Discovering Mourning Dove in the Papers of L. V. McWhorter

Abstract

ABSTRACTSimple survival is the first condition for accessible and responsibly curated documents carrying Native voices. This article explores stewardship practices of an existing collection at the Washington State University Libraries, the Lucullus V. McWhorter Papers. McWhorter was an amateur historian and one of his most important cultural informants was his friend, author Christine Quintasket (Mourning Dove). This article considers the McWhorter Papers and the Quintasket materials from two disciplinary perspectives, those of an academic historian and a librarian and archivist. The authors represent their respective professional fields as they explore this case of highlighting tribal voices within a collection more broadly defined.