Page 36 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2023 - Online Magazine
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that includes a written accomplishments, he was
alphabet, dictionary, and responsible for adding seven
grammar of the native structures to the RHC, including
language, and much of the 1909 Barton House and the
his work is now required 1908 Four Sixes Barn. He once
in the curriculum of said, “Our museum complex
the tribal schools. Jim’s is a tribute to the vision of the
relationship with the Utes people and the vitality of the
in Colorado has endured cultural heritage of West Texas.
for over 60 years, and the This vision has consistently
stories he has amassed carried the people of West Texas
have enriched the lives through great adversity and
of the tellers and the enabled them to advance their
tellees. Thanks to Dr. cultural depth against great
Goss’ expertise, much of odds.”
that history and its objets
d’art are now curated Dr. Goss eventually returned
in a beautiful museum to his real passion, teaching,
near Ignacio, CO. The and to Native American
tribe demonstrated their research. The number of
appreciation by presenting academic manuscripts and
passion in earnest. His thesis their friend with a chief’s publications bearing his name
is impressive. Besides his
necessitated field work with blanket, a gift he cherishes to extensive investment in the Ute
American Indians, so he spent this day. tribes, Dr. Goss has done field
a great deal of time with the Jim earned many academic work and spent considerable
Utes of southern Colorado. awards and fellowships along time with the communities of
He immersed himself in their the way and taught at both Klamath, Shoshone, Creek,
culture, bringing his wife and UCLA and Washington State Cherokee, Choctaw, Apache,
young children with him in the University. In 1979, Dr. Goss Shawnee, Navajo, Comanche,
summers. accepted an invitation to Texas Sioux, and Seminole Indians,
He found out the Ute language Tech University as Chair of the Cree in Canada, and Aztec in
was on the verge of extinction, Department of Anthropology. Mexico, among others. Before
with only 100 individuals who In 1980, he was named Director he retired from Texas Tech in
could still speak the native of the TTU Museums, which 2000, he received one of his
tongue. It had never been included both the Tech Museum most cherished honors—that of
written down, so Jim began the and the Ranching Heritage the Texas Tech University Daily’s
painstaking process of recording Center. His childhood on the Readers’ Choice Award for
the words, the phonemes, and ranch in Oregon was only Best Professor. The students
their meanings in a dictionary. the first chapter in Dr. Goss’ obviously appreciated his
preparation for this role. He storytelling approach to teaching
His work continued for several had worked on a ranch in anthropology.
more years, as he labored to Arizona, and his many years on
preserve the language for reservations and national park After retirement, Dr. Goss
the Ute storytellers. His 1972 land added to his qualifications worked tirelessly as a consultant
dissertation is a huge volume for the job. Among many and an expert witness, most
36 Lubbock Senior Link
