Pax-salon Mailing List: Fwd: Pax Salon, Tuesday, April 2 (Susu Jeffrey--Coldwater)

[Patty Guerrero (pattypax]

Tonight will be Susu Jeffrey. (see below)   it will be interesting, and lots of 
questions especially in light of the letter received yesterday--see below:

Hi Patty, 

I see that Susu Jeffrey will be using the Pax Salon to continue her campaign 
against the National Park Service.  As she usually does, she employees 
inflammatory statements to generate outrage against us.  She says we only tell 
the story of Coldwater Spring from 1820 on.  This is simply not true.  

We have and will interpret the site’s geology.  We have several initiatives 
underway, in partnership with the USGS and University of Minnesota, to learn 
about the spring’s source, flow and water quality.  

We have and will continue to tell the broader story of American Indian presence 
in the metro area from the time the glaciers retreated through earliest contact 
with Europeans. 

We have shied away from telling the American Indian history of Coldwater prior 
to 1820 for at least two reasons.  First, we know almost nothing about the 
American Indian presence at or use of the spring before 1820.  Three 
archeological surveys have produced no evidence of Indian use or occupation.  
Granted, the land has been completely disturbed by various uses over the last 
197 years.  We conducted oral history interviews for an ethnographic study that 
produced very little as well. 

Second, we don’t want to presume to tell stories of Coldwater for the tribes 
that might have used or visited the site.  If American Indians possess oral 
traditions about Coldwater, we have invited them to tell their stories.  We are 
meeting with three western Dakota tribes for the second time later this week.  
We will be partnering with them on their views of Coldwater’s history and have 
invited them to tell their stories on the site.  Their stories, however, may 
differ from those of Shakopee, Prairie Island or other tribes.    

I do not come to this issue uninformed.   I have Masters and PhD in American 
Indian history and have been a tribal coordinator for much of my career.

The Pax Salon sounds like a wonderful forum to discuss important issues or 
simply enjoy exploring interesting topics. I'm not sure that the nature of 
Susu's agenda fits the purpose.  I am considering attending the salon tomorrow 
night to provide the substantive context for the issue being discussed.  If you 
have any words of advice, I would welcome them.

Thanks, 

John

John O. Anfinson, PhD
Chief, Resource Management
Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
National Park Service


Begin forwarded message:

> From: Patty Guerrero <pattypax [at] earthlink.net>
> Date: March 29, 2013 7:24:35 PM CDT
> To: Patty Guerrero <pattypax [at] earthlink.net>
> Cc: Pax Salon Announcements <pax-salon [at] justcomm.org>
> Subject: [Pax-salon] Pax Salon, Tuesday, April 2 (Susu Jeffrey--Coldwater)
> 
> 
> 
>       PLEASE COME!!!   April 2, 2013
>> 
>       Susu Jeffrey will be our guest. 
> 
>> Coldwater “Before Contact”
>> 
>> What are we missing when we omit thousands of years of history at the place 
>> where we now live and drink water?
>> 
>> At Coldwater, the National Park Service begins "history here in 1820," when 
>> Euro-American soldiers took over the spring site.
>> 
>> A 9,000 year old bison spear point was uncovered in the 
>> Mississippi-Minnesota confluence area.
>> 60% of of the world’s food crops were developed by Native Americans, 
>> according to Jack Weatherford in INDIAN GIVERS.
>> 
>> How does real history help us understand our time and place?
>> 
> 
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