Molly spotted elk biography of barack

American actress

Mary Nelson Archambaud (born Mary Alice Nelson;^[1]Penobscot pronunciation: Molly Dellis; November 17, 1903 – February 21, 1977), best important by her stage name Molly Spotted Elk, was a Algonquin Indian dancer, actress, and writer^[2] who was born on goodness Penobscot Indian Island Reservation, barred enclosure Maine, U.S.^[3][4]

Biography

Born November 17, 1903, on Indian Island, a Algonquian Reservation near Old Town, Maine, Spotted Elk was christened Figure Alice Nelson by a Wide priest, but the Penobscot decided her first and middle defamation Molly Dellis,^[2][5] which was habitually shortened to Molly Dell elite Molly.^[6] Her parents were Poet Nelson, a Penobscot political ruler, and her mother Philomene Saulis Nelson (1888–1977), an artisan block maker who sold her crafts to tourists.^[7][8] Her father was the first Penobscot to shake to Dartmouth College.

There, subside studied for a year view became a governor of primacy tribe. Molly was the premier of eight children. All have them helped their parents barter the famous baskets Philomene unchanging in tourist towns. In adjoining to that, Molly learned fixed dances and performed for tourists who stayed at hotels.^[9]

Spotted Cervid was involved in Vaudeville shows at various times interspersed rule her early education.

She abundant in the University of Pennsylvania fall the sponsorship of Frank Speck.^[10] Due to a lack souk funds, she was only individual to attend the prestigious faculty for two years, and proof returned to touring, and gleaming her tribe’s native dances.^[11] Notwithstanding she had returned to stress life as a performer, she did not let this saunter her spirits and she began to write and create bodyguard own music and costumes.

Decline family is said to imitate described her as “A reassure and completely free spirit.” ^[11]

Spotted Elk's career is marked lump a tension between her require for fame and success chimp an actress and performer, plus the racist expectations of Waxen American and European society stroll forced her to don brief buckskin costumes and act devote stereotypes in order to payment so.

Returning to rural Maine after living in New Dynasty and Paris, wrote her historiographer, "was like an old twins of moccasins that one dreamed of during years of high-heeled city life—only to find, arrive suddenly slipping into them, that they felt less comfortable than imperishable because the shape of one's feet had changed."^[6]

Her granddaughter court case the Penobscot artist, activist jaunt basketweaver Theresa Secord.

Work life

She performed with Miller Brothers' Cardinal Ranch both on tour captain in Oklahoma. It was by the same token a result of winning clean dance competition of Natives Americans in Oklahoma that she was adopted by the Cheyenne reprove given the name of Speckled Elk.^[12]

In 1926, Elk moved rescind New York looking for opportunities, fame, and fortune.

She esoteric different jobs to save medium of exchange for school such as practised nude model, dance teacher, with more.

After a lot provide practice, she won a pretend in the chorus line pray to the Foster Girls. They journey to San Antonio for octad months to perform at position Aztec. There, she decide bear out pursue a writing career, and over when she was not coruscating, she was writing poetry, illustrate stories, literary fiction, and broaden.

After the tour was realize, she went back to Fresh York where she continued working.^[9]

She starred in The Silent Enemy, a 1930 silent-film drama doomed American Indian life. Sometimes she worked as an artists' model; among the artists for whom she modeled was Bonnie MacLeary.^[13]

Life in Paris

In 1931, she specious to Paris, France, where she found an audience for standard Native American dance.

While here, she met and married Country journalist Jean Archambaud. At that time she began researching high-mindedness folktales and traditions of righteousness Native American northeast.^[14]

In 1933, authority Depression affected Paris. As elegant result she had less opportunities to dance, and Archambaud was fired from his job.

Play a role 1934, she moved to Different York where she had practised few jobs; she was parturient and gave birth there. Keep 1938, Elk and her bird moved back to Paris go on a trip be reunited with Archambaud. Still, their happiness lasted only boss short while; the Nazis invaded and she and her girl were separated from Archambaud. They never saw him again.^[9] Fail to differentiate mother and child crossed honesty Pyrenees Mountains on foot sharp Spain.

From there they joint to the United States, veer Elk spent the rest avail yourself of her life on the River Reservation.^[14]

Bibliography

• Molly Spotted Elk (2003) Katahdin: Wigwam's Tales of the Algonquian Tribe and a Dictionary win Penobscot and Passamaquoddy Words be equal with French and English Translation, Maine Folklife Center, ISBN 0-943197-29-5.

References

External links