E. Jane Gay in Idaho

11/15/2022

Sharing from the Idaho State Archives:

This month we are highlighting some of Idaho's Tribal history for Native American Heritage Month. We have an amazing collection of audio recordings converted from reel to reel film from the 1960s and 70s that capture different elements of the history of the Nez Perce. Come experience more at this month's Variety from the Vault event Saturday, November 19th at the Archives!

The Zoa Swayne Collection (MS 756) features her art depicting Nez Perce lifestyle, and her recordings with various Nez Perce Tribal members. In the following recording from May 1965, Alex Pinkham explains the Stick Game and the song associated with the game. Pinkham stated that most tribes played the game similarly. A set of bones was distributed amongst the players and bets were laid. Some of the sticks (bones) had markings, others did not. The game was to guess who, amongst the players, had what bone.

Listen to the interview and the associated song by following the link:
https://historyidaho.aviaryplatform.com/r/w950g3j81f?media=170776&e=37&auto_play=true



Image: Zoa Swayne MS 756 Box 6 Drawings & Paintings
Audio: Zoa Swayne MS 756 Box 2 "Stick Game" with Alex Pinkham (Disc 5 track 1)

Explore MS 756 Swayne Collection: http://idahostatearchives.libraryhost.com/repositories/2/resources/2334

08/14/2019

From Idaho Experience:

07/25/2019

07/25/2019

Coming up tonight on Idaho Public Television:

I hope you will watch Idaho Experience on Idaho Public TV tonight at 8:30 MDT to see "Out of the Shadows," the latest episode of this wonderful program. For full disclosure, photographer E. Jane Gay is featured on the program. Jane Gay has been a long term research interest of mine, and her story has led me to many new friends and interesting experiences. I was honored to be able to be part of this production, along with Nicole Tonkovich and Louise Barber (who you will see as Jane Gay). I am amazed at how much information producer Marcia Franklin and director Andy Lawless were able to get in to a 26-minute program. The program also features Pocatello photographer Benedicte Wrensted and includes interviews with two 21st century Native American women photographers. If you don't watch tv on your television, here's a link to the program which will go live this afternoon:
https://video.idahoptv.org/video/out-of-the-shadows-lqqsj9/

Marcia told me she'll be discussing the episode on "Idaho Matters" at 12:45 p.m. today on Boise State Public Radio.

After you watch "Out of the Shadows," check out all of the episodes in the 2 seasons of Idaho Experience.

The stories of two women who photographed Native Americans in Idaho in the 1800s.

04/25/2019

Many of the negatives originally included in the E. Jane Gay collection are missing, although their subjects are hinted at in the list that accompanied their accession. Recently, photo archivist Danielle Grundel located one of these "missing" glass-plate negatives. We have updated the electronic record for this find (63-221-80). This is a significant find, suggesting that when Gay was in the field and had identified a subject or pose she found to be evocative or important, she made multiple on-site exposures to be sure she obtained the best possible photographic image of the occasion.

11/29/2018

Nakia Williamson-Cloud answers questions via Skype with a 5th grade class in Baltimore, MD.
The class recently finished reading Thunder Rolling in the Mountains and was interested in learning more about Nimiipuu in present day.
Nez Perce Tribal PoliceThe Nez Perce Tribe Social ServicesNez Perce Tribe TANF ProgramI Vision - Nez Perce Youth ProjectNez Perce Tribe ERWM Air Quality ProgramNez Perce Tribe 'Úuyit Kímti ProgramNez Perce Tribal Housing AuthorityNez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resources ManagementNPT Child Support Enforcement ProgramNimiipuu HealthNimiipuu Community Development FundPiNee WausNez Perce Tribe Teweepuu Community CenterWa-A'Yas KamiahKIYE 88.7 and 105.5

07/10/2018

Here's an opportunity to make more information available about Alice Cunningham Fletcher's work.

Calling all volunpeers! Help us transcribe the Alice Cunningham Fletcher Papers with 4 new projects just added to Smithsonian Transcription Center. Learn more about the transcription project at s.si.edu/2N4sPIv.

Alice Cunningham Fletcher (1838-1923), was an ethnologist and collaborator with the Peabody Museum of Harvard, the Bureau of American Ethnology, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. A pioneer in a field dominated by men, she was one of the first female ethnologists to conduct fieldwork among the Omaha, Nez Perce, Winnebago (Ho-chunk) and Sioux Indian tribes. Fletcher worked closely with Francis La Flesche, an Omaha Indian and fellow ethnologist with the Bureau of American Ethnology. Because of their close personal and professional relationship, much of their research materials and correspondence are housed together at the NAA.

Check out https://sova.si.edu/record/NAA.MS4558 to learn more about Fletcher and her materials at the NAA. (Photo: BAE GN 4511, https://s.si.edu/2KZw06P)

02/02/2018

We hope you will consider donating to Rick Just's campaign.

James Hogan was an infamous character in Boise history. His name appeared in the paper more often than most politicians. He was a notorious drunk. As such, the paper called him "Hogan the Stiff," often lamenting that he was in jail again for drunkenness or a minor crime. Even so, they wrote kindl...