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NATURESea, land, river ECONOMYRegional PLACEBooks+ PEOPLESCommunity
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On book Good Intentions
Gone Awry
While
co-author Jan Hare not present (UBC Press’s site for
book) |
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Jean barman |
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Thomas
Crosby was Methodist Missionary at ‘Port Simpson’ from 1874 til 1897 –I have
an old review of
Bolt’s book 1992 THOMAS CROSBY AND THE
TSIMSHIAN--Small shoes for feet too large– (UBC Press)
Later he started a marine missionary (from 1884- with boat Glad Tidings see
backgrounder here)--- Emma
Douce Crosby was daughter of a minister in ON and had an education that would
be equivalent of ‘small college prof’ in today’s terms --- thus she was both
‘qualified’ to teach school and write ‘interesting’ letters – these are
mainly to her family – and provide detailed review of her life as missionary
wife, teacher, and mother. |
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Book’s
genesis |
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Her
letters survived all these years – when the family looked to have them
published they did not want ‘some scholar picking and choosing’, but wanted the
letters published in tact. Jean
says that she and Jan Hare had another project (dissertation topic?) on go
but when they saw the quality of the letters they dropped everything and
began editing for the book |
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Book’s
title—thesis |
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So
what went wrong? As time passed Emma, as reflected in her letters, became
less concerned with her Tsimshian students and more pre-occupied with her own
family – the transition was from a school to a ‘residential school’ with all
the negative implications that word presently carries --- If you look
carefully at the picture and the differences in dress between the native
girls and her own daughters – you see the authors’ point |
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Book’s
sub-plot – women’s role |
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The
book has its flavour of feminism (1990s style) – Emma’s role was crucial for
the success of the missionary work – but Thomas got all the notice and
‘fame’. While Thomas was out evangelizing up and down the coast on the ‘Glad
Tidings’ poor Emma was doing all the work back at the mission |
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Intermediaries
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A
sub plot of the book though not emphasized was how dependent both Emma and Thomas
were upon ‘intermediaries’ --- even to communicate they needed someone to
translate, they needed somoen to teach them the language, they needed
‘servants’ and people to help not only with the shhool but also helping to
feed bathe and clothe all Emma’s own children --- Part
of the Bolt book is that eventually the Tsimshian did not feel they were
getting sufficient ‘results’ from Thomas Crosby (land claims, treaty etc) –
and grew critical (below
Caroline Dudoward with her grand mother – who was Diex’s grand daughter) |
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Above
is Kate Dudoward or Diex – educated in Victoria etc – it was she who wanted a
missionary for Port Simpson similar to Duncan then in Metlakatla --- she heard Crosby in Victoria etc and
instrumental in getting him to come to ‘Port Simpson’ |
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Odile
Morison – here is
RBC Museum ‘story’ on her |
Critique
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My only concern is that the book and its
thesis might have too little ‘history’ – or context --- Thus the change in
Emma’s attitude towards her Tsimshian charges may merely reflect the
colonialism of 1880s British Columbia --- and perhaps because the BC
colonials were in deep denial about 1st Nations claims to the land
(no treaties etc) --- that Colonial attitude may have been more racist etc
than even Ontario’s More intermediariesAfter
the forum I spoke with one of Jean Barman’s students who is going to use the
letters etc of Odile Morison (wife of the HBC manager at Fort Simpson during
Crosbys’ time there) The
idea seems to work the intermediary theme and get more depth and background
as to how important and significant these ‘mixed marriages’ and female
intermediaries were at this critical time in Tsimshian history -- thesis and book to follow |
Created by LG on
March 11, 2007
Last updated on Monday, March 12, 2007