Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Contributed in memory of Professor Sarah Webster Fabio (1928-1979), poet, educator, Black Arts Movement icon, and one of the Literary Corner's analysts.
Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Introduction:
More than 60 million people live in the Mekong basin - speakers of at least a hundred languages. Some of the region's ethno-linguistic groups, such as the Khmer, Thai, and Vietnamese, number in the tens of millions, while others have populations of only a hundred or so people. Their livelihoods are as diverse as their ethnicities: the Mekong region includes tiny mountain villages of a dozen households, where people eke out a living from hillside rice fields, and densely populated plains and deltas, where the river's waters flow into rice paddies that are harvested three times annually. But the region also includes bustling modern cities of a million or more people and industries ranging from rubber plants and textile factories to high-tech production facilities. Unparalleled in the diversity of its fisheries, the Mekong region is not only the rice bowl of Asia, but also its fish basket.
How to introduce this huge, diverse, and complex region to visitors at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival? How to select some two hundred people to represent tens of millions? How best to give Festival visitors a sense of the challenging cultural choices that confront the Mekong region and its inhabitants at the beginning of the twenty-first century? And how to mobilize the support of governments, funders, researchers, and communities to make the whole effort possible? These were the questions facing Smithsonian experts and their Mekong counterparts as planning for the Festival began in 2004.
A unique and complex process of collaborative planning brought together a network of regional experts who shaped the program over several years in a series of consultative meetings, training workshops, and review sessions, made possible in large part by the Rockefeller Foundation. Their first task was to identify several themes that would guide the research, planning, and participant selection and would later help Festival visitors gain a coherent sense of this vast and complicated region.
The first theme was that of the Mekong River itself - of water as the sustainer of life. The second theme examined rivers and water as the focus of shared symbolic meanings and artistic expressions for the peoples of the Mekong region. The third theme considered the Mekong and its tributaries not only as channels of communication and commerce, but also, in places, as daunting barriers that inhibited contacts between neighbors. Finally, the fourth theme took up the tremendous diversity - geographic, environmental, ethnic, and cultural - that characterizes the Mekong region. Throughout, the organizers and several dozen Mekong-region researchers, who carried out the fieldwork leading to the Festival, were guided by the fundamental understanding that certain core cultural values were shared among the peoples of the Mekong region, despite the great diversity of their languages, religions, and histories.
Visitors to The Mekong River: Connecting Cultures program could not hear the sounds of cocks crowing to welcome the rising sun or of kites singing to chase away the clouds. They did not smell the pungent fumes of burning gunpowder as rockets in the shape of nagas lofted skyward to ensure sufficient rain or the heady odors of fish fermenting in pots to make Cambodian prahok, Lao pha daek, or Vietnamese mam ca. They could not view the pockets of fog settling into Yunnan mountain passes in the morning sun, the flood waters stretching from one horizon to the other at the end of the rainy season, or the verdant green of rice paddies as far as the eye can see. But Festival organizers were confident that the two hundred musicians, singers, cooks, craftspeople, ritual specialists, and dancers who came to the banks of the Potomac from the banks of the Mekong were, nevertheless, able to give visitors a sense of the region and its remarkable people.
For the Smithsonian, James Deutsch, Richard Kennedy, Frank Proschan, and Lan-Lan Wang constituted the Curatorial Team; Arlene Reiniger was Program Coordinator; Kim Stryker was Family Learning Sala Coordinator; Steven Prieto was Pu'er Teahouse Coordinator; and Jane Griffiths was Marketplace Consultant. The Cambodia Curatorial Team included H.E. Samraing Kamsan, Sam-Ang Sam, and Suon Bun Rith; Suon Bun Rith also served as Program Coordinator. The China-Yunnan Steering Committee included Yan Youqiong, Zheng Ming, Fan Jianhua, Yang Fuquan, Xie Mohua, Zhou Yunxiang, and Dai Shiping. Jin Qiang was Lead Coordinator; Leng Yunping and Ma Yinghui were Coordinators; and Jiang Weili, Wang Jun, and Yang Hongwen were Assistant Coordinators. The Laos Curatorial and Coordinating Team included Chanthaphilith Chiemsisouraj, Kanha Sikounnavong, Khammanh Siphanxay, Outtala Vanyouveth, and Souriyanh Sisaengrat. The Thailand Curatorial, Steering, and Coordinating Team included Paritta Chalermpow Koanantakool, Suvanna Kriengkraipetch, Chewasit Boonyakiet, Sareeya Boontum, and Somrak Chaisingananont. The Vietnam Coordinating Team included Dang Van Bai, Le Thi Minh Ly, Le Hong Ly, Luu Tran Tieu, Ngo Duc Thinh, Nguyen Chi Ben, Nguyen Van Huy, and To Ngoc Thanh; and the Vietnam Curatorial Team was Nguyen Kim Dung, Nguyen Duc Tang, and Pham Cao Quy.
The program was produced in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom of Thailand, the People's Government of Yunnan Province of the People's Republic of China, the Ministry of Information and Culture of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, and the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and in collaboration with Aid to Artisans, Amrita Performing Arts, China Yunnan International Culture Exchange, Connecticut College, and the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre. Major donors included the Rockefeller Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the Henry Luce Foundation. Additional donors and supporters included the McKnight Foundation, American Express, the Asian Cultural Council, and the Smithsonian Women's Committee. Additional funding came from the Henry J. Fox Trust and Refugees International.
