This is Problematic!

Latest Episodes:

Come see us in the next Conner Prairie Podcast: This Is Reclamation! Apr 02, 2025

Show notes

Link To Conner Prairie's newest Podcast- This Is Reclamation: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1nWFL9euQ6X9DKXrCZ5A1N?si=N0nhNCRgTbufiiPwI_bHXA

This is Problematic!: The Power of Black Birders May 30, 2024

Show notes

Ornithology is defined as "a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds." The study, at least in America, is often tied to the amateur "father" of the study, John James Audubon. However, Audubon and many like him appropriated the knowledge of black and indigenous contributions and took the credit for themselves. Ornithology is filled with racist ideologies, with many slave-owners and/or white supremacists being rewarded with birds bearing their namesakes. Black naturalists may have been labeled as "amateur", but their voices cannot remain silenced. Black Birder's week is a celebration of black nature-lovers and a commitment to the larger cause of breaking the colonial ties to greenspaces where everyone should feel welcome and safe. Ms. Nicole Jackson- founder of N Her Nature LLC, nature enthusiast, park advocate, Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Education & Interpretation, and birder-joins us to relight the fire for what we all know is true; the outdoors are for everyone!

Our Sources:

Audubon, John James. The Life of John James Audubon, the Naturalist. Edited by Lucy Green Bakewell Audubon. New York: G. P. Putman's sons, 1875. https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Life_of_John_James_Audubon_the_Natur/TB2gs7v5se0C?hl=en&gbpv=0.

Ellison, Aaron M. et al. "Broadening the ecological mindset." Ecological Applications, Vol. 31, no. 6, (September 2021): 1-3. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/27092162

Jacobs, Nancy J. "The Intimate Politics of Ornithology in Colonial Africa." Cambridge University Press, Vol. 48, no. 3 (July 2006): 564-603. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3879437

Mirzoeff, Nicholas. "The Whiteness of Birds." liquid blackness, Vol 6, no.1 (April 2022): 120–137. https://read.dukeupress.edu/liquid-blackness/article/6/1/120/299559/The-Whiteness-of-Birds

Mock, Jillian. "'Black Birders Week' Promotes Diversity and Takes on Racism in the Outdoors." Audubon Magazine (June 1, 2020) https://www.audubon.org/news/black-birders-week-promotes-diversity-and-takes-racism-outdoors#:~:text=News-,'Black%20Birders%20Week'%20Promotes%20Diversity%20and%20Takes%20on%20Racism%20in,and%20studying%20the%20natural%20world.

Nobles, Gregory. "The Myth of John James Audubon." Audubon Magazine (July 31, 2020) https://www.audubon.org/news/the-myth-john-james-audubon.

Rhodes, Richard. John James Audubon: The Making of an American. New York: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2006. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=4j2FDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=John+James+Audubon&ots=GTGU7cI5Pk&sig=I0nBHyu6npig6HN8B0skVIF6aBE#v=onepage&q=John%20James%20Audubon&f=false

Southern, Keiran. "80 bird species will be renamed 'to break links with 'slavery and racism'." the website for the National African American Reparations Commission. The Times, published on November 02, 2023. accessed on April 11, 2024. https://reparationscomm.org/reparations-news/80-bird-species-will-be-renamed-to-break-links-with-slavery-and-racism/.

the National Audubon Society, "Audubon Statement on Incident in Central Park's Ramble," National Audubon Society, May 2020, https://www.audubon.org/news/audubon-statement-incident-central-parks-ramble

the National Audubon Society, "National Audubon Society Announces Decision to Retain Current Name," National Audubon Society, March 2023, https://www.audubon.org/news/national-audubon-society-announces-decision-retain-current-name

Additional Links:

https://people.com/the-true-story-behind-christian-cooper-and-amy-cooper-s-central-park-birdwatching-incident-7510993

https://academic.oup.com/condor/article/125/1/duac047/7026134

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349479882_Growing_a_Community_The_Inaugural_Blackbotanistsweek_Recap_and_Looking_Forward

This is Problematic!: Hate Can't Teach - Why Statue Removal is NOT Historical Erasure May 05, 2024

Show notes

Confederate monuments spawn controversy wherever they sit, and recently their removal has caused emotional uproar from all sides of the political spectrum. These ghostly shells of the past represent the myth of the Lost Cause, striking slavery from the list of reasons why the Civil War was fought and turning blame towards the North. Our special guests, Katie Bramell, a museum professional who tackled this subject at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, and her former co-worker Jesse Kramer, the director of Exhibits and Collections at Conner Prairie join Zoë and Easton to unpack the issue; if our country almost split in half, what is there to celebrate? From the deep South to the heart of Indiana, these harmful celebrations still negatively impact people who simply want to live lives free of fear. How do we deal with issues beyond flags and statues? What role do museums have in all of this? Can a monument truly receive proper interpretation? We'll try to answer these questions as best we can!

