|
Showing 1 - 25 of
147 matches in All Departments
Mary Austin was one of the first to recognize that Native American
myths and culture were in danger of being eroded and lost. She then
took upon herself the duty of tracking down American Indian songs
and poems, saying that she was not giving a translation of the
original but what she preferred to call a "re-expression" which she
referred to as "reexpressions." It was her belief that the life and
environment of the person who made up the words was an important
part of understanding the rhythm and meaning of the work. She
considered tribal dancing an essential part of the sung or spoken
words and her extensive research led first to lectures and later to
the publication of "The American Rhythm." It was her work in this
field that resulted in Austin being named an Associate in Native
American Literature by the School of American Research in Santa Fe,
New Mexico. Mary Austin (nee Hunter) was born in Carlinville,
Illinois in 1868 and died in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1934. After
graduation from Blackburn College, she moved with her family to
California. She later spent time in New York and eventually settled
in Santa Fe. A prolific writer, she wrote novels, short stories,
essays, plays and poetry. Austin became an early advocate for
environmental issues as well as the rights of women and other
minority groups. She was particularly interested in the
preservation of American Indian culture.
|
|