Researchers:
Research trainers
Chanthaphilith Chiemsisouraj, Charlie Weber, Chavivan Prachuabmoh, Cynthia Vidaurri, Frank Proschan, Nguyen Truong Giang, Paritta Chalermpow Koanantakool, Richard Kennedy, Sam-Ang Sam, Stephen Kidd, Suriya Smutkupt, Suvanna Kriengkraipetch
Researchers
Amphaka Mata, Anachanh Soukanya, Anupap Sakulngam, Bui Phat Diem, Bui Thi Phuong Mai, Chanvit Tiraprasert, Chewasit Boonyakiet, Dang Kim Quy, Dang Van Hung, Fan Jianhua, Hoang Huang, Huang Yindan, Jiang Weili, Jin Qiang, Kanha Sikounnavong, Khammay Thavivanh, Khampheng Soulignavong, Korakot Boonlop, Lan-Lan Wang, Leng Yunping, Lu Van Hoi, Ma Yinghui, Mai My Duyen, Mok Ravi, Mourn Sopheap, Nguyen Dinh To, Nguyen Duc Tang, Nguyen Minh Tam, Nguyen Thi Thu Huang, Nguyen Van Thien, Nguyen Xuan Hoanh, Oudom, Outtala Vanyouveth, Panita Sarawasee, Phal Pisey, Pham Cao Quy, Pham Quoc Vinh, Phan Thanh Bang, Phengsavanh Vongchandy, Phoeurn Revant, Phoukhong Kinglattana, Prak Born, Prak Sokhorn, Prak Sonnara, Sam-Ang Sam, Sareeya Boontham, Sarinya Khammuang, Soem Chhayarith, Sirinut Khutaka, Sivilay Chanthavong, Som Phrasayamonkhounh, Som Prapey, Somchai Jayaw, Somchai Nil-Athi, Sommai Chinnak, Somphon Silasak, Somrak Chaisingkananont, Somsak Sibunreung, Son Luong, Songsak Kaewmoon, Souriyanh Sisengrath, Sun Sovanny, Sunee Prasongbandit, Suon Bun Rith, Supara Maneerat, Tran Van Hanh, Try Suphearac, Ung Sreng, Vaeng Phommalinh, Vongpraseut, Vongsavanh Vongmoungkhoun, Wang Jun, Xie Mohua, Ya Da, Yang Fuquan, Yang Hongwen, Yang Rathana, Yang Xiaoda, Yongxiang Li, Yu Ming, Yun Mane, Zheng Ming, Zhou Yunxiang
Presenters:
An Thu Tra, Bountheng Souksavadt, Bui Thi Phuong Mai, Chanthaboupha Vongsaravan, Chanvit Tiraprasert, Chewasit Boonyakiet, Frank Proschan, Helen Rees, Jing Li, Korakot Boonlop, La Thi Thanh Thuy, Lan-Lan Wang, Le Tung Lam, Leedom Lefferts, Louise Cort, Luo Lin, Ma Yihua, Mo Cunyan, Nghiem Xuan Dong, Nguyen Duc Tang, Nguyen Kim Dung, Pham Cao Quy, Phan Thanh Bang, Phetmalayvan Keobounma, Phoeurn Revant, Pichet Saiphan, Prapassorn Posrithong, Ratana Tosakul, Sam Thida, Sam-Ang Sam, Somrak Chaisingkananont, Suon Bun Rith, Suriya Smutkupt, Suvanna Kriengkraipetch, Tran Thi Thu Thuy, Yang Xinyu, Yun Mane, Zhao Jin
Participants:
CRAFT TRADITIONS
Bahnar Arts
A Kheng, 1978-, canoe maker, Vietnam
A Thao, 1979-, canoe maker, Vietnam
A Tik, 1968-, canoe maker, Vietnam
Bamboo Crafts
Bai Yongxing, Dai bamboo weaver, Yunnan
Bounmy Vannasone, Kmhmu basket maker, Laos
Gen Dequan, Dai reed pipe maker, Yunnan
Khampian Serlorborny, basket maker, Laos
Rasee Maedmingngao, 1951-, mouth organ maker, Thailand
Pong Lang Music Ensemble -- Pong Lang Music EnsembleAcha Phali, 1983-, mouth organ player, singerDecha Boong-U-Toom, 1978-, mouth organ and flute playerNarakorn Khamsopa, 1980-, instrumentalistNutthanun Imsombut, 1979-, instrumentalistPongtorn Panphad, 1980-, instrumentalistResuan Perin, 1982-, percussionist
Salor-Sor-Seung Music Ensemble -- Salor-Sor-Seung Music EnsembleAmnuay Moeikham, 1966-Duangdee Prayong, 1946-Porn Lapa, 1947-Thongdee Khrueawong, 1955-
Bahnar Rongao Gong and Drum Ensemble -- Bahnar Rongao Gong and Drum EnsembleA Bek, 1930-A Dan, 1978-A Hyan, 1980-A Jut, 1961-A Kheng, 1978-A KhoaiA Nhur, 1957-A Rup, 1977-A Thao, 1979-A Thunh, 1964-A Thut, 1957-A Tik, 1968-A Trao, 1973-A TropY Gai, 1987-Y Gyai, 1987-
Don Ca Tai Tu Vietnamese Folk Music -- Don Ca Tai Tu Vietnamese Folk MusicDang Van Su, 1962-Dang Van Toai, 1949-Duong Minh Khuong, 1964-Huynh Hoa Guong, 1968-Pham Van Loan (Tu Loan), 1964-
Hat Boi Folk Opera -- Hat Boi Folk OperaHuynh Thi Yen Linh, 1973-Huynh Van Hen, 1949-Pham Van Muoi Mot, 1964-Nguyen Van Thinh, 1963-Nguyen Van Tot
Khmer Robam Music and Dance -- Khmer Robam Music and DanceLam HuynhLam PhuongLam Thanh HungLam Thi Huang
Yi Music -- Yi MusicGao HongzhangHe WenxingLuo Fengxue
Collection Restrictions:
Access by appointment only. Where a listening copy or viewing copy has been created, this is indicated in the respective inventory; additional materials may be accessible with sufficient advance notice and, in some cases, payment of a processing fee. Older papers are housed at a remote location and may require a minimum of three weeks' advance notice and payment of a retrieval fee. Certain formats such as multi-track audio recordings and EIAJ-1 videoreels (1/2 inch) may not be accessible. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at 202-633-7322 or rinzlerarchives@si.edu for additional information.
Collection Rights:
Copyright and other restrictions may apply. Generally, materials created during a Festival are covered by a release signed by each participant permitting their use for personal and educational purposes; materials created as part of the fieldwork leading to a Festival may be more restricted. We permit and encourage such personal and educational use of those materials provided digitally here, without special permissions. Use of any materials for publication, commercial use, or distribution requires a license from the Archives. Licensing fees may apply in addition to any processing fees.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 2007 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
One World, Many Voices: Endangered Languages and Cultural Heritage
Collection Creator:
Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Introduction:
From the rugged Oregon coast, to the Himalayan foothills, to the Bolivian Andes, languages are struggling to survive. Of the more than 7,000 languages spoken in the world today - many of them unrecorded, and with small numbers of speakers - up to half may disappear in this century.
