{"id":465,"date":"2016-11-11T08:09:57","date_gmt":"2016-11-11T08:09:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.huronresearch.ca\/confrontingcolonialism\/?page_id=465"},"modified":"2016-11-18T13:52:53","modified_gmt":"2016-11-18T13:52:53","slug":"isaac-bearfoot-and-the-diocese-the-marginalization-of-the-native","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.huronresearch.ca\/confrontingcolonialism\/working-with-primary-sources\/the-correspondences-of-isaac-bearfoot\/isaac-bearfoot-and-the-diocese-the-marginalization-of-the-native\/","title":{"rendered":"Isaac Bearfoot and the Diocese of Huron: Marginalization of Indigenous Voices"},"content":{"rendered":"

In studying Isaac Bearfoot\u2019s personnel file in the Diocese of Huron Archives, we are somewhat restricted by the very small amount of material available. Bearfoot\u2019s file contains only a handful of letters and other documents, most of which relate to a single conversation regarding his lack of pay in 1887 and 1888. However, even this single series of letters can provide some insights into \u2013 or at least prod the historian to ask some specific questions about \u2013 Bearfoot\u2019s experiences as a Haudenosaunee missionary in the latter part of the nineteenth century.<\/p>\n

While other transcriptions present on this website demonstrate the severity of Bearfoot\u2019s lack of pay, one of the most intriguing elements of the resultant series of letters actually has less to do with Bearfoot\u2019s critical shortage of pay than with another related issue: Namely, the Diocese\u2019s apparent lack of concern for Bearfoot\u2019s situation. Three times across the four letters transcribed here \u2013 spread across a period just over half a year in length, between May and November of 1888 \u2013 Bearfoot requests that the recipient of these letters, the Diocese secretary E.B. Reed,\u00a0look into, and then clarify, the situation regarding his attempt to get his arrears paid. Bearfoot’s\u00a0repeated requests for action makes it quite clear that Bearfoot received no response to his repeated inquiries, as if his complaints\u00a0were simply being brushed off by his superiors.<\/p>\n

How likely is it that this might be the case? It is, of course, impossible to know for sure based on Bearfoot\u2019s letters alone, but the possibility deserves consideration. Upon such consideration, the idea that this apparent neglect might be related to Bearfoot’s Indigenous identity emerges as a plausible explanation for this behavior. Throughout the nineteenth century Native catechists, missionaries and teachers were viewed as \u201cthe means\u2026 for carrying out the\u2026 object\u2026\u201d 1<\/a><\/sup> of spreading \u201cthe truths of the gospel,\u201d 2<\/a><\/sup> and thus performed a critically important role in the missionary process. While one might assume that this would make the Native clergyman a respected member of the Church, the reality appears not to have been that simple. In dealing with the Nez Perce, the Presbyterian Church of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century marginalized Native clergymen, \u201crefusing to treat them like other members of the clergy\u2026\u201d and even in 1937 expecting them to \u201clive on\u2026 meager salaries.\u201d 3<\/a><\/sup> This example illustrates that the sort of marginalization being considered here certainly occurred within the clergy, and that it did manifest in poor pay. The comparison to Bearfoot’s obvious underpayment, and the Diocese’s apparent laxity in attempting to address their mistake, is clear.<\/p>\n

This clear parallel is hardly positive proof of discrimination against Bearfoot over his race. The possibility that these letters are evidence of a degree of racially-motivated neglect of Bearfoot\u2019s condition by the Diocese\u2019s officials is a hard one to confirm, and any number of other factors might be involved in the lack of any apparent response from Mr. Reed. That said, however, the apparent amount of time that passed without any response to Bearfoot’s repeated inquiries leads one toward a suspicion, reinforced by the knowledge of such similar trends as the underpaying of the Nez Perce clergymen by the Presbyterians, that there may have been a racial element to the apparent carelessness with which Bearfoot’s complaints over his lack of pay were\u00a0treated by the Diocese.<\/p>\n

Letters from Isaac Bearfoot to E.B. Reed, 1887-1888<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Transcription\u00a0#1:<\/p>\n

