On Tuesday, April 1, the Smathers Libraries hosted the annual Michael Gannon Lecture, featuring linguistic anthropologist George Aaron Broadwell, Ph.D., the Elling Eide Professor of Anthropology at University of Florida as guest speaker.
Held in the historic Smathers Library, Dr. Broadwell’s talk, “Reading Florida’s First Native Authors: Towards an Understanding of Timucua Literature,” introduced the public to some of the most interesting passages of Timucua literature and discussed the techniques that his team has used to read and interpret Timucua texts.
Having assembled a host of texts written in Timucua, the native language of the inhabitants of northern Florida from around the twelfth century into the eighteenth century, Broadwell has spent years working to translate what the writers were recording. Through his own efforts, work with colleagues, and assistance from students Broadwell has reconstructed substantial parts of Timucua vocabulary, in some cases interpreting previously untranslated texts, and also offering new revelations about those with Spanish corollaries.
His work has revolutionized understanding of the conquest and colonial eras in Florida, giving voice to the people who lived under Spanish rule and revealing what their letters and writings say about about dramatic changes taking place in their lives and world. The topic is especially appropriate for a lecture in honor of Michael Gannon, who included in his own discussions of Florida history an example of the Timucua-language version of the Lord’s Prayer.
The event was well attended, with more than 100 people. The Michael Gannon Lecture Fund was established in 2019 to honor Mike’s life and work through an annual lecture by a significant scholar or notable speaker. The generosity of Lamar Matthews allowed the Libraries to bring Jon Meacham to campus in 2021 for the Inaugural Michael Gannon Lecture. The Libraries continue to bring high-caliber speakers to campus annually through this lecture series. To learn more about how to support the Gannon Lecture Fund, visit the Michael Gannon Lecture Fund.
For information or assistance, please contact the Libraries Development Office at
(352) 273-2505 or lib-development@ad.ufl.edu.
