Mary "Agnes" Vanderburg (1901–1989) was a Native American teacher, translator and author. She was descended from Selish Indians on the Flathead Reservation in the US state of Montana.
Agnes Vanderburg | |
|---|---|
 Agnes Vanderburg in Arlee, Montana in 1979 | |
| Born | 1901 Arlee |
| Died | 1989 |
| Occupation | teacher |
| Nationality | American |
Life
editShe was born near Arlee in 1901.[1] She was descended from Salish Indians on the Flathead Reservation in the US state of Montana. In 1920 she and Jerome Stanislaus Vanderburg married and they operated a farm near Arlee. They had a son named Joe and another son Eneas was born while she and her husband were away hunting.[2]
Her husband died in 1974 and as a widow she began "culture camp" ( Culture Camp ) in the place where she had been born which was called Valley Creek. The camp was established in 1981[3] and it ran each summer and native American children would learn about their culture and traditions.[4] The camp ran for years and it was documented by a folklorist named Kay Young who witnessed Vanderburg preparing, cooking and eating Camus roots.[4] The cooking of the plants takes three days and skill is required to pick the plant as there is a very similar and toxic variety.[5]
The reservation had "No Trespassing" signs but still children who were not just Native Americans were attracted to Vanderburg's tented camp. Some visitors were in Winnebagos and Vanderburg had her own trailer. Crafts would use modern glues where they were effective, but there was no running water or electricity. At the camp you could learn how to decorate buckskin and what were the traditional uses of native plants. Without advertising, she and the camp became better known.[6]
Awards and legacy
editThe Montana Governor's Arts Award in 1983 was given to Vanderburg in the award's Folk & Traditional Art category.[7] The Smithsonian Institution has noted her contributions. The summer camp that she founded is now called the "Agnes Vanderburg Camp". It is organised by Salish Kootenai College as part of their courses in Native American Studies. The skills taught include basket weaving, beading, dyeing, traditional jewellery, and the manufacture of arrow heads, flutes and drums.[3]
References
edit- ^ Gretchen M. Bataille, Laurie Lisa: Native American Women: A Biographical Dictionary. Routledge, 2003. ISBN 9781135955861 (Google Books)
- ^ Committee, Salish-Pend D'Oreille Culture; Council, Elders Cultural Advisory; Tribes, Confederated Salish and Kootenai (July 1, 2008). The Salish People and the Lewis and Clark Expedition. U of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-0-8032-1643-3.
- ^ a b "Char-Koosta News – Official Newspaper of the Salish and". April 29, 2016. Archived from the original on April 29, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
- ^ a b Hufford, Mary (1991). American Folklife: A Commonwealth of Cultures. American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
- ^ Folklife Center News. American Folklife Center, Library of Congress. 1978.
- ^ Jones, Tamara (September 17, 1987). "At Tribal Elder's Camp, Tradition Is Saved by Passing It On". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
- ^ "2001 Governor's Awards for the Arts" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 22, 2016.