Historian Angie Elbertha Debo once said that “Oklahoma is more than just another state. It is a lens in which the long rays of time are focused into the brightest of light. In its magnifying clarity, dim facets of the American character stand more clearly revealed. For in Oklahoma all the experiences that went into the making of the nation have been speeded up. Here all the American traits have been intensified. The one who can interpret Oklahoma can grasp the meaning of America in the modern world.” The history of Oklahoma is complex. To those with limited knowledge of its history, they may think it
Debo’s most prominent work covered topics related to Native American and Oklahoma history. Due to heavy interest in her, many books and articles …show more content…
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• Would document her childhood in a diary, where early entries seemed to highlight her interest in history 5
• Early in her life, Debo sensed the importance of education. Debo’s interest in recording daily experiences in a diary, her attention to historical events, and her inquisitive mind encouraged the need for continuing education. 5
• What Debo gleaned from her early infatuation with books was their ability to transport die reader beyond a limited personal experience. 6
• One of Debo’s teachers, Miss Gleason, recognized her love for reading and encouraged her by having her stay after school to read aloud daily. Miss Gleason was accused of discrimination and was called before the school board. Her career hung in the balance because parents accused her of favoring Catholic children. Even though she was not terminated, she left that particular school. Debo was upset about Miss Gleason’s departure and related her feelings to her parents. She knew the accusations were not true because she was not Catholic, and Miss Gleason gave her extra time each day. …show more content…
The ethnic group as it develops over time and space demonstrates patterns ofbehavior. A second element is an emphasis on social and cultural changes and the historical causes determining change. A final element is the use ofhistorical methods and materials. Historians traditionally use written sources whereas ethnohistorians rely on anthropological sources such as oral history, archeological artifacts, and cultural traditions. Ethnohistory is considered interdisciplinary due to the mixing o f archeological, ethnological, historical, and linguistic approaches o f its practitioners.22
• Her favorite subject outside her primary areas of research was Greek history. The Greeks always provided background for the readers to enhance the telling of the story. Debo incorporated that aspect of Greek literature into her own writing. She wrote from Indian documents to provide insight into their worldview. 22
• Based on the favorable reception ofThe Rise and Fall ofthe Choctaw Nation from scholarlyjournals as well as national and local newspapers, Debo resigned from her position at Panhandle Plains Historical Museum in Canyon to pursue professional writing as a free lance writer.