The Voice of the Dawn: An Autohistory of the Abenaki Nation - Softcover

Wiseman, Frederick Matthew

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1584650591 ISBN 13: 9781584650591

Publisher: University Press of New England, 2001

Synopsis

[My] story is a sash woven of many strands of language. The first strand is the remembered wisdom of the Abenaki community. The second strand is our history and that of our relatives, written down by European, Native American, and Euroamerican observers. The third strand is what our Mother the Earth has revealed to us through the studies and writings of those who delve in her, the archaeologists and paleoecologists. The fourth strand is my own family history and its stories. The fifth strand is, of course, that which has come to me alone, stories which I create with my own beliefs and visions."""" So begins the first book about Abenaki history and culture written from the inside. Frederick Matthew Wiseman's extensive research and personal engagement breathe life into Voice of the Dawn, making it truly unique. Colin Calloway, Chair of Native American Studies at Dartmouth College, writes, """"Going beyond all previous works on the Abenakis, Wiseman draws on family and community knowledge in a way that none of those authors could, speaks from an avowedly Abenaki perspective, and addresses aspects and issues ignored in other works. Moreover, no one that I know of has done as much work in locating and regathering items of Western Abenaki material culture. The quality and quantity of illustrations alone make this an attractive book, as well as a valuable visual record of change and persistence over time. As someone personally and pivotally involved in the Abenaki renaissance, Wiseman brings the story up to date without closing it.

About this title

Product Description:

Rare book

Review:

Choice"

Vermont History"

Historical New Hampshire"

Paradoxa 15"

Wiseman's synthesis of widely accepted archaeology with an innovative interpretive scheme centered on the Wabanaki is welcome and convincing. Choice"

Readers looking for extensive and subtle discussions of prehistoric artifacts in the region will find this to be a useful addition to their libraries. Wiseman's use of some oral histories, native philosophy, personal reflection, and quotations for native scholars and tribal historians is refreshing and long overdue. Vermont History"

Wiseman's book offers the reader a well-told story of natural and human history but it is his discussion of the connection of all this history to commonplace aspects of modern life that is particularly compelling. Wiseman confronts the reader with the connections among history, land, and the conditions of modern Abenaki communities, and challenges the reader to think about these connections . . . Wiseman's The Voice of the Dawn is essential reading for a student of regional history or archaelogy and is likely to challenge its readers' way of thinking. Historical New Hampshire"

It is hard to imagine someone more qualified to undertake this project than Wiseman. An Abenaki raised in Vermont and an academic trained in archeology, he is able to provide both an insider s view of Abenaki life and a scholarly assessment of the archeological and ethnohistorical record. Moreover, since 1988 he has participated in Abenaki politics and activism, making him one of the few writers qualified to describe the Vermont tribe s political resurgence. Paradoxa 15"

"Wiseman's synthesis of widely accepted archaeology with an innovative interpretive scheme centered on the Wabanaki is welcome and convincing."-- "Choice"

"Readers looking for extensive and subtle discussions of prehistoric artifacts in the region will find this to be a useful addition to their libraries. Wiseman's use of some oral histories, native philosophy, personal reflection, and quotations for native scholars and tribal historians is refreshing and long overdue."-- "Vermont History" (1/1/2006 12:00:00 AM)

About this edition

• Publisher: University Press of New England
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 1584650591
• ISBN 13: 9781584650591
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 328