Reading against the Grain(s): American Indian History and Horticulture in Seventeenth-Century New England

Reading against the Grain(s): American Indian History and Horticulture in Seventeenth-Century New England

Parrington, Sharon

2015

This thesis seeks answer how historical sources, both linguistic and extralinguistic, pertaining to American Indian horticulture in seventeenth-century New England reflect different types of narratives, beliefs about the nature of time, and understandings of the relationship between the past and the present. While written accounts penned by English colonists, American Indian oral traditions, and artifacts uncovered during archaeological excavations all contribute to the understanding of seventeenth-century New England American Indian horticulture, each “speaks” with a unique voice. To connect English and American Indian accounts of the past without glossing over the points at which these histories diverge or prioritizing one account over another, this essay argues that scholars must approach the past as a series of multiple, related yet distinct histories to study in tandem.

Simmons College (Boston, Mass.)

1 PDF (80 Pages)

English

Masters Theses