Languages are humankind's principal way of interacting and of communicating ideas, knowledge, values, memories, and history. As primary vehicles of cultural expressions such as poetry, songs, textile weaving, basket making, and foodways, they are essential to the identity of individuals and communities. Languages also embody the accumulation of thousands of years of a people's science and art - from observations of wind and weather patterns to creation stories. Much of what humans know about the natural world is encoded in oral languages. Safeguarding endangered languages is crucial to preserving cultural and intellectual diversity worldwide.
When a language disappears, unique ways of knowing, understanding, and experiencing the world are lost forever. When a language survives, along with the stories and knowledge it contains, we all gain a deeper connection to our common cultural heritage. The 2013 Festival celebrated the survival of languages, and the wondrous art and knowledge they contain.
The world's endangered languages are speaking up, finding their global voice. No culture has a monopoly on genius, and we never know where the next great idea will come from. Languages provide different pathways of thought, leading us to different places. They are the seedbeds for new ideas. They support identity, creativity, and self-worth - all abundantly on display at the 2013 Festival.
K. David Harrison and Marjorie Hunt were Program Curators and Arlene Reiniger was Program Coordinator. Advisors included: Gregory D.S. Anderson, Betty Belanus, Joshua Bell, Jean Bergey, Olivia Cadaval, Aron Crowell, Kevin Healy, Emil Her Many Horses, Gwyneira Isaac, Henry Ke'a, Richard Kennedy, Robert Leopold, Theodore Levin, Mary Linn, Michael Mason, Fernándo Nava, Gabriela Pérez Báez, Ruth Rouvier, Theresa Secord, Daniel Sheehy, Kalena Silva, Beth Thomas, Jennifer Weston, Colin Williams, and Steve Zeitlin.
The program was produced by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage in collaboration with UNESCO, the National Geographic Society's Enduring Voices Project, and the Smithsonian's Recovering Voices Initiative. Major support was provided by the Dr. Frederik Paulsen Foundation; Microsoft Local Language Program; the Embassy of Colombia in Washington, D.C.; the Ministry of Culture of Colombia, and the Caro y Cuervo Institute; the U.S. State Department Fund for Innovation in Public Diplomacy and the United States Embassy in Bolivia; the Inter-American Foundation; and the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, the University of Hawai'i System, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Additional support was provided by the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian; the Smithsonian's Recovering Voices Initiative; the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center; the Christensen Fund and the International Institute of Education; the Dirección de Salvaguarda del Patrimonio Cultural del Gobierno de Oaxaca and the Mexican Cultural Institute of Washington, D.C.; the Welsh Government/Llywodraeth Cymru; the Smithsonian Institution Consortium for World Cultures and the Consortium for Understanding the American Experience; Certified Languages International; Diplomatic Language Services; CETRA Language Solutions; Mango Languages; the Nina & Ivan Selin Family Foundation; the Linguistic Society of America; the Center for Traditional Music and Dance; the Smithsonian Latino Center; and the Comisión Nacional para el Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indígenas.
Researchers:
Gregory D.S. Anderson, Joshua Bell, Dawn Biddison, Walter Brooks, Olga Lucía Calderón, Emalani Case, Víctor Cata, Jeremy Fahringer, Michele Goldwasser, K. David Harrison, Josefa María Hernández, Carmen Beatriz Loza, Daniel Manjarrés, Linda Moriarty, Gabriela Pérez Báez, Sean Quirk, Aaron Sala, Theresa Secord, Jeff Todd Titon, Norman Valencia, Jessie Vallejo
Presenters:
Gregory D. S. Anderson, Betty Belanus, Olivia Cadaval, Víctor Cata, Adriana Cruz, James Early, Blenda Femenias, María Firmino-Castillo, Kevin Healy, Alexandro D. Hernández, Chinchi Kungaa, Carmen Beatriz Loza, Michael Mason, Gabriela Pérez Báez, Sean Quirk, Aaron Sala, Silvia Salgado, Theresa Secord, Daniel Sheehy, Jessie Vallejo, Cynthia Vidaurri, Ranald Woodaman
Ri Palenge -- Ri PalengeÉlida Cañate Díaz, 1990-, Palenque, Bolivár, ColombiaMaría del Transito Hernández Cabarcas, 1990-, San Basilio de Palenque, Bolivár, ColombiaAndris Padilla Julio, 1992-, San Basilio de Palenque, Bolivár, Colombia
Wayuunaiki -- WayuunaikiMónica López Pushaina, 1992-, Albania, La Guajira, ColombiaJoaquín Ramón Prince Bruges, 1972-, Uribia, La Guajira, ColombiaBenito Pushaina Apshana, 1982-, Uribia, La Guajira, ColombiaLuis Misael Socarrás Ipuana, 1970-, Albania, La Guajira, ColombiaMarciano Urrariyú Gouriyu, 1990-, Albania, La Guajira, Colombia
Garifuna – Los Angeles and New York City Diaspora
Libaya Baba (drumming and dance group) -- Libaya Baba (drumming and dance group)Dayton Bernardez, 1969-, Los Angeles, CaliforniaJeff Bernardez, 1965-, Inglewood, CaliforniaKelsie Bernardez, 1966-, Inglewood, CaliforniaConrad Nolberto, 1957-, Los Angeles, California
Greg Palacio, 1962-, cultural artist, Los Angeles, California
Carlos "Mingo" Alvarez, 1951-, Wanaragua dancer, drummer, drum maker, cultural historian, Los Angeles, California
Flavio "Paps" Alvarez, 1950-, Wanaragua chief, Los Angeles, California
Philip Gabriel, Wanaragua dancer, Chicago, Illinois
Carlos Gonzalez, Wanaragua dancer, Miami Garden, Florida
Georgette Lambey, 1968-, singer, dancer, Los Angeles, California
James Lovell, 1964-, musician, singer, songwriter, storyteller, educator, Brooklyn, New York
Martha Martinez, 1941-, singer, dancer, foodways, cultural leader, Los Angeles, California
Chester Nunez, drummer, singer, Bronx, New York
Delmo Nunez, drummer, singer, Bronx, New York
Julio Nunez, drummer, singer, Bronx, New York
Ruben Reyes, 1962-, language teacher, cultural historian, filmmaker, Los Angeles, California
Miriam Suazo-Moore, dancer, educator, poet
Hawaiian
Kalani Akana, 1957-, -- kumu hula -- , Honolulu, Hawaii
Kaimana Barcarse, teacher, radio DJ, voyager, Hilo, Hawaii
Chad Kālepa Baybayan, wayfinder, non-instrument navigator, Kailua, Kona, Hawaii
Kanani Beniamina, -- ni'ihau -- shell lei maker, Makaweli, Hawaii
