Can anyone suggest archives on the west coast of America on native american medicine 1800-1900?

Farrah,

First, since I live on the West Coast (Portland, Oregon), I sent out queries for you to several Native American general museums in the Pacific Northwest. I'll get back to you through ResearchGate if they have ideas.

Second, are you aware of the interest the early colonial Puritan minister-physicians took in Native American medical practices? Not West Coast, of course, but an early influence on medicine. There's a book: Cotton Mather: First Significant Figure in American Medicine, by Otho Beall, Jr., and Richard H. Shryock. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 1954.

Cotton Mather was a member of the Royal Society. He sent in many communications about medical observations in New England.

Page 32 of Beall & Shryock: "The only new note in Colonial practice was the use of native remedies taken over from Indian folklore. Thus John Josselyn, in his New England Rarities Discovered (1672) recorded Indian cures accomplished by the use of bear's grease for aches and of the use of a plant called dogstone as an emetic. Winthrop the Younger and Cotton Mather himself also reported on Indian medicines. ...."

Good luck with your project. Sounds fascinating.

Merilee

Hello Merilee,

Thank you for your help and response!

I have come across Mather a few times in manuscripts etc but had not really looked at modern works about him, thank you for the beall and shryock reference it certainly looks like it will be helpful.

Please let me know if there is anything I can help with to repay the favour!

All the best

Farrah

Hi Farrah,

I received a reply from the Oregon Historical Society, suggesting you contact the 

Tamastslikt Cultural Center which is in Pendleton, Oregon, 

and the OHSU (Oregon Health & Sciences University) Historical Collections & Archives. 

Also, are you familiar with the 19th c herbalist Samuel Thomson? He was born in rural New Hampshire, his first teacher of plant medicines was a local medicine woman thought to be Native American, and some of the plant-based medicines he prescribed were already in use by Native Americans. Fascinating, forgotten character in American medical history. There's a good book about him, America's Botanico-Medical Movements: Vox Populi, by Alex Berman and Michael A Flannery. Its publisher is obscure, Pharmaceutical Products Press, An Imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc. I'm sure it's findable online. 

Good hunting.

Merilee

Hi Merilee,

Thank you for the advice and the info from the archives. I am not sure that I will be able to get to oregon this trip but will certainly look into them as I hope to be able to come back soon!

I did just notice that I made a mistake in my question heading, I meant to type east coast and accidently put west, I didnt look at it again until just now and saw my error. I am ever so sorry to have put you out. But I know that your advice/achive information will be very helpful in the future when i can hopefully make another trip out to the states.

I hope you are doing well

All the best

Farrah

Well, perhaps "West Coast" was a Freudian slip, Farrah. Good luck in your research.

Hi Farrah, I assume you're planning to spend some time in Nova Scotia? Surely the Nova Scotia Archives would have some sources. If you are interested in objects as well as documents, you might also consider the Nova Scotia Museum, which has a huge collection of Mi'kmaq objects. Roger Lewis, their curator of ethnology and archaeology, is himself Mi'kmaq and I'm sure would be very keen on helping you. Neighbouring museums (New Brunswick Museum, possibly the Grand Pré centre, Prince Edward Island Museum) might also be helpful.

I would bet the Royal Ontario Museum would also be a good source of material.

Best of luck with the search!

Hi Farrah - In Boston, or Cambridge to be precise, you should look into visiting the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard U. They have online collections that you can search in advance, as well as an online research request form you can access here: https://www.peabody.harvard.edu/node/44. 

Hi Farrah,

Are you in contact with any Mi'kmaw scholars or elders, such as Bernie Francis? Are you looking at oral tradition as well?

Alicia,

The University of Michigan-Dearborn has the Native American Ethobotany Database at http://herb.umd.umich.edu/. You can search by scientific name, common name, medicine type (e.g. stomach medicine), or tribe. The database has what the plant was used for, references, and a link to the USDA fact sheet for that plant.