Elisabeth Jane Tooker (August 2, 1927January 13, 2005) was an American anthropologist and a leading historian on the Haudenosaunee nations in Northeastern United States.
Family Elisabeth Jane Tooker was born on August 2, 1927, in Brooklyn, New York, to Amy (), a social worker and teacher, and Clyde Tooker, a lawyer.
Education and career Tooker served as a Teaching Fellow at Harvard University from 1956 to 1957. In 1957, she served as an instructor at the State University of New York at Buffalo.
She received a bachelor's and doctorate from Radcliffe College in 1949 and 1958, respectively, and a master's from the University of Arizona in 1953. Her PhD dissertation was titled Ritual, Power and the Supernatural: A Comparative Study of Indian Religions in Southwestern United States.
Before completing her degree at Radcliffe, Tooker was employed as a Teaching Fellow at Harvard from 1956 to 1957, and in 1957, she accepted a position as instructor at the State University of New York at Buffalo.Elisabeth Tooker Papers: American Philosophical Society Library
Tooker taught history at the University at Buffalo, Mount Holyoke College, and Temple University, where she spent most of her career.
Tooker was Professor Emerita of Anthropology, Temple University, Philadelphia, where she spent the remainder her career. While at Temple she was promoted to associate professor in 1967 and Professor in 1977.
Tooker's research focused on the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois). She did field research with Seneca people in Tonawanda, New York, and published on topics including Haudenosaunee religion.
Tooker belonged to a number of professional anthropological organizations, which include the American Ethnological Society, where she served as editor of American Ethnologist, 1978–1982; the American Society for Ethnohistory. From 1981 to 1982 she was President of the Conference on Iroquois Research From 1966 to 1968 she served at the Northeastern Anthropological Association as Secretary, In 1967 Vice President of the Philadelphia Anthropological Society and President in 1967. Her extensive involvement in anthropology has earned recognition as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She was also an alumna member of Phi Beta Kappa at Radcliffe College, 1974. She was awarded the Cornplanter Medal for Iroquois Research in 1986.
Tooker died at the age of 77 on January 13, 2005, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Selected works
An Ethnography of the Huron Indians, 1615–1649 (1964)Reviews of An Ethnography of the Huron Indians, 1615–1649:
The Iroquois Ceremonial of Midwinter (1970)Reviews of The Iroquois Ceremonial of Midwinter:
The Indians of the Northeast: A Critical Bibliography (1978)Reviews of The Indians of the Northeast:
Native North American Spirituality of the Eastern Woodlands: Sacred Myths, Dreams, Visions, Speeches, Healing Formulas, Rituals and Ceremonials (1979)Reviews of Native North American Spirituality of the Eastern Woodlands:
Lewis H. Morgan on Iroquois Material Culture (1994)Reviews of Lewis H. Morgan on Iroquois Material Culture:
See also Dean Snow – American archeologist and American historian of the Haudenosaunee nations William A. Starna – American archeologist and historian of the Mohawk and Haudenosaunee
References
Sources