Snowbird Puananiopaoakalani Bento, -- kumu hula -- , Honolulu, Hawaii
Pele Ka'io, hula learner
Nāoho Kanahele, hula learner
Tuhi Kanahele, hula learner
Kekuhikuhi K. Keali'ikanaka'oleohaililani, kumu hula, Hilo, Hawaii
Kalehua Krug, immersion teacher, musician
Kihapaiokalani Krug, language homeschool teacher
Kamaleikuhalia Krug, language learner
Ka'ulakauikeaokea Krug, language learner
Leleapao'o Krug, language learner
Earl Kawa'a, cultural educator, Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii
Kihei Nahale-a, -- makuakane -- , Kahuku, Hawaii
Nāhiku Nahale-a, -- kikikane -- , Kahuku, Hawaii
Wahinepō'aimoku Nahale-a, -- kikamahine -- , Kahuku, Hawaii
Lolena Nicholas, Hawaiian language and culture expert
Puakea Nogelmeier, Hawaiian language expert
Aaron Salā, musician, singer, Kane-oha, Hawaii
Makanani Salā, dancer
Noheahiwahiwa Stibbard, -- makuahine -- , Kahuku, Hawaii
Taupōuri Tangarō, -- kumu hula -- , Hilo, Hawaii
Annette Ku'uipolani Wong, Hawaiian language and culture expert, Honolulu, Hawaii
Sonya F. Moody-Jurado, 1967-, dancer, regalia maker, Salem, Oregon
Joseph C. Scott, 1966-, dancer, regalia maker, Shedd, Oregon
Andrew Viles, 1959-, basket maker, Eugene, Oregon
Carson Viles, 1990-, dancer, Eugene, Oregon
Tuvan – Russian Federation
Said Mikhailovich Chüldük, 1977-, saddle maker, leatherworker, throat singer, musician, Kyzyl, Tuva, Russia
Marat Boragaevich Damdyn, instrument maker, Kyzyl, Tuva, Russia
Ayana Samiyaevna Mongush, 1976-, musician, composer, Kyzyl, Tuva, Russia
Artysh Kherlievich Salchak, 1981-, nomad traditions, Kyzyl, Tuva, Russia
Cheynesh Ivanovna Salchak, nomad traditions
Artur Dorzhuevich Shozhunchap, stone carver
Aldar Konstantinovich Tamdyn, 1975-, instrument maker, throat singer, yurt and furniture maker, Kyzyl, Tuva, Russia
Raisa Kopeekovna Tas-ool, seamstress, Kyzyl-Dag, Tuva, Russia
Wabanaki – Maine
Cassandra Dana, Passamaquoddy student, dancer, Princeton, Maine
Stacey Dana, Passamaquoddy student, dancer, Princeton, Maine
Brenda Lozada, Passamaquoddy language teacher, dancer, Princeton, Maine
George Neptune, 1988-, Passamaquoddy basket maker, museum educator, Sullivan, Maine
Jennifer Sapiel Neptune, 1969-, Penobscot basket maker, Old Town, Maine
Wayne Newell, Passamaquoddy storyteller, singer, educator, Princeton, Maine
Molly Neptune Parker, 1939-, Passamaquoddy basket maker, language educator, Princeton, Maine
Gabriel Paul, 1985-, Penobscot-Passamaquoddy-Maliseet basket maker, language instructor, Indian Island, Maine
Theresa Secord, 1958-, Penobscot basket maker, Waterville, Maine
Blanche Sockabasin, Passamaquoddy elder, singer, teacher, Princeton, Maine
Donald Soctomah, Passamaquoddy historic preservation officer
Welsh – Wales
Gwyneth Glyn, singer-songwriter, poet, Caerdydd, De Morgannwg, Wales
Ifor ap Glyn, poet, broadcaster, Caermarfon, Gwynedd, Wales
Twm Morys, poet, musician, singer, Llanystumdwy, Gwynedd, Wales
Owen Saer, language teacher, choir director, Caerdydd, De Morgannwg, Wales
Yiddish – New York City
An-sky Yiddish Heritage Ensemble -- An-sky Yiddish Heritage EnsembleMichael Alpert, singer, violin and accordion player, poyk/drummer, dancerEthel Raim, singer, New York, New YorkPete Rushefsky, tsimbl/hammered dulcimer playerJake Shulman-Ment, violin player, Brooklyn, New York
Collection Restrictions:
Access by appointment only. Where a listening copy or viewing copy has been created, this is indicated in the respective inventory; additional materials may be accessible with sufficient advance notice and, in some cases, payment of a processing fee. Older papers are housed at a remote location and may require a minimum of three weeks' advance notice and payment of a retrieval fee. Certain formats such as multi-track audio recordings and EIAJ-1 videoreels (1/2 inch) may not be accessible. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at 202-633-7322 or rinzlerarchives@si.edu for additional information.
Collection Rights:
Copyright and other restrictions may apply. Generally, materials created during a Festival are covered by a release signed by each participant permitting their use for personal and educational purposes; materials created as part of the fieldwork leading to a Festival may be more restricted. We permit and encourage such personal and educational use of those materials provided digitally here, without special permissions. Use of any materials for publication, commercial use, or distribution requires a license from the Archives. Licensing fees may apply in addition to any processing fees.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 2013 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Lorenzo Dow Turner was born in Elizabeth City, N.C. in 1895. He earned his B.A. in 1914 from Howard University; in 1917, he received an M.A. in English from Harvard University. He received his doctorate in English from the University of Chicago in 1926 while simultaneously serving as chairman and professor of the Department of English at Howard from 1917 to 1928. He held the same positions at Fisk University in Nashville from 1929 to 1946. In 1946 he accepted a professorship in the English department at Roosevelt University in Chicago, where he remained as professor of English and lecturer in African Cultures until his retirement in 1970. Turner was professor emeritus at Roosevelt until his death at age 77 in 1972. Turner's professional and academic interests encompassed both English and linguistics. A noted scholar of African languages and linguistics, he learned numerous West African languages, mastering five of them. He was a noted authority on Gullah, a Creole language spoken in the Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia.
General:
This transcription of interviews with Gullah speakers was created by Lorenzo Dow Turner from his field recordings in the Sea Islands during the 1930s and 1940s.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Topic:
African languages -- Study and teaching -- United States Search this
Linguistics -- Research -- United States Search this
The collection, which dates from 1895 to 1972 and measures 23.97 linear feet, documents the career and travels of Professor Lorenzo Dow Turner. The collection is comprised of correspondence, academic papers, research materials, books, newspaper and journal articles, sound recordings, and photographs.
