Deepen your understanding of Native American cultures with Heidi Altman, Ph.D.
Associate Professor Heidi Altman, Ph.D., is a linguistic and applied anthropologist in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology in Georgia Southern University’s College of Behavioral and Social Sciences. Altman’s research spans more than two decades and centers around language and culture, specifically the traditional languages of Native American and Indigenous peoples. In recognition of Native American Heritage Month, we asked Altman to share some of her experiences and expertise in working with these communities. Read on to learn more about Altman and her work with Indigenous peoples.
Question: Can you tell us a little about yourself?
Answer: I am a linguistic and applied anthropologist, and I have been at Georgia Southern since 2005. Before that, I taught at Middle Tennessee State University for about two years. Prior to teaching, I was completing my Ph.D. in anthropology and Native American studies at the University of California, Davis. My dissertation research was on the traditional knowledge of fishing and the language about fishing in the communities of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in Western North Carolina. My experience in the Cherokee community working on my dissertation led to me going back for several years to assist with developing the language revitalization plan for the community.
Q: What exactly is linguistic anthropology?
A: Linguistic anthropology is a subfield of anthropology that examines the ways that language and culture intersect. There are several potential paths in linguistic anthropology, but most of my work has been in applied linguistic anthropology, working with communities to develop plans to revitalize and reinvigorate their languages. Some of the other aspects of linguistic anthropology include language in society, language in use, descriptive linguistics and cognitive linguistics.
Q: What sparked your interest in Native American cultures?
A: There are hundreds of Native American cultures in North America, and each has a unique set of beliefs, practices and often still, a language. When I was a graduate student at Florida State University, I was fortunate to learn about and study Mayan languages and do fieldwork on ghost stories in Chiapas, Mexico. Then, at University of California, Davis, I discovered the depth and breadth of the diversity of language and thought in North America. I had the opportunity to work with people from communities in California who were gathering language materials from the archives so they could recapture a song or a prayer in their language. I learned that the languages of North America had been actively suppressed for over a hundred years by the government and other institutions. I developed my skills and built relationships with communities because I wanted to do what I could to help communities who want to bring back their languages.
Q: Can you share a little about your expertise with the Cherokee language?
A: I studied the Cherokee language for many years and worked in communities of Cherokee speakers. In all that time I achieved passive competence, or I understood about 30-40% of what was being said. When I was regularly in the communities each month, I could have a limited conversation, but I was by no means a real speaker of the language. My overarching interest was in how people express systems of health and well-being through the language and how those models influence different understandings of what it means to be well or how to get well. Those questions can be answered by working with speakers and translating transcripts of spoken language.
Q: What is something interesting you have learned during your studies about these cultures?
A: When I was doing my dissertation research, I learned a lot about traditional Cherokee practices for fishing. One practice that stood out to me was the use of black walnuts to temporarily stun fish. The fish could then be taken to an impoundment in the river where they would recover and be available to eat later. It amazed me to think about how much trial and error, observation and real science people practiced to understand the properties of juglone — the toxic compound in black walnuts that stuns fish — and the length of time it persists in the fish, etc. The people who demonstrated that for me were showing me the exact same practices described by early anthropologists who had visited the community 125 years earlier. It was a practice that was well-understood and that had persisted through times of dramatic change in the community.
Q: What do you think is a common misconception about Native American cultures?
A: That there is one culture. As I mentioned before, there are hundreds of indigenous cultures in North America alone. Beyond that, I have heard time and again that people think that there aren’t any Native Americans in the Southeast, or that all Native Americans live on reservations. There are Native Americans in every state across the country doing all kinds of jobs. As Native people like to say, they are still here.
Q: What do you believe is important for non-Native American students or U.S. citizens in general to know about Native American cultures?
A: I think everyone in the U.S. should have at least a passing knowledge of the many different peoples who are indigenous to the U.S. Everyone should take time to visit a community, attend an event or even read a book to acquaint themselves with the diversity and beauty of Native American cultures. Understanding sciences that are still practiced in many communities can give us additional insights toward issues like sustainability, for example.
Q: What is something you think would surprise people in the communities that surround our campuses about the Native American history in this region?
A: In the early part of the 20th century, people from the Lumbee tribe in North Carolina came to this area to work in the turpentine industry, and there is even a Lumbee cemetery in Bulloch County.
Q: Are there any influential figures, either from Native American history or from your personal life, who have inspired your career path?
A: It’s hard to narrow this down to one person, since I have been fortunate to meet lots of amazing people in my career. I would say that there are two who really stand out in terms of changing my thoughts and practices. First is Katsi Cook, a traditional Mohawk midwife, healer, herbalist and environmental researcher. She is an environmental justice advocate and is especially concerned with “forever chemicals” found in Mohawk women’s breast milk. She has many projects and initiatives and is just an amazing person. Next is Darell Kipp, the founder of the Piegan Institute in the Blackfeet Nation in Montana. He and his community have worked tirelessly to bring back their language and that work has been a catalyst to bring economic development as well.
Q: How can non-Native students and staff be allies in supporting Native American initiatives and creating a more inclusive campus environment?
A: I would start by considering carefully the things that Native American people express as being important to them. If there are initiatives presented by a community, support them or, at the very least, make a serious effort to learn about why the initiatives are important. For example, there were pipeline protests in the news several years ago. What a lot of people did not understand outside the communities was that the pipelines had been redirected to cross Native American lands, and people were trying to maintain their water sources and exercise tribal sovereignty – the right to govern themselves. Another point is to avoid anything that makes Native people into caricatures, costumes or mascots. These things still happen, and although there have been significant efforts to make change, there are some deeply ingrained racist or stereotypical ideas that come through various institutions that should be closely examined.
Q: Are there any books, films, or resources you recommend for those interested in learning more about Native American history and cultures?
A: There is a great PBS series called Native America that looks at different tribal nations at different points in time. There is a great documentary on the revitalization of the Wampanoag language called “We Still Live Here.” In terms of popular culture, the recent series “Reservation Dogs” and “Dark Winds” give an idea of what life is like for young people in Oklahoma, and what it’s like to be a Navajo police officer. Both feature Native American actors, crews and locations.