Anthropologist Profile: Beatrice Medicine, Research and Applied Sociocultural Anthropologist

Figure 1: Beatrice Medicine (Image Source: Indigenous Goddess Gang)

Today’s post is dedicated to discussing the contributions of Beatrice Medicine, an American Indian anthropologist who advocated for American Indian’s rights in various ways (Figure 1).  Her academic career spanned almost half a century, but retirement did not stop her from continuing to applied or academic work.  Her impressive career has earned her many recognitions, and her namesake is attached to an awarded provided to students who wish to present at the Society for Applied Anthropology annual meeting. 

 

Born in 1923 at the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota, her Native name was Hinsha Waste Agli Win (Returns Victorious with a Red Horse Woman), but she frequently went by Beatrice Medicine.  She felt an affinity toward anthropology but her passions lied in education.  As a Lakota (Sihsapa) Indian this put her in an awkward place at times.  American Indians were rightfully suspicious of “anthros” (a pejorative term referencing anthropologists), who had exploited American Indian groups’ languages, identities, histories, and material cultures, and many were discouraged from entering into the field as a result.  Medicine, however, believed that anthropological approaches could create and foster a more equitable and culturally relevant educational experience for American Indians.  This is why she went on to pursue sociocultural anthropological studies at South Dakota State University, Michigan State University, and University of Wisconsin, where she ultimately received her PhD.

 

In 1945 she began teaching at Haskell Indian Institute (today the Haskell Indian Nations University), but she moved on to teach at 20 different higher education institutions throughout the United States and Canada before she retired.  She continued to teach at ten more institutions throughout her retirement.  She dedicated her research on the interplays of race, power, language, culture, and education, specifically being concerned with how discriminatory educational practices harmed American Indian students. 

 

She eventually became known for being an advocate for American Indian rights and for having an intellectual commitment to authentic and accurate American Indian studies.  She pointed out specific attitudes among teachers and administrators that produced a hostile environment against American Indian/Indigenous populations and students, thereby either forcing or strongly encouraging them to drop out of school and not complete their educations.  Also, she identified how the choice to provide English only schooling to American Indian students was reckless and discriminatory as it caused them to become isolated and feel they were forced to either assimilate to the dominant White culture or drop out in order to maintain their American Indian identity through informal educations from within their tribal groups.  By not completing their secondary educations American Indian students were less likely to attend college, thereby remaining impoverished and continuing stereotypes that were used to prop up and characterize them as a group. 

 

To put an end to this vicious cycle she advocated for the revitalization of American Indian languages, citing how language was a key aspect of American Indian identity.  She identified how the traumatic experiences of Boarding/Residential School students caused these individuals who later were parents to shy away from or actively not teach their Native languages to their children, thereby leading to an endangerment of many American Indian languages.  Medicine pointed out how the ability to speak one’s Native language is tied directly to identity-if one does not speak their cultural group’s language then they are not “Indian” enough.  This led her to strongly advocated for bilingual-bicultural education programs, which promote Native language and cultural learning, but these needed to be done in culturally accurate and appropriate ways, which require tribal group buy in and contributions.  Ultimately, her work spearheaded more culturally relevant, accurate, and respectful pedagogical approaches in education that benefit not just American Indian groups but various minority groups who are better able to feel included and valued in educational institutions.

 

Medicine passed away in December 2005, leaving behind a great legacy and wealth of accomplishments.  Her advocacy work earned her the American Anthropological Association’s Distinguished Service Award (currently the Franz Boas Award for Exemplary Service to Anthropology), as well as an honorary doctorate from the University of Michigan.  She published over 50 articles, books, and book chapters, which are considered foundational to educational anthropologists and educators to this day.  While she is no longer with us her contributions continue to mold and shape anthropology and education, moving both in more equitable direction for the benefit of all.

 

Works Cited

Author Unknown. "Beatrice Medicine." 2002. Women's Intellectual Contributions to the Study of Mind and Society (Webster University). Electronic. 20 December 2021.

Deyhle, Donna and Teresa L. McCarty. "Beatrice Medicine and the Anthropology of Education: Legacy and Vision for Critical Race/Critical Language Research and Praxis." Anthropology & Education Quarterly 38.3 (2007): 209-220. Document.

Dustin (Oneman). "Beatrice Medicine Dead at 82." 3 January 2006. Savage Minds. Electronic. 20 December 2021.