Description of and link to Through2Eyes: https://www.through2eyes.com/

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Website: https://freedomcenter.org/

Link to Kehende Wiley New Yorker article: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/kehinde-wileys-anti-confederate-memorial

Description of and link to civic love questions: https://www.nphm.org/civiclove

Links to Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Confederate-States-of-America/The-Confederacy-at-war

https://www.indystar.com/story/news/history/retroindy/2020/06/08/garfield-park-confederate-monument-history/5319718002/

https://www.indianaconnection.org/the-battle-of-corydon-memorial-park/

https://www.indyartsguide.org/public-art/confederate-soldiers-sailors-monument/

https://publichistory.iupui.edu/items/show/250?tour=30&index=0

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/27/the-statue-graveyard-where-torn-down-confederate-monuments-lie

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2018/stone-mountain-monumental-dilemma

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/kehinde-wileys-anti-confederate-memorial&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1714674240156546&usg=AOvVaw25CmBjt9EKu9__2yCBThb_

This is Problematic!: In the Shadow of the Prophet - Legacy of the 1806 Eclipse Mar 22, 2024

Show notes

Today Zoe and Easton are unraveling a complex yet fascinating story connecting a solar eclipse in 1806 to a future president, Chief Anderson's ascension to Chiefdom, and a pan-indigenous movement led by a Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa- the man that many remember as 'The prophet.' They won't be alone however. Our curator of Native American history and life, Sara Schumacher, is back with us, setting the historical stage and teaching us who the fascinating figures that make up this story are and how they got here. Later on, the former Assistant Chief of the Delaware Tribe of Indians in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and was a longtime cultural ambassador and Historical Interpreter here at Conner Prairie, Mike Pace, makes his podcast debut to recount his experiences as a member of the Lenape nation and explore the long-term impacts that the often overlooked indigenous population have on our state of Indiana as well as our nation.

Our sources:

Badger, Joseph and Day, Henry Noble. A Memoir of Rev. Joseph Badger. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan, September 2009.

Drake, Benjamin. 1841. Life of Tecumseh. Cincinnati: Anderson, Gates & Wright.

Eggleston, Edward, and Lillie Eggleston Seelye. 1878. Tecumseh and the Shawnee Prophet. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company.

Mason, Augustus L. 1904. True Stories of Our Pioneers. E.A. Merriam.

McDonnell, Micheal A., 2015, Masters of Empire: Great Lakes Indians and the Making of America, New York: Hill and Wang, a division of Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

Kinietz, W. Vernon, and Erminie Voegelin. Shawnese Traditions: C. C. Trowbridge's Account. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Museum of Anthropological Archaeology, 1939. https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.11395092. PDF. *

* This is a work created by an unreliable author with a singular source to represent a vast nation of people. Black Hoof himself has biases that may leak into the work as well. He would have no reason not to mention the 1806 eclipse and the Prophet but since we can't read Trowbridge's notes we don't know if Black Hoof mentioned it and Trowbridge left it out or if it was never mentioned at all. Also sensationalizes ritual cannibalism which rarely occurred amongst the Shawnee and even rarer post-contact.

This is Problematic!: Which People's President? Andrew Jackson's Populist Legacy Feb 13, 2024

Show notes

Our yearly take on the controversy-filled legacies of former presidents brings us to the infamous 'Old Hickory', Andrew Jackson. Curatorial research associate Dylan Rawles visits Zoe and Easton to unravel an often overlooked aspect of Jackson's legacy; Populism, along with its rise in the United States. Jackson prided himself as the "People's president", which made him the "voice of the people" who stood against the "untrustworthy higher-ups." This mentality would grow and expand far beyond his death, taking on many elaborate shapes and identities. Populism's role in U.S. politics both past and present, factors that enable such movements to take shape, the voices left out of the conversation, and the nearly impossible task of nailing down just who "the people" are and what they want- we explore it all today. As always, thank you for stopping by!

36 Questions for Civic Love: https://www.nphm.org/civiclove

Our sources:

UC Santa Barbara. "Veto Message [of the Reauthorization of the Bank of the United States]." The American Presidency Project. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/veto-message-the-re-authorization-bank-the-united-states.

Remini, Robert V. Andrew Jackson and the Course of American Freedom, 1822-1832. New York: Harper & Row, 1981.

