Chief Straw, False Monuments, and Native Misremembrance with David Heighway and Sara Schumacher

Guess Who’s back? David Heighway; joined alongside Curatorial’s very own Curator of Native American History and Life, Sara Schumacher. Chief Straw is an entity that has been on our minds for close to a year now- and we’re going to talk about him- beyond Strawtown’s namesake story. The Native American nations and their histories have long been misunderstood in the United States. It’s hard to piece the truth together, but “hard” doesn't mean “impossible.” If you’ve ever wanted to know what the info-gathering process is like for Historians in the museum field, you’ll love this in-depth look into the process. Join us as we break down the story, analyze the documents, and place the spotlight on the “actors” that make up the messy web surrounding Chief Straw. 

Our sources:

David Heighway. “A Mysterious Murder along the Frontier.” The Indiana History Blog (2016).

https://blog.history.in.gov/a-pioneer-murder-mystery/

Eiler, Kayla J. The Lenape on the Wapahani River. Muncie, IN. Ball State University, 2014.

http://www.lenapeonthewapahani.org/

Erderame, Jyoti A. (2021) “Strawtown.” Encyclopedia of Indianapolis (2021).

https://indyencyclopedia.org/strawtown/

Ryan, Jordan. “White River History: Strawtown.” Discover White River (2021).

https://www.discoverwhiteriver.com/2021/11/03/white-river-history-strawtown/

“Strawtown Koteewi Park History.” Hamilton County, IN.

https://hamiltoncounty.in.gov/411/Strawtown-Koteewi-Park-History 

The Hoosier History Live! team. “Lenape (Delaware) Indian heritage in Indiana.” Hoosier History Live! (2014)

https://www.hoosierhistorylive.org/mail/2014-08-16.html