Arremonops rufivirgatus

A science fiction project that explores the ambiguous human histories surrounding the discovery of the bird known as the Olive Sparrow (Arremonops rufivirgatus), as part of the westward expansion in the “wilderness” beyond the Mississippi river. The project investigates the etymology of the name, and the biographical history of the eponymic master of the species. The events surrounding the categorization of this plain bird are mere blips in history, yet they remain instrumental footnotes in drawing attention to the interconnectedness between a colonizers’ worldview and scientific history.