Watson, Harry L. "Andrew Jackson's Populism." Tennessee Historical Quarterly, Vol. 76, No. 3 (FALL 2017).

https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/2654029

Wilentz, Sean. The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2005.

Further Reading/Viewing:

Image of one of the "coffin hand bills" and a description from the Library of congress

https://www.loc.gov/item/2008661734/

This is Problematic!: Owning the Past - Stewardship of Modern Museum Collections Nov 01, 2023

Show notes

Our Prairie's Collections Manager, Rebekah Furey, Collections Assistant, Rina Sim, and Educational Curriculum Specialist, Zoe Morgan join Easton to talk about museums (which we love!). Museums are beautiful places where stories can be told from across the globe and inspire curiosity in guests of all ages. However, when we look back at the history of museums, we find that many began as wonder shows for the wealthy to share their plunder from their respective "Ages of Exploration." Museums today have a choice to decolonize their halls. Increasing diversity at all levels of museum employment, repatriation of objects to the Native American Nations who rightfully own them, ensuring exhibitions that explore history's silenced voices are integrated and not segregated- we talk about it all on this journey!

More information about NAGPRA!

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nagpra/index.htm

Our sources:

Shoenberger, Elisa. "What does it mean to decolonize a museum?" MuseumNext (2023).

https://www.museumnext.com/article/what-does-it-mean-to-decolonize-a-museum/

Huff, Leah. "MUSEUM DECOLONIZATION: MOVING AWAY FROM NARRATIVES TOLD BY THE OPPRESSORS." University of Washington (2022).

https://smea.uw.edu/currents/museum-decolonization-moving-away-from-narratives-told-by-the-oppressors/

This is Problematic!: Chief Straw, False Monuments, and Native Misremembrance Sep 01, 2023

Show notes

Guess Who's back? David Heighway; joined alongside Curatorial's very own Curator of Native American History and Life, Sara Schumacher. Chief Straw is an entity that has been on our minds for close to a year now- and we're going to talk about him- beyond Strawtown's namesake story. The Native American nations and their histories have long been misunderstood in the United States. It's hard to piece the truth together, but "hard" doesn't mean "impossible." If you've ever wanted to know what the info-gathering process is like for Historians in the museum field, you'll love this in-depth look into the process. Join us as we break down the story, analyze the documents, and place the spotlight on the "actors" that make up the messy web surrounding Chief Straw.

Our sources:

David Heighway. "A Mysterious Murder along the Frontier." The Indiana History Blog (2016).

https://blog.history.in.gov/a-pioneer-murder-mystery/

Eiler, Kayla J. The Lenape on the Wapahani River. Muncie, IN. Ball State University, 2014.

http://www.lenapeonthewapahani.org/

Erderame, Jyoti A. (2021) "Strawtown." Encyclopedia of Indianapolis (2021).

https://indyencyclopedia.org/strawtown/

Ryan, Jordan. "White River History: Strawtown." Discover White River (2021).

https://www.discoverwhiteriver.com/2021/11/03/white-river-history-strawtown/

"Strawtown Koteewi Park History." Hamilton County, IN.

https://hamiltoncounty.in.gov/411/Strawtown-Koteewi-Park-History

The Hoosier History Live! team. "Lenape (Delaware) Indian heritage in Indiana." Hoosier History Live! (2014)

https://www.hoosierhistorylive.org/mail/2014-08-16.html

This is Problematic!: Prairie Little Liars - The Myths of the Frontier/Pioneer Aug 02, 2023

Show notes

David Heighway is back once again to explore the intricacies of our country's constructed memory! It finds its way into nearly every American home; lingering memories of a sparsely populated frontier and the rugged pioneer. Many family histories have followed this line of thinking for generations. It even shows up at our own "Pioneer museum" of Conner Prairie. And yet, while not necessarily fabricated, we can use new information to see what the world would have truly looked like. As historians ourselves-just like David, that's the best we can hope to share!

Show Notes:

Guest: David Heighway- Hamilton County Historian at the Hamilton East Public Library.

Library Website website:

https://www.hepl.lib.in.us/

He has written a book regarding strange local lore/ historical topics much akin to what we talk about in this episode- Hidden History of Hamilton County, Indiana

Linked Here: https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-History-Hamilton-County-Indiana/dp/1467150177#:~:text=all%202%20images-,Hidden%20History%20of%20Hamilton%20County%2C%20Indiana,-Paperback%20%E2%80%93%20August%209

Also, Special thanks to Dylan Rawles- Our Conner Prairie Curatorial Assistant, for giving us the gift of reveling in the presence of his great historical skills.