Wallaceburg
\nDec 10. 87
\nDear Mr. Reed,
\nMr. Sharpe, Warden,
\nDresden has just told me
\nthat he had sent me fifty
\ndollars on a\/c which came
\nafter I left here last week, and
\nwas sent on to Pelee Island \u2013
\nfailing to reach the island I have
\nnot received the money yet.
\nHe has also sent me (today)
\nnine dollars, making in all
\nfifty-nine dollars \u2013 or a total
\nof one hundred and sixty nine
\ndollars ($169.00) for the seventeen
\nmonths of my incumbency at
\nDresden. I am laid up with
\na severe bronchial trouble \u2013
\nYours Truly
\nI. Bearfoot<\/td>\n

 <\/p>\n

Document #1:<\/p>\n

\"dscf6825\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Transcription\u00a0#2:<\/p>\n

[Stamp]
\nFrom I. Bearfoot
\nClergyman
\nTUSCARORA ONT.
\n[Stamp Ends]<\/p>\n

May 22. 1888
\nEB Reed Esq
\nSec’y. Diocese of Huron
\nLondon
\nDear Sir,
\nI shall be
\nobliged if you will bring up
\nat the meeting of the Executive
\nCommittee to be held next
\nmonth, the subject contained
\nin my previous letter which
\nI asked you to present at
\nthe meeting of the Com-
\nmittee held in March last,
\nbut which you do not seem
\nto have done,
\nYours Truly
\nI. Bearfoot<\/td>\n

 <\/p>\n

Document #2:<\/p>\n

\"dscf6827\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
Transcription #3:<\/p>\n

Tuscarora
\nAugt<\/sup> 22d<\/sup> \u201888
\nDear Mr Reed,
\nI shall be much
\nobliged if you will kindly
\npresent the within application
\nto the Executive Committee
\nat their first next meeting
\nYours Truly
\nI. Bearfoot<\/p>\n

P.S. I hope that the \u201carrears\u201d
\ndue me from Dresden will
\nthen be paid me
\nI.B.<\/td>\n

Document #3:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"dscf6830\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
Transcription #4:<\/p>\n

[Stamp]
\nFrom I. Bearfoot
\nClergyman
\nCALEDONIA ONT.
\n[Stamp ends]
\nNov. 5. 1888
\nDear Mr. Reed,
\nWill you kindly
\ninform what action was taken
\nby either the Mission Committee
\nor the Executive Committee with
\nreference to the arrears of stipend
\ndue me from Dresden; also if
\nan appointment has been made
\nfor Dresden.
\nYours Truly
\nI Bearfoot<\/p>\n

E.B. Reed Esq:
\nLondon<\/td>\n

 <\/p>\n

Document #4:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"dscf6831\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

1. Edward Francis Wilson, An Account of the Opening of a New Mission to the Indians of the Diocese of Huron, Canada<\/em> (Sarnia: The \u201cObserver\u201d Steam Job Press, 1869), 5.\u21a9<\/a><\/sup>
\n2. Edward Francis Wilson, An Account of the Opening of a New Mission to the Indians of the Diocese of Huron, Canada<\/em> (Sarnia: The \u201cObserver\u201d Steam Job Press, 1869), 4.\u21a9<\/a><\/sup>
\n3. Bonnie Sue Lewis, Creating Christian Indians: Native Clergy in the Presbyterian Church<\/em> (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2003), 162.\u21a9<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In studying Isaac Bearfoot\u2019s personnel file in the Diocese of Huron Archives, we are somewhat restricted by the very small amount of material available. Bearfoot\u2019s file contains only a handful of letters and other documents, most of which relate to a single conversation regarding his lack of pay in 1887 and 1888. However, even this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":118,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_mc_calendar":[],"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-465","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.huronresearch.ca\/confrontingcolonialism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.huronresearch.ca\/confrontingcolonialism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.huronresearch.ca\/confrontingcolonialism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.huronresearch.ca\/confrontingcolonialism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.huronresearch.ca\/confrontingcolonialism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=465"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.huronresearch.ca\/confrontingcolonialism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/465\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.huronresearch.ca\/confrontingcolonialism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.huronresearch.ca\/confrontingcolonialism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}