This collection consists of photographic views made by William Stiles in New York, Rhode Island, Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina, Newfoundland and Quebec, among the Attikamekw (Tete De Boule Cree), Eastern Band of Cherokee, Innu, Miccosukee Seminole (Mikasuki), Mohawk [Kahnawake (Caughnawaga)], Mushuaunnuat (Barren Ground Naskapi) [Utshimassit (Davis Inlet)], Narragansett, Niantic, Onondaga, Seminole, and Seneca communities. These were made while Stiles was a staff member of the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation from 1938-1974.
Scope and Contents:
The Stiles collection consists of photographs and films made by William Stiles on behalf of the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation from 1938 to 1974. More than half of these document the life of Innu peoples of Quebec, Canada, in the years 1952, 1958, 1959, and 1964. They depict Innu men, women, and children, and food preparation, dwellings, fishing, canoes, settlements, the preparation of animal skins, and ceremonials. Stiles photographed among the Seminole and Miccosukee peoples of Florida in 1939, 1940, 1941, 1966, and 1974. He also variously photographed the Narragansett and Niantic peoples of Rhode Island, the Onondaga on the Onondaga Reservation, the Eastern Band of Cherokee in North Carolina, the Seneca of New York, the Attikamekw (Tete De Boule Cree) and the Mohawk of Quebec, and the Mushuaunnuat of Labrador. He also photographed various archaeological sites in New York State, Mississippi, and South Carolina. There are also two 8mm film reels titled "Nascapi Indians at Davis Inlet, Labrador, New Foundland" that were made in the summer of 1965.
This collection has been intelectually arranged into four series and subseries geographically and then chronologically within each subseries.
Series 1: Expedtions in New York, 1938-1973; Series 2: Expeditions in Canada, 1940-1965; Series 3: Expeditions in the Southeastern, United States, 1939-1974; Series 4: Nebraska, Rhode Island and Other Locations, 1939-1942, undated.
Physically arranged by negative "N", print "P" or slide "S" number.
Biographical/Historical note:
Before joining the staff of the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation in May 1938, William F. Stiles was George G. Heye's personal driver. An employee of the Museum for almost forty years, Stiles retired in March 1978 as the Curator of Collections. Although Stiles published very little, he was an active field collector and participated in numerous archaeological expeditions. As is evident from his photographs of the Innu and Seminole peoples, he often visited individual communities more than once and over the course of several years.
Stiles Expeditions for the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation
1938 Summer -- Cayuga County Expedition.
1939 October -- Expedition to Pennsylvania and New York.
1939 November – 1940 January -- F. K. Seward and William F. Stiles Florida Expedition.
1941 -- Trip to North Carolina and Florida.
1942 -- Trip to Putnam County, New York.
1946 -- Expedition to Mississippi.
1952 June -- Expedition to Québec, Canada.
1953 June-July -- Expedition to Québec, Canada.
1957 July -- Expedition along St. Lawrence River, Canada.
1959 August -- Expedition to Québec, Canada.
1960-1967 -- William F. Stiles Southeast Expedition. Stiles began expeditions to the Southeastern U.S. in Spring and Fall of 1960. He returned to the Southeast each Oct - Nov. through 1966 conducting investigations and excavations in South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and North Carolina and Florida returning to some sites multiple times.
1961-1965 -- William F. Stiles Savannah Farms Expedition. Preliminary investigation began in Nov 1961 and work continued each year during the fall until 1965.
1964 May-June -- Expedition to Québec, Canada.
1965 June-July -- Stanley R. Grant Naskapi Expedition to Davis Inlet, Labrador, Canada.
1966 June-July -- Expedition to Labrador, Newfoundland, and Québec, Canada
1972 October -- Expedition to Seneca Reservations, New York.
1972 October-December -- Expedition to Tennessee.
1973 April -- Expedition to Seneca Reservations, New York.
1974 November -- Expedition to the Southeast: North Carolina and Florida.
Separated Materials:
Correspondence and field notes from William Stiles can be found in the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation records in Box 200.13, Box 201.7, Box 274.3-275.9, Box 305.1-305.2, Box 307.21, Box 312.11-312.17.
Restrictions:
Access is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment.
Excavations (Archaeology) -- Mississippi Search this
Indians of North America -- New York (State) Search this
Indians of North America -- Rhode Island Search this
Excavations (Archaeology) -- New York (State) Search this
Excavations (Archaeology) -- South Carolina Search this
Genre/Form:
Negatives
Photographic prints
Color slides
Photographs
Citation:
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); William F. Stiles collection of photographs and films, NMAI.AC.001.014, item #; National Museum of the American Indian Archives Center, Smithsonian Institution.
Access is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment.
Collection Rights:
Restricted: Cultural Sensitivity
Collection Citation:
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); William F. Stiles collection of photographs and films, NMAI.AC.001.014, item #; National Museum of the American Indian Archives Center, Smithsonian Institution.
The majority of the photographs in this subseries were taken in the Cote Nord Region of Québec among different Innu communties. These communities include: Innu [Pessamit (Betsiamites/Bersimis)], Innu [Ekuanitshit (Mingan)], Innu [Moisie], Innu [Uashat-Maliotenam (Seven Islands)], Innu [Pakuashipi (Saint Augustin)], Innu [Unaman Shipit (Romaine)], Innu [Nutashkuan (Nataskwan)]. These include, photographic prints, negatives and color slides that were made in 1952 (N26086-N26100, P18537-P18551), 1957 (N29562-N29604), 1958 (N41162-N41187, S02005-S02156), 1959 (S02161-S02178) and 1964 (N32844-N32867.)
A smaller amount of photographs were taken in the Montérégie Region among the Mohawk [Kahnawake (Caughnawaga)], circa 1940 (P17212-P17217) ad in theLanaudière Region, Mauricie Region and Abitibi-Témiscamingue Region Québec among the Attikamekw (Tete De Boule Cree), 1953 (N26109-N26125, N26186-N26188, P18586, P19991-P20002.)
Collection Restrictions:
Access is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment.
Collection Rights:
Restricted: Cultural Sensitivity
Collection Citation:
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); William F. Stiles collection of photographs and films, NMAI.AC.001.014, item #; National Museum of the American Indian Archives Center, Smithsonian Institution.