Arrangement note:
The collection is arranged in the following series:
Series 1: Biographical
Series 2: Academic Career
Series 3: Writings
Series 4: Research
Series 5: Photographs
Series 6: Sound Recordings
Series 7: Printed Materials
Biographical/Historical note:
Lorenzo Dow Turner was born in Elizabeth City, N.C. in 1895. He earned his B.A. in 1914 from Howard University; in 1917, he received an M.A. in English from Harvard University. He received his doctorate in English from the University of Chicago in 1926 while simultaneously serving as chairman and professor of the Department of English at Howard from 1917 to 1928. He held the same positions at Fisk University in Nashville from 1929 to 1946. In 1946 he accepted a professorship in the English department at Roosevelt University in Chicago, where he remained as professor of English and lecturer in African Cultures until his retirement in 1970. Turner was professor emeritus at Roosevelt until his death at age 77 in 1972. Turner's professional and academic interests encompassed both English and linguistics. A noted scholar of African languages and linguistics, he learned numerous West African languages, mastering five of them. He was a noted authority on Gullah, a Creole language spoken in the Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia.
Related Archival Materials note:
Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers at Northwestern University Library
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation Search this
Collection Director:
Heye, George G. (George Gustav), 1874-1957 Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Biographical / Historical:
Leo Joachim Frachtenberg (1883-1930) was born in Austria. He moved to the United States and became well respected as an anthropologist, publishing articles in scholarly journals including the American Anthropologist and Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin. Frachtenburg worked mainly among the native peoples of Oregon. His interests were primarily linguistic. In 1907, Frachtenburg was working under the auspices of the Bureau of American Ethnology among the Tutelo on the Grand River Reservation in Ontario. Following in the footsteps of Edward Sapir, he collected what he could of Tutelo vocabulary. In 1909 Frachtenburg was the Assistant United States Commissioner of Immigration and in 1910 he was chief of the foreign population census of New York City. In 1911 Frachtenburg was again working under the auspices of the Bureau of American Ethnology and also of Columbia University. He was conducting a study of the Siuslawan language on Siletz reservation in Oregon. In the summer of 1915 and fall of 1916, Frachtenburg conducted ethnological and linguistic studies among the Quileute on the Quileute reservation at Lapush, Washington. During the latter part of the 1920s Frachtenburg was the national field director for the Palestinian Foundation Fund (later known as the United Jewish Appeal). The Palestinian Foundation Fund was an arm of the World Zionist Fund, whose purpose was to help build and develop a Jewish homeland. Frachtenberg died in Waterloo, Iowa at the age of 47.
Collection Restrictions:
Access to NMAI Archive Center collections is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment (phone: 301-238-1400, email: nmaiarchives@si.edu).
Collection Rights:
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish or broadcast materials from the collection must be requested from the National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiarchives@si.edu.
Collection Citation:
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation Records, Box and Folder Number; National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center, Smithsonian Institution.
The Frank Gouldsmith Speck photograph collection includes portraits of individuals and families, as well as scenic shots and landscape views made between 1909 and 1937. Speck was an anthropologist and ethnographer, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and worked on behalf of the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation collecting ethnographic materials across the Eastern United States and Canada. His collection of photographs includes materials from native communities ranging from Newfoundland to Ontario in Canada and from Maine to South Carolina in the United States.
Scope and Contents:
The Frank Gouldsmith Speck photograph collection includes negatives and a small amount of prints made by Speck throughout the course of his career as an anthropologist and ethnographer. The majority of the photographs in this collection were made while Speck conducted field trips on behalf of the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation between 1924 and 1932, though there are photographs from before and after this time. This collection has been arranged into Series by geographical location and then into subseries by culture group or community. Series 1: Newfoundland and Labrador: Innu, Mushuaunnuat, 1916-1935; Series 2: Quebec: Innu, Mistassini Cree, Lorette Huron, Wawenock, Mohawk, Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg, 1910-1937; Series 3: New Brunswick and Nova Scotia: Maliseet, Mi'kmaq, 1909-1917; Series 4: Ontario: Six Nations/Grand River (Naticoke, Mohawk, Cayuga, Mahican, Tutelo), Oneida Nation, 1914-1937; Series 5: Maine and New Hampshire: Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Abenaki, 1910-1924; Series 6: Massachussets and Rhode Island: Wampanoag, Nauset, 1914-1931; Series 7: Connecticut: Mohegan, Niantic, Schaghticoke, Pequot, 1912-1931; Series 8: Delaware: Nanticoke and Rappahanock, 1911-1925; Series 9: Virginia and Maryland: Rappahanock, Chickahominy, Pamunkey, Mattaponi, Nansemond, Potomac, Accomac, Powhatan, 1915-1924; Series 10: North Carolina and South Carolina: Catawba, Eastern Band of Cherokee, 1915-1930.
Many of Frank Speck's photographs are individual and family portraits of community members, many identified, posed outdoors in front of homes and community buildings. There are also landscape views as well as photographs taken during community events. There are a small amount of photographs that have now been restricted due to cultural sensitivity though for the most part Speck did not photograph culturally sensitive activities.
Arrangement:
The collection is intellectually arranged in 10 Series by geographic region and within each series by culture group. The negatives are physically arranged by catalog number.
Biographical / Historical:
Frank Gouldsmith Speck was born on November 8, 1881 in Brooklyn, New York. He studied under the prominent linguist John Dyneley Prince and anthropologist Franz Boas at Columbia University, receiving his BA in 1904 and MA in 1905. He received his Ph.D. in 1908 from the University of Pennsylvania. His doctoral dissertation on the ethnography of the Yuchi became a basis for an article which later appeared in the Handbook of American Indians. That same year Speck became an assistant in the University of Pennsylvania Museum and an instructor in anthropology at the University. He was made assistant professor in 1911, and professor and chairperson of the department in 1925, a position which he held until his death in 1950. Speck was the founder of the Philadelphia Anthropological Society, and was vice-president of the American Anthropological Association from 1945-46. Speck's research concentration was on the Algonkian speaking peoples. Speck studied every aspect of a culture: language, ethnobiology, technology, decorative art, myths, religion, ceremonialism, social organization, and music. Collecting material culture was also an integral part of Speck's fieldwork. His collections can be found in museums around the world, one of which is the National Museum of the American Indian. He is the author of numerous books and articles. Frank G. Speck died February 6, 1950. (A. Irving Hallowell, American Anthropologist, Vol. 53, No. 1, 1951)
Related Materials:
The Frank G. Speck Papers can be found at the American Philosophical Society (Mss.Ms.Coll.126) along with additional photographic materials by Speck.
