| Alice C. Fletcher (1838--1923) was a pioneer ethnologist who dedicated her life to the study of Native American culture and music. The present study focuses on the nineteenth century anthropologist's contributions to music and the preservation of Native American songs through recording, transcription, and scholarly publication. Fletcher's contributions to music can be viewed in many ways. Historically, she created a link between ethnology and music. Through her theory of latent harmony, the idea that Indians have an innate sense of harmony, and through the subsequent harmonization of Native American melodies, she made Indian melodies more accessible to American composers. Her lifetime coincided with the extremely popular, yet passing trend of "Indianist" composition, during which cylindrical recordings and various sacred items which are now being returned to the tribes from which they were taken over a century ago.; The present explores the connection between Fletcher's study of music and a number of controversial issues of the period. Fletcher's anthropological career was influenced by her dedication to helping Native Americans survive in a period of tremendous change. She was a devout Protestant, Christian reformer, who vowed to help Indians survive by advocating extreme policies of assimilation and the renunciation of their traditional culture. Fletcher surrounded herself with Native Americans who agreed with her beliefs, and these individuals served as collaborators in her pursuit of tribal information. Her belief system, along with her problematic assumptions of Native American culture, undoubtably influenced her objectivity in the study of Indian culture. Despite this, she honestly strove to help Native Americans and was particularly sensitive to women's issues. Through the study of Alice Fletcher's ethnological career, despite her flaws that hindsight reveals, we gain a more in depth view and understanding of Native American music and culture. |
