This lesson examines the beginnings of conservation in the United States and the related growth of naturalism and museum collecting. It also considers how early preservation goals and collecting practices reflected the priorities of their time.
In the 19th century, people in Europe and America increasingly recognized that settlement and resource exploitation were destroying or endangering animals, plants, and important environments. Beginning in the 1860s, efforts arose to understand and protect remaining natural landscapes and habitats.
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Naturalism
An approach that seeks to understand the world and its laws through direct observation of nature.
Salvage anthropology
Historical efforts to collect Indigenous cultural objects and knowledge from peoples researchers wrongly believed were disappearing.
Research conducted with connected communities can support cultural recovery and guide how records are interpreted and shared.
Interpretive perspective
A researcher’s background and assumptions can shape the questions, evidence, and conclusions in an account of the past.
Quiz questions
What was salvage anthropology?Answer: Efforts to collect Indigenous cultural materials and knowledge from peoples believed to be at risk of cultural disappearance.
Why did many anthropologists study Indigenous languages?Answer: Language study could reveal word meanings, cultural contexts, and aspects of a community’s worldview.
How did Leonard J. Frachtenberg help Oregon tribes pursue treaty payments?Answer: He helped George Wasson locate copies of unratified treaties in the National Archives.
What did Henry Zenk and Jedd Schrock do with Melville Jacobs’s Kalapuya notebooks?Answer: They translated the notebooks and published Louis Kenoyer’s reminiscences with the Grand Ronde tribe.
How can Indigenous collaboration improve museum interpretation?Answer: It can correct misunderstandings, add cultural context, and inform display decisions.
Based on Introduction to Anthropology by Jennifer Hasty, David G. Lewis, Marjorie M. Snipes (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.