Frank Speck published extensively in the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation publications; "Indian Notes" and "Indian Notes and Monographs." These publications are avialable through the Smithsonian Institution Libraries or online on the Internet Archive.
Separated Materials:
A small amount of notes from Speck's field work can be found in the Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation records (NMAI.AC.001) in Box 273, Folder 18 through Box 274 Folder 2.
Close to 4000 ethnographic and archeological items were collected by Speck for the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation (MAI) and are now in the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) collection. For more information about these objects contact the NMAI Collections Department.
Provenance:
The majority of the negatives were gifted to the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation (MAI) by Frank Speck in 1927. The group of Nanticoke photographs were purchased by the MAI in 1915 and smaller amounts of photographs were gifted and purchased by the MAI between 1923 and 1942.
Restrictions:
Access to NMAI Archive Center collections is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment (phone: 301-238-1400, email: nmaiarchives@si.edu).
Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiphotos@si.edu. For personal or classroom use, users are invited to download, print, photocopy, and distribute the images that are available online without prior written permission, provided that the files are not modified in any way, the Smithsonian Institution copyright notice (where applicable) is included, and the source of the image is identified as the National Museum of the American Indian. For more information please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use and NMAI Archive Center's Digital Image request website.
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Frank Speck photograph collection, Photo Number; National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center, Smithsonian Institution.
220 Linear feet (The total extent of the collection is 191.41 linear feet (consisting of 473 document boxes and 2 record boxes) plus 254 sound recordings, 94 computer disks, 42 card file boxes, 85 oversize folders, 9 rolled items, 18 binder boxes, and 3 oversize boxes. Of the total extent, 4.79 linear feet (14 boxes) are restricted.)
This collection contains the professional papers of William Curtis Sturtevant and documents his activities as Curator of North American Ethnology at the National Museum of Natural History, his work as the editor-in-chief of the Handbook of North American Indians, his research among the Seminole and Iroquois people, and other professional activities. The collection is comprised of books, sound recordings, research and field notes, realia, artifacts, clippings, microfilm, negatives, slides, photographs, manuscripts, correspondence, memorandums, card files, exhibition catalogs, articles, and bibliographies.
Scope and Contents:
This collection contains the professional papers of William Curtis Sturtevant and documents his activities as Curator of North American Ethnology at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, his work as the editor-in-chief of the Handbook of North American Indians, his research among the Seminole and Iroquois people, and his involvement in various professional activities. The collection is comprised of research and field notes, sound recordings, realia, clippings, negatives, slides, prints, published and unpublished writings, correspondence, memorandums, conference papers and meeting notes, card files, exhibition catalogs, articles, bibliographies, student files such as class notes and papers from Sturtevant's years as an anthropology student, teaching materials including lecture notes and exams, daily planners, passports, military records, artwork including prints and lithographs, maps, and computer files.
The materials in this collection document Sturtevant's career as a preeminent North American ethnologist, museum curator, university professor, his role as General Editor of the Handbook of North American Indians, and his contributions to the field of Anthropology. From his early work with the Seminole Indians of Florida to his forays into Burma, and his decades-long study of how Native Americans have been depicted in artistic and popular culture, Sturtevant's diverse intellectual interests are represented in his research files. A copious note taker, Sturtevant captured his observations and opinions of everything from meetings with colleagues to museum exhibits. Sturtevant's commitment to the anthropological profession can be found in the notes and programs of the many conferences, symposiums, and lecture series he attended and at which he presented. He also held numerous leadership positions in various professional associations and sat on the board of directors/trustees for several cultural organizations including Survival International and the Museum of the American Indian-Heye Foundation. Sturtevant was respected for his vast knowledge of indigenous peoples and he received a voluminous amount of correspondence from colleagues who often included copies of their papers and grant proposals. He kept many of these works, which, it appears he used as reference material. Sturtevant's own work is reflected in his writings; he published over 200 scholarly papers, articles, and books.
Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
Arrangement:
This collection is organized in 14 series: 1. Correspondence, 1951-2008; 2. Research Files, 1851, 1860s, 1880s, 1890, 1939-2006; 3. Writings, 1952-2006; 4. Professional Activities, 1952-2006; 5. Smithsonian, 1954-2008; 6. Handbook of North American Indians, 1971-2007; 7. Biographical Files, 1933-2007; 8. Student Files, 1944-1985; 9. Subject Files, 1902-2002; 10. Photographs, 1927-2004; 11. Artwork, 1699-1998; 12. Maps, 1949-1975; 13. Sound Recordings, 1950-2000; 14. Computer Files, 1987-2006.
Biographical/Historical note:
William C. Sturtevant (1926-2007), preeminent North American ethnologist, museum curator, and university professor, was best known for his contributions to Seminole ethnology, as curator of North American Ethnology in the Department of Anthropology at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, and for his work as the general editor of the Handbook of North American Indians.
Sturtevant's passion for studying Native peoples began at a young age. In third grade "after a class on American Indians, he asked his father what kind of people study Indians, and his father replied, 'Anthropologists.' Sturtevant decided then that he would make anthropology his career" (Merrill 11). After graduating with honors from the University of California at Berkeley in 1949, Sturtevant went on to Yale University to complete his graduate work in anthropology. When it came time to decide on what area of North America he should focus his research, one of his faculty members at Yale, Irving Rouse, "suggested he consider the Seminoles of south Florida. By the end of his first fieldwork season, Sturtevant was convinced that the dearth of ethnographic information about these Seminoles and their status as one of the least acculturated of all North American Indian societies justified ethnographic research among them and offered the possibility of making an important contribution to North American ethnology" (Merrill 13). Sturtevant spent the summers of 1950 and 1951 conducting preliminary fieldwork among the Mikasuki-speaking Seminole and in 1952 he took up temporary residence at Big Cypress Reservation to undertake research for his dissertation, "The Mikasuki Seminole: Medical Beliefs and Practices." This work focused on Seminole medicine, but also included Sturtevant's analysis of Seminole worldview, religion, history, inter-ethnic relations, material culture, economy, kinship, language, and social organization.
