ossining-on-the-Hudson, New York on August 22, 1883. There has been some discrepancy with her birth year, but a copy of her birth certificate and early census records indicate that she was born in this year. The oldest of four children, she was the healthiest and strongest of the three girls. Her brother, Robert L.M. Underhill became a well known mountaineer. She grew up attending Ossining School for Girls and her family took frequent camping trips to Europe. Following Ossining School for Girls, Ruth entered Vassar College in 1901 and also studied at the London School of Economics.Adult life
During World War I, Ruth Underhill began to write for newspapers and magazines while she traveled. Towards the end of the war, Ruth was employed as a social worker with the American Red Cross, Committee for Crippled and Disabled. In the summer of 1919, she was transferred to Civilian Relief and took charge of establishing orphanages in Italy. She also investigated child labor in Italy for the Rockefeller FoundationRockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
.
In 1919, Underhill was living in upstate New York, managing a farm, renting and remodeling houses and writing. In 1920, her first novel The White Moth, was published. In the same year, she married Charles C. Crawford. Their marriage ended nine years later. After her divorce, she decided to go back to school. Ruth describes her entry into Columbia University as "a search for something she could do to help humanity." After wandering from department to department, she found herself in Anthropology. It was there that she found the encouragement and direction she was seeking. Under Franz Boaz and Ruth Benedict
Ruth Benedict
Ruth Benedict was an American anthropologist, cultural relativist, and folklorist....
, Ruth began the study of anthropology and Native Americans. This led her to one of the earliest scientific studies of the Tohono O’odham of Arizona, a work that would establish Ruth Underhill in the profession. Because of her age, the Tohono O’odham allowed her to live with them for several summers, where she was able to study the women closely. She later wrote a book titled Autobiography of a Papago Woman, which chronicled the life of Maria Chona, an elderly member of the Tohono O’odham Nation.
After graduating from Columbia with her PhD in 1937, she began employment with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, then the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
. She traveled around to various schools and taught the teachers what Native Americans were really like in order to improve curriculum and morale. She also assisted in negotiations between the BIA and Native American groups.
She continued to work for the government until 1949. Those years were quite productive for Dr. Underhill as she worked on education for American Indians and began to write and publish.
In 1949, Dr. Underhill accepted a position as Professor of Anthropology with the University of Denver
University of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
. After four years of teaching, she retired in order to travel. According to her oral histories, she stayed three months at a time in Israel, India and Israel. After traveling the world, she returned to Denver to teach, write and publish. One of her most popular books was Red Man’s America, originally published in 1953. In 1956, KRMA-TV produced a series of 30 documentary films which corresponded with the book and shared the same title. Each film focused on a specific region in North America and examined the native culture and people of that region.
In 1979, Underhill was honored by the Tohono O’odham Nation, for her work in preserving their past. On October 28, 1981, she was presented with an award from the Colorado River Indian Tribes
Colorado River Indian Tribes
The Colorado River Indian Tribes is a geo-political unit consisting of the four distinct tribes associated with the Colorado River Indian Reservation: the Mohave, Chemehuevi, Hopi and Navajo. The combined tribe is governed by a council of nine members and overseen by a tribal Chairman, Secretary...
for her sincere, devoted and untiring effort in the gathering of information of their culture. On her 100th birthday in 1983, Colorado Governor Richard Lamm declared August 22 as Ruth Underhill Day. She died a year later on August 15.
Published works
The White Moth (fiction), 1920Ethnobiology of the Papago Indians, with Edward Castetter, University of New Mexico Bulletin #275, 1935
Autobiography of a Papago Woman, 1936
-
- (Originally published as Memoir 46 of the American Anthropological Association)
Social Organization of the Papago Indians, 1937
Singing for Power, 1938
First Penthouse Dwellers of America, 1938
A Papago Calendar Record, University of New Mexico, 1938
Social Organization of the Papago Indians, Columbia University Press, 1939
Hawk Over Whirlpools (fiction), 1940
The Papago Indians of Arizona and their Relatives the Pima, 1941
"Papago Child Training," Marriage and Family Living, Nov. 1942
Pueblo Crafts, United States Indian Service, 1946
Papago Indian Religion, Columbia University Press, 1946
Workaday Life in the Pueblos, 1946
Indians of the Pacific Northwest, 1946
Ceremonial Patterns in the Greater Southwest, 1948
Red Man’s America, 1953
Here Come the Navajo!, circa 1934-1947
The Navajos, 1956
Religion Among American Indians, 1957
Beaverbird (fiction), 1959
Antelope Singer (fiction), 1961
Withdrawal as a Means of Dealing with the Supernatural, 1961
Red Man’s Religion, 1965
"The Papago Family," Comparative Family Systems, 1965
First Came the Family, 1967
So Many Kinds of Navajo, 1971
The Papago and Pima Indians of Arizona, 1979 (ISBN 0-910584-52-4)
-
- (reprint of The Papago Indians of Arizona and their Relatives the Pima, 1941)
Religious Practices of the Papago Indians, unknown publication date