Henry Wellington Tate (circa 1860 - 1914) was a Canadian oral historian from the Tsimshian First Nation, best known for his work with the anthropologist Franz Boas.
Little is known of his early life in Lax Kw'alaams (a.k.a. Port Simpson), B.C. He was probably the son of Arthur Wellington Clah, an hereditary chief and prominent early Christian convert who had taught the Tsimshian language to the Anglican lay missionary William Duncan in the 1850s.
In 1903 Boas wrote to Clah, on the recommendation of his Tlingit-Kwakwaka'wakw informant George Hunt, expressing an interest in finding someone with whom to work on a description of Tsimshian culture. Clah turned the correspondence over to Tate, and Tate began to send Boas information, especially transcribed oral narratives, through the mail. It seems certain that Boas and Tate never met face to face. The result was Boas's long 1916 monograph Tsimshian Mythology. When that volume appeared, Boas wrote in its preface that "Mr. Tate died in April 1914."
One of the few insights into Tate's life in Tsimshian Mythology comes in a discussion of clan-to-clan adoption, citing Tate's adoption from the Laxsgiik (Eagle clan) into the Gispwudwada (Killerwhale clan) of the Gispaxlo'ots tribe by his maternal grandfather, and his subsequent adoption of his own daughter into the Gispwudwada as well.
Boas and Tate's correspondence is housed at the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia. It includes complaints by Boas that Tate is resisting his instructions by writing the stories in English first, and then translating into his own Tsimshian, instead of transcribing his informants' Tsimshian first.
In the 1930s, Tate's widow, now known as "Mrs. Sam Bennett," of the Gits'iis tribe, served as a key informant to the anthropologist Viola Garfield during her fieldwork in Lax Kw'alaams.
Aspersions were cast on the reliability or thoroughness of Tate's work by a 1917 review of Tsimshian Mythology written by Marius Barbeau, who had by then done much more extensive, face-to-face fieldwork in Lax Kw'alaams with Clah's grandson, William Beynon. The literary historian Ralph Maud has written at length on the complicated give-and-take which resulted in the publication of Tate's stories and the possible cultural distortions that resulted. Maud has also produced a volume which reformats Tate's stories to bring out the poetry in his English.
Bibliographyedit
Barbeau, Marius (1917) Review of Tsimshian Mythology by Franz Boas. American Anthropologist (new series), vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 548–563.
Boas, Franz (1916) "Tsimshian Mythology." In Thirty-First Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution,, pp.. Washington: Government Printing Office.
Garfield, Viola E. (1939) "Tsimshian Clan and Society." University of Washington Publications in Anthropology, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 167–340.
Maud, Ralph (2000) Transmission Difficulties: Franz Boas and Tsimshian Mythology. Burnaby, B.C.: Talonbooks.
Roth, Christopher F. (2001) Review of Transmission Difficulties by Ralph Maud. Anthropologica, vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 123–124.
Tate, Henry Wellington (1993) The Porcupine Hunter and Other Stories: The Original Tsimshian Texts of Henry Tate. Ed. by Ralph Maud. Vancouver, B.C.: Talonbooks.
henry, tate, henry, wellington, tate, circa, 1860, 1914, canadian, oral, historian, from, tsimshian, first, nation, best, known, work, with, anthropologist, franz, boas, little, known, early, life, alaams, port, simpson, probably, arthur, wellington, clah, her. Henry Wellington Tate circa 1860 1914 was a Canadian oral historian from the Tsimshian First Nation best known for his work with the anthropologist Franz Boas Little is known of his early life in Lax Kw alaams a k a Port Simpson B C He was probably the son of Arthur Wellington Clah an hereditary chief and prominent early Christian convert who had taught the Tsimshian language to the Anglican lay missionary William Duncan in the 1850s In 1903 Boas wrote to Clah on the recommendation of his Tlingit Kwakwaka wakw informant George Hunt expressing an interest in finding someone with whom to work on a description of Tsimshian culture Clah turned the correspondence over to Tate and Tate began to send Boas information especially transcribed oral narratives through the mail It seems certain that Boas and Tate never met face to face The result was Boas s long 1916 monograph Tsimshian Mythology When that volume appeared Boas wrote in its preface that Mr Tate died in April 1914 One of the few insights into Tate s life in Tsimshian Mythology comes in a discussion of clan to clan adoption citing Tate s adoption from the Laxsgiik Eagle clan into the Gispwudwada Killerwhale clan of the Gispaxlo ots tribe by his maternal grandfather and his subsequent adoption of his own daughter into the Gispwudwada as well Boas and Tate s correspondence is housed at the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia It includes complaints by Boas that Tate is resisting his instructions by writing the stories in English first and then translating into his own Tsimshian instead of transcribing his informants Tsimshian first In the 1930s Tate s widow now known as Mrs Sam Bennett of the Gits iis tribe served as a key informant to the anthropologist Viola Garfield during her fieldwork in Lax Kw alaams Aspersions were cast on the reliability or thoroughness of Tate s work by a 1917 review of Tsimshian Mythology written by Marius Barbeau who had by then done much more extensive face to face fieldwork in Lax Kw alaams with Clah s grandson William Beynon The literary historian Ralph Maud has written at length on the complicated give and take which resulted in the publication of Tate s stories and the possible cultural distortions that resulted Maud has also produced a volume which reformats Tate s stories to bring out the poetry in his English Bibliography editBarbeau Marius 1917 Review of Tsimshian Mythology by Franz Boas American Anthropologist new series vol 19 no 4 pp 548 563 Boas Franz 1916 Tsimshian Mythology In Thirty First Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution pp Washington Government Printing Office Garfield Viola E 1939 Tsimshian Clan and Society University of Washington Publications in Anthropology vol 7 no 3 pp 167 340 Maud Ralph 2000 Transmission Difficulties Franz Boas and Tsimshian Mythology Burnaby B C Talonbooks Roth Christopher F 2001 Review of Transmission Difficulties by Ralph Maud Anthropologica vol 43 no 1 pp 123 124 Tate Henry Wellington 1993 The Porcupine Hunter and Other Stories The Original Tsimshian Texts of Henry Tate Ed by Ralph Maud Vancouver B C Talonbooks References edit Henry W Tate Dictionary of Canadian Biography online ed University of Toronto Press 1979 2016 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Henry W Tate amp oldid 1146379786, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