In 1954, while he was finishing his dissertation, Sturtevant made the transition from student of anthropology to professional anthropologist. He was hired as an instructor in Yale's Anthropology Department and began his career in museum work as an assistant curator of anthropology at the Yale Peabody Museum. After receiving his PhD from Yale in 1955, Sturtevant moved on to the Smithsonian Institution, where he accepted a position as a research anthropologist at the Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE). This position afforded Sturtevant the chance to continue to explore his many research interests in ways that a full time professorship or museum curatorship could not. Over the next ten years he studied the Catawba in South Carolina; the Seneca and Cayuga nations of the Iroquois League in New York, Oklahoma, and Ontario; continued his work with the Seminole; visited European museums to examine early ethnographic examples and possible European prototypes of eastern North American Indian material culture; and spent a year in Burma. In 1963, Sturtevant and his wife, Theda Maw, the daughter of a prominent Burmese family, took their three young children to Burma so that they could visit with Maw's family. Sturtevant took this as an opportunity to branch out from his Native American research and spent the year visiting neighborhoods in Rangoon and villages in the surrounding countryside, examining archival materials, studying the Burmese language, learning about Burmese clothing and other aspects of the culture, and taking photographs. He also collected 386 items of clothing and other objects for the Smithsonian.
When Sturtevant returned from Burma, he found the BAE had been dissolved. In 1965, he was transferred from the now-defunct BAE to the Department of Anthropology at the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), where he became curator of North American Ethnology, a position he held for the next forty-two years. During his tenure at NMNH Sturtevant oversaw all the North American ethnology collections, planned exhibitions, served on committees, and sponsored interns and fellows. One of Sturtevant's primary duties at NMNH was serving as the General Editor of the Handbook of North American Indians, "a major multi-volume reference work summarizing anthropological, linguistic, and historical knowledge about native peoples north of Mexico" (Jackson). Each volume was designed to represent a geographic or topical area of Americanist study. As General Editor, Sturtevant selected volume editors, chapter authors, oversaw office staff, and proofread manuscripts over the course of production.
Besides focusing on the Handbook, much of Sturtevant's time was taken up by responsibilities he held outside the Institution. Sturtevant was extremely involved in professional anthropological associations and held many leadership positions. Fresh out of graduate school, he began a three-year term on the Board of Governors of the Anthropological Society of Washington in 1957. He later became a member of the executive committee of the Florida Anthropological Society, served as book-review editor and associate editor of the American Anthropologist from 1962-1968, was a member of the American Anthropological Association's Committee on Anthropological Research in Museums and was both vice president and president of the committee once it became the Council for Museum Anthropology, was on the American Anthropological Association's Committee on Archives, served three terms on the Board of Trustees of the Museum of the American Indian-Heye Foundation from 1976-1982 and was appointed to a fourth term between 1984 and 1986, and sat on the Board of Directors of Survival International from 1982-1988. He was President of the American Society for Ethnohistory, the American Ethnological Society, the American Anthropological Association, and the Anthropological Society of Washington. Sturtevant also taught classes at Johns Hopkins University as an adjunct professor in the Department of Anthropology, served as a consultant on exhibits at other museums, and reviewed manuscripts for scholarly publications.
Sturtevant remained active in the profession throughout his later years. After divorcing Theda Maw in 1986, he married Sally McLendon, a fellow anthropologist, in 1990 and they undertook several research projects together. Sturtevant was recognized for his dedication and contributions to the field of anthropology in 1996 when he was awarded an honorary doctorate in humane letters by Brown University, and in 2002 when his colleagues published a festschrift in his honor, Anthropology, History, and American Indians: Essays in Honor of William Curtis Sturtevant.
Sturtevant died on March 2, 2007 at the Collingswood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Rockville, MD after suffering from emphysema.
Sources Consulted
Estrada, Louie. 2007. William C. Sturtevant; Expert on Indians. Washington Post, March 17. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/16/AR2007031602273.html, accessed August 31, 2012.
Jackson, Jason Baird. 2007. William C. Sturtevant (1926-2007). http://museumanthropology.blogspot.com/2007/03/william-c-sturtevant-1926-2007.html, accessed August 31, 2012.
Merrill, William L. 2002. William Curtis Sturtevant, Anthropologist. In Anthropology, History, and American Indians: Essays in Honor of William Curtis Sturtevant. William L. Merrill and Ives Goddard, eds. Pp. 11-36. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
1926 -- Born July 26 in Morristown, NJ
1944 -- Entered the University of California at Berkeley as a second-semester freshman
1944 -- Attended summer school at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico in Mexico City where he took courses on Mexican archaeology and South American ethnology
1945 -- Drafted into the United States Navy
1946 -- Received an honorable discharge from the Navy with the rank of pharmacist's mate third class and returned to UC Berkeley
1947 -- Attended the University of New Mexico's summer field school in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico
1949 -- January: Received his Bachelor's degree with honors in anthropology from UC Berkeley
1949 -- Began graduate studies at Yale University
1950-1951 -- Spent the summers of 1950 and 1951 in Florida conducting fieldwork among the Mikasuki-speaking Seminole
1951 -- Conducted his first research study of the Iroquois, a classification of Seneca musical instruments, their construction and use, with Harold Conklin
1952 -- May: Moved to Big Cypress Reservation in Florida to conduct research for his dissertation. He focused on Seminole medicine, but also collected physical anthropological data such as blood-type frequencies, handedness, and color blindness
1952 -- July 26: Married Theda Maw
1954 -- Hired by Yale University as an instructor in the Department of Anthropology and as an assistant curator of anthropology in the Yale Peabody Museum
1955 -- Received PhD in anthropology from Yale University
1956 -- Joined the staff of the Smithsonian Institution's Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE) as a research anthropologist
1957 -- Began a three-year term on the Board of Governors of the Anthropological Society of Washington
1957 -- Traveled to Rock Hill, South Carolina to collect linguistic data from Sam Blue, the last member of the Catawba tribe to have maintained some proficiency in the Catawba language. While there, he made a small collection of Catawba pottery for the United States National Museum
1957-1958 -- Spent seven weeks continuing his research among the New York Seneca
