"The Penobscot of northern Maine have a mythical hero known as Deceiving Man. According to legend, Deceiving Man called all the animals together to ask them what their behavior would be like when men appeared in their midst. The moose said that it would take flight, and the squirrel said that it would gnaw off the humans' heads. The other animals went away angrily, saying that men would be too poor. Only the dog offered to live with people and share their poverty. Deceiving Man then decreed that all those animals who went away in anger would henceforth live in fear, not only of men but of dogs as well."
-- From "A History of Dogs in America"
by Marion Schwartz
More than 12,000 years ago, when the first people set foot on the shores of the Americas, they were accompanied by dogs. The role of these canine companions in the art, mythology and daily lives of the Maya, the Aztec, the Inca, the Inuit and other native cultures is explored in the exhibit "The Wild and the Tame: Dogs in Native America," which opens on Saturday, April 18, at the Peabody Museum of Natural History.
"The Wild and the Tame" features nearly 50 objects that have been drawn from collections at Yale, Harvard and Princeton, as well as those of private individuals. These range from toy dogs created from bone and clay, to a sculpted and painted dog effigy excavated from the tomb of a Maya noble, to canine figurines made of ceramic, ivory, leather, basketry and beadwork. Also featured will be natural history displays of skulls and other objects illustrating the evolution of dogs and wolves.
The exhibit was organized by Marion Schwartz, a research assistant in the anthropology department and the author of "A History of Dogs in America," published in 1997 by Yale University Press. In that book, she writes: "Dogs are remarkable animals because they are uniquely sensitive to the cultural attributes of the people with whom they live. Not only are dogs a product of culture, but they also participate in the cultures of humans. In fact, dogs were the first animals to take up residence with people and the only animals found in human societies all over the world. Because of their ubiquity across cultural boundaries, dogs have been so commonplace that their history seemed to warrant little consideration. And yet for the past twelve thousand years dogs have played an integral part in human lives."
One of the major themes of the Peabody display is that of the "helping dog," the canines who have served as partners in human labor. The exhibit will feature an Eskimo sledge hitched to a mounted sled dog; until recently, such sledges were an indispensable form of winter transportation among Arctic peoples. Also on view will be a caribou backpack, such as those once used during the summer on Inuit dogs so they could help transport goods.
The exhibit will also show how the people of the Great Plains employed dog travois -- two sticks strapped across the animal's back with a basket lashed in the center -- to transport wood, buffalo meat and household items. Illustrations in the display will reveal how dogs helped the women of these cultures with their daily tasks.
Among the types of dogs featured in "The Wild and the Tame" is a special breed of hairless dog that has existed in Central and South America from early times, which was called xoloitzcuintli by the Aztec and alcocala by the Inca. Because of its hairless skin, these "naked" dogs were believed to be very therapeutic for a number of human illnesses. They also played an important role in rituals as well.
The symbolical role played by dogs in the world view of many Native American cultures is also explored in the exhibit. For instance, the Inuit believed that the interior of Greenland was inhabited by Erkiliks, creatures that were half-human and half-dog, and they created delicate ivory carvings of these fearsome creatures. Among the Maya, dogs were associated with thunder and lightning as well as fire, so canines were frequently depicted playing drums and holding torches. And the Aztecs usually portrayed Xolotl, a god linked to the Underworld, as a dog. Examples of these canine visions will be on view in the Peabody show.
Several events have been scheduled in conjunction with "The Wild and the Tame," which is supported in part by Pfizer Corporation. On the day of the exhibit opening, there will be a demonstration of two-strand twining, an ancient technique once used by Alaskan natives to weave baskets and Raven's Tail robes. (See related story, page X.) this event also coincides with the completion of the Northwest Coast exhibits in the Hall of Native American Cultures.
On Sunday, April 26, the Peabody Museum will present a program of veterinary tips on the proper care of dogs, and there will be a visit by Xolos, an hairless dog from Mexico, along with dog breeder Patty Hoover. On Saturday, May 16, the world of the seeing-eye dog will be explored through a special demonstration program from Guiding Eyes for the Blind training school by Michael and Jane Stern, authors of "Dog Eat Dog: A Very Human Book About Dogs and Dog Shows." Details about these events will appear in future issues of the Yale Bulletin & Calendar.
"The Wild and the Tame: Dogs in Native America" will continue through Jan. 10, 1999.
The Peabody Museum of Natural History, located at 170 Whitney Ave., is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults, and $3 for children ages 3-15 and for senior citizens age 65 and older. For further information, call the InfoTape at 432-5050 or visit the museum's web site at www.peabody.yale.edu.
|