Tom Gloade poses for his portrait wearing a beaded coat and hat that are part of NMAI’s collection.
Coat and silk sash; collected by Frederick Johnson, 1930; coat materials: wool, cloth, silk ribbon and glass beads; 64.2” x 41.7”. 17/6429
Halifax and Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site in southern Nova Scotia. Histories of the Mi’kmaq Grand Council and treaties with other nations were also recorded in shelled beads, or wampum, that were sewn into images on a belt. Later the Mi’kmaq developed a written lan-
guage that expressed their unique use of words. Unlike western languages that often simply have a name for an object such as “book,” their language “is very verb based,” explained Basil Johnson, who is a fluent Mi’kmaw speaker from the Potlotek First Nation. For example, the game played by throw- ing eight etched bone dice called wapinaqn is “the game you would play until the sun came up,” and a similar game where six dice are tossed as a wooden bowl is slammed on the ground or a table is called “waltes,” which means “to land,” as in the dice are landing in the bowl. In 2018, language specialists working with the
MDCC came to see the collection at NMAI’s Cultural Resources Center in Suitland, Maryland. Because the Mi’kmaw language is centered in “doing” and “process,” the words for the objects often took the form of “the thing that does this motion or action.” Understanding the collections through Mi’kmaw worldview changed how the MDCC staff thinks about curation, pivoting from an object-centered approach to a practice-centered approach. “At the MDCC rather than curating baskets, we curate bas- ketmaking,” explains Rosenmeier, who now serves as a research and interpretation specialist for the MDCC. This outcome has affected all subsequent work in the partnership with the NMAI.
30 WINTER 2022 AMERICAN INDIAN
Caitlin Mahony, an NMAI conservator who is
managing the project, said that this approach has changed the survey of the items. “Our survey struc- ture emphasizes the relationship of the item to prac- tice and associated communities rather than its form or material, which is common in museums,” she said. The MDCC hired Kamden Nicholas, a member
of the Pictou Landing First Nation, as well as Basil Johnson as curatorial associates in collections and education, respectively. They left their communi- ties to dedicate eight months at NMAI’s Cultural Resources Center, examining every Mi’kmaw item in the collection. “Actually getting to see and put your hands on items that are part of your cultural heritage and history means so much, “ said Basil Johnson. Working collaboratively with conserva- tion fellows and interns, the condition of each item was assessed and documented. It was also given a comprehensive description that includes its asso- ciated Mi’kmaw language terms and suggestions of how it can be used within the future center. This information will travel with their items to
the MDCC. “One of our end goals is to have our own lexicon and naming conventions,” said Nicholas. “Being wrapped in community knowledge is what keeps [these objects] alive,” added Rosenmeier.
A Tangible Connection Each visit to the NMAI collection has yielded dis- coveries and conjured up memories. “The first day walking in you could just feel the energy from everything,” recalled Basil Johnson. When Nicholas’ great-aunt Sarah Francis (Sadie), who is a member
LEFT: PHOTO BY FREDERICK JOHNSON, 1930, MERIGOMISH ISLAND, NOVA SCOTIA. NMAI N19838; RIGHT: PHOTO BY NMAI STAFF
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