Oberlin and the Ojibwe: Cultural Collections as a Gateway for Examining Oberlin’s Missionary History in Minnesota
Location
PANEL: Archaeological Studies Senior Capstone Projects
Mudd 113
Moderator: Christina Neilson
Document Type
Presentation - Open Access
Start Date
5-1-2026 2:30 PM
End Date
5-1-2026 3:30 PM
Abstract
Between 1843 and 1859, numerous Oberlin students and alumni worked as missionaries among the Ojibwe in northern Minnesota, primarily at Red Lake. One of those missionaries was Sela G. Wright, who attended Oberlin from 1840 to 1843 and spent much of his life as a missionary among the Ojibwe. In 1982, Wright’s granddaughter Jean Wright gave the Oberlin College Archives materials relating to his missionary work, including letters, important documentary notes on the Ojibwe language, and six Ojibwe belongings, including children’s dolls, a cradle board, and two bandolier bags. The importance of Wright's observations on the Ojibwe language have been recognized by Ojibwe scholars, but what of the cultural items he collected? These items became the entry points for my examination, primarily through archival research, of Wright’s missionary work to gain insight into the involvement and activities of Oberlin students and alumni as missionaries among the Ojibwe. As colleges and other institutions seek to reckon with their role in the colonization of Indigenous peoples, especially since the passage of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, this study seeks to clarify Oberlin's role in these missions and its responsibilities towards this collection and the Ojibwe communities whose ancestors created it.
Keywords:
Indigenous studies, Oberlin history, Missionary work, Ojibwe history
Recommended Citation
Burkhardt, Sal, "Oberlin and the Ojibwe: Cultural Collections as a Gateway for Examining Oberlin’s Missionary History in Minnesota" (2026). Research Symposium. 3.
https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/researchsymp/2026/presentations/3
Major
Archeological Studies; Studio Art
Project Mentor(s)
Amy Margaris, Archaeological Studies
2026
Oberlin and the Ojibwe: Cultural Collections as a Gateway for Examining Oberlin’s Missionary History in Minnesota
PANEL: Archaeological Studies Senior Capstone Projects
Mudd 113
Moderator: Christina Neilson
Between 1843 and 1859, numerous Oberlin students and alumni worked as missionaries among the Ojibwe in northern Minnesota, primarily at Red Lake. One of those missionaries was Sela G. Wright, who attended Oberlin from 1840 to 1843 and spent much of his life as a missionary among the Ojibwe. In 1982, Wright’s granddaughter Jean Wright gave the Oberlin College Archives materials relating to his missionary work, including letters, important documentary notes on the Ojibwe language, and six Ojibwe belongings, including children’s dolls, a cradle board, and two bandolier bags. The importance of Wright's observations on the Ojibwe language have been recognized by Ojibwe scholars, but what of the cultural items he collected? These items became the entry points for my examination, primarily through archival research, of Wright’s missionary work to gain insight into the involvement and activities of Oberlin students and alumni as missionaries among the Ojibwe. As colleges and other institutions seek to reckon with their role in the colonization of Indigenous peoples, especially since the passage of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, this study seeks to clarify Oberlin's role in these missions and its responsibilities towards this collection and the Ojibwe communities whose ancestors created it.