Our sources:

A Pageant In/At Hamilton County: Stage setting for all episodes (Noblesville Southeastern Public Library 1923.

Hamilton County's first Centennial Celebration held at Noblesville, Hamilton County, Indiana, on October 3 and 4, 1923 (Source Library (Noblesville Southeastern Public Library, 1923)

Rogers, Carol O. "Black and White in Indiana." Indiana Business Review, Vol. 80, No. 2 (Summer 2005).

This is Problematic!: Smashers vs. Saloonatics - The Women of Westfield May 02, 2023

Show notes

We're back for Season 2!!! Hannah and Easton take a trip back to 1882 when a group of women from the town of Westfield, IN took their frustration with the opening of a local saloon into their own hands. Our discussion explores what motivated their unusually forceful actions, the consequences of their decisions (and the decisions of women like them across the country) and how the actions during the Temperance Movement still impact us today. Buckle up, we're going Saloon Smashing!

Our Sources:

Primary Sources-

"The Westfield Saloon," Hamilton County Democrat, Indiana (18 August 1882), p. 4.

"Vigorous Temperance Measures," The Republic, Columbus, Indiana (28 July 1882), p. 1.

"Westfield ladies destroy saloon," Hamilton County Democrat, Indiana (28 July 1882), p. 5.

"Women of Westfield," The Noblesville Ledger, Noblesville, Indiana (28 July 1882), p. 1.

"Westfield: Saloon ruined twice," in The Noblesville Ledger, Noblesville, IN (17 July 1998), p. 3.

Secondary Sources-

Cannup, Charles C. "The Temperance Movement in Indiana," from Indiana Magazine of History (1920), accessed on JSTOR.

Haines, John F. History of Hamilton County: Her People, Industries and Institutions. Indiana University-B.F. Bowen & Company: Bloomington, IN, 1915.

Hamm, Thomas D. The Transformation of American Quakerism: Orthodox Friends, 1800-1907. Indiana University Press: Bloomington, IN, 1988.

Heighway, David. Hidden Histories of Hamilton County. The History Press, Arcadia Publishing: Cheltenam, UK, 2021.

Lantzer, Jason S. "African Americans and the dry crusade in Indiana" in Traces of Indiana & Midwestern History. Vol. 22, Issue 1. Accessed on American History & Life.

Sanders, Paul D. "Temperance Songs in American School Songbooks, 1840-1860" in Journal of Historical Research in Music Education (October 2015). Vol. 37, No. 1. Pp. 5-23.

Tannenbaum, Jed. "The Origins of Temperance Activism and Militancy among American Women" in the Journal of Social History (Winter 1981), accessed on JSTOR.

Zaeske, Susan. "Hearing the silences in Lincoln's temperance address: Whig masculinity as an ethic of rhetorical civility" in Rhetoric & Public Affairs Journal (Fall 2010). Vol. 13, Issue 3. Pp. 389-419. Accessible on America History & Life.

This is Problematic!: A U-turn on Sesame Street with Dr Charlene Fletcher Jan 04, 2023

Show notes

Dr Fletcher is back for our final episode of the season! The history of Sesame Street is the topic of today's conversation. Back in 1969 when the show was launched it was focused on underserved children to supplement absent preschool services. However, today it's been moved behind a paywall. So, let's figure out how we got to Sesame Street and where it's headed…

Show Notes:

Dr Charlene Fletcher:

Her website: https://www.charlenejfletcher.com

You can read a chapter of her work here: https://www.amazon.com/Slavery-Freedom-Bluegrass-State-Revisiting-ebook/

Keep an eye out for her upcoming book: Confined Femininity: Race, Gender, and Incarceration in Kentucky, 1865-1920 from University of North Carolina Press

Our Sources:

Greene, Bryan. "The Unmistakable Black Roots of Sesame Street", Smithsonian Magazine (November 7th, 2019), accessed at https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/unmistakable-black-roots-sesame-street-180973490/.

History.com. '"Sesame Street" Debuts', This Day in History, accessed at https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/sesame-street-debuts#:~:text=The%20show%20was%20the%20brainchild,year%2Dolds%20prepare%20for%20kindergarten.

Lepore, Jill. "How we got to Sesame Street." The New Yorker (May 11th, 2020), accessed at https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/05/11/how-we-got-to-sesame-street.

Tierney, Joan D. "The Miracle on Sesame Street", Phi Delta Kappan (January, 1971), Vol. 52, No. 5, accessed at JSTOR.com.

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