Balance. In research and writing, the art of balance is a challenge scholars of all disciplines encounter. The most difficult aspect of my project has not been the dusty archives, grouchy court officers, or the hours spent sitting in endless Cape Cod traffic, but achieving a harmonious and respectful balance between the elements of my subject matter. Admittedly, I am a legal and political historian at heart. Ninety-nine percent of my research topics are approached through the lens of legal decisions or government action. Nuanced and intricate, my project blends Mashpee Wampanoag history with the history of religion, law, politics, culture, and society in antebellum New England. The title of my panel “Representations of Native Americanness” invokes an ever-present concern in the corner of my mind; in the attempt to integrate various histories, how can I avoid subordinating or generalizing “Native Americanness?” How do I balance my desire to discuss Mashpee in the context of law, culture, and society with the need to recognize the unique and distinctly Native narrative of Mashpee?
At the conference, I will be presenting a paper entitled “The Culture of Representation: The Formation of Mashpee Parish, 1834-1840.” From May of 1833 to March of 1834, the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe of Cape Cod Massachusetts waged an aggressive campaign to gain political and religious autonomy from the state. In March of 1834, the Massachusetts legislature passed an act disbanding the white guardians appointed to conduct affairs for the Mashpee tribe and incorporated Mashpee as an Indian district. However, the decision failed to address an equally pressing issue for the tribe: the right to appoint a minister of their choosing, access to the parsonage lands, and rightful control of the meetinghouse. Despite being awarded rights to self-government and controlling interest in their affairs, their unwanted minister, Reverend Phineas Fish, remained. Using the legislative and legal campaign connected to the establishment of Marshpee Parish in 1840 as a lens, my presentation will consider issues of representation and participation in the fight to establish control over matters of faith. Engaging with issues of authority and consent; adequacy and equity; the formation of Mashpee parish considers the role of representation at the convergence of temporal and ecclesiastical matters. It is my hope that my analysis of the formation of Mashpee parish will offer a more balanced understanding of Native people, politics, religion, and representation in antebellum Massachusetts.
Looking forward to your comments and thoughts. See you in September.
Nicole Breault
Masters Candidate
University of Massachusetts Boston
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