1959 -- Returned to Florida to study Seminole ethnobotany. He also collected ethnographic materials, especially objects made for the tourist market, which he deposited in the United States National Museum
1959-1960 -- Member of the executive committee of the Florida Anthropological Society
1960 -- July and August: Visited 17 European museums to examine early ethnographic examples and possible European prototypes of eastern North American Indian material culture
1961-1962 -- Spent the summers of these years conducting ethnographic fieldwork among the Seneca-Cayuga in Oklahoma
1962 -- October: Visited the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario, Canada to conduct fieldwork among the Seneca and Cayuga there
1962-1968 -- Book-review editor and associate editor of the American Anthropologist
1963 -- October: Spent the year in Burma; visited neighborhoods in Rangoon and villages in the surrounding countryside, examined photographs in several archives, studied the Burmese language, and read extensively about the country's history and culture. Assembled notes on Burmese clothing and other aspects of the culture, took hundreds of photographs, and made a collection of 386 items of clothing and other objects for the Smithsonian
1964 -- Visited Inle Lake in the Southern Shan States southeast of Mandalay, where he examined local approaches to artificial island agriculture
1964-1981 -- Became a member of the American Anthropological Association's Committee on Anthropological Research in Museums, which became the Council for Museum Anthropology in 1974. Sturtevant was the Council's first vice president, serving two terms between 1974 and 1978, and was its president from 1978 to 1981
1965 -- Became curator of North American Ethnology in the Department of Anthropology at the National Museum of Natural History after the dissolution of the BAE
1965-1966 -- President of the American Society for Ethnohistory
1966 -- Named the editor of the Handbook of North American Indians
1967-1968 -- Fulbright scholar and lecturer at Oxford University's Institute of Social Anthropology
1969 -- Began serving on the American Anthropological Association's Committee on Archives
1974-1989 -- Adjunct Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Johns Hopkins University
1976-1982 -- Served three terms on the Board of Trustees of the Museum of the American Indian-Heye Foundation and was appointed to a fourth term between 1984 and 1986
1977 -- President of the American Ethnological Society
1980-1981 -- President of the American Anthropological Association
1981 -- Spent part of the spring semester at the University of California Berkeley as a Regents Lecturer
1982-1988 -- Board of Directors of Survival International
1986 -- Divorced Theda Maw
1986-1987 -- Smithsonian Fellow at Oxford University's Worcester College
1990 -- Married Sally McLendon
1992 -- President of the Anthropological Society of Washington
1996 -- Awarded an honorary doctorate in humane letters at Brown University
2007 -- Died March 2 in Rockville, MD
Related Materials:
Other materials relating to William C. Sturtevant at the National Anthropological Archives are included in the following collections:
Manuscript 4504
Manuscript 4595
Manuscript 4806
Manuscript 4821
Manuscript 4972
Manuscript 7045
Photo Lot 59
Photo Lot 79-51
Photo Lot 80-3
Photo Lot 81R
Photo Lot 86-68 (6)
Photo Lot 86-68 (7)
American Society for Ethnohistory records
Committee on Anthropological Research in Museum Records
Handbook of North American Indians records
Records of the Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History
Gordon Davis Gibson Papers, Sound Recordings
SPC Se Powhatan Confederacy Mattapony BAE No # 01790700
DOE Oceania:Amer Poly:Hi:Hawaiian Helmet:Sturtevant 04913800
DOE Oceania:Amer Poly:Hi:Hawaiian Helmet:Sturtevant 04913900
DOE Oceania:Amer Poly:Hi:Hawaiian Helmet:Sturtevant 04914000
Negative MNH 1530
Negative MNH 1530 B
Sturtevant is listed as a correspondent in the following NAA collections:
Administrative file, 1949-1965, Records of the Bureau of American Ethnology
John Lawrence Angel Papers
James Henri Howard Papers
Donald Jayne Lehmer Papers
John Victor Murra Papers
Records of the Society for American Archaeology
Albert Clanton Spaulding Papers
Waldo Rudolph Wedel and Mildred Mott Wedel Papers
Copies of sound recordings made by William C. Sturtevant can be found at The California Language Archive at UC Berkeley in two collections, The William Sturtevant collection of Creek/Seminole sound recordings, which includes 31 minutes of Northern Muskogean linguistic field recordings from 1951, and The William Sturtevant collection of Mikasuki sound recordings, which includes 33 minutes of Mikasuki linguistic field recordings from 1951. Two sound tape reels of Seminole music Sturtevant recorded in Florida in 1951 can be found at Wesleyan University's World Music Archives. Folk songs on these recordings include "Scalping Sickness," "Bear Sickness with blowing," "Bear sickness without blowing," "Lullaby," "Feather Dance," "Snake Dance," and "Crazy Dance." Performers include Josie Billie, Lee Cypress, Harvey Jumper, Boy Jim, Charlie (Johnny?) Cypress, Little Tiger Tail, Billy Ossiola, and Charlie Billy Boy.
Separated Materials:
One video tape, "Seminole History and Tradition", was transferred to the Human Studies Film Archives.
Series 2.2, Tukabahchee Plate: Glass negative of spectrogram from FBI (Box 135), removed for storage with other glass plate negatives.
Provenance:
These papers were transferred to the National Anthropological Archives by the Department of Anthropology at the National Museum of Natural History.
Restrictions:
Files containing Sturtevant's students' grades have been restricted, as have his students' and colleagues' grant and fellowships applications. Restricted files were separated and placed at the end of their respective series in boxes 87, 264, 322, 389-394, 435-436, 448, 468, and 483. For preservation reasons, his computer files are also restricted. Seminole sound recordings are restricted. Access to the William C. Sturtevant Papers requires an apointment.
William C. Sturtevant papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
The papers of William C. Sturtevant were processed with the assistance of a Wenner-Gren Foundation Historical Archives Program grant awarded to Dr. Ives Goddard. Digitization and preparation of these materials for online access has been funded through generous support from the Arcadia Fund.
The papers of Michiko Takaki, 1921-2011 (bulk 1960s), document her field work among the Kalinga people of the northern Philippines and her professional contributions as a faculty member at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. The papers consist primarily of economic and linguistic field data gathered between 1964 and 1968, used in the production of her doctoral dissertation ("Aspects of Exchange in a Kalinga Society, Northern Luzon," 1977) and throughout her anthropological career. The collection consists of field notes, maps, photographic prints, negatives, slides, sound recordings, recorded film, data and analysis, correspondence, working files and drafts, and publications.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Michiko Takaki, circa 1921-2011 (bulk 1960s), document her research into the Kalinga people of the northern Luzon region of the Philippines as both an economic and lingustic anthropologist. The collection consists of field notes; maps; photographic prints, negatives, and slides; sound recordings; recorded film; data and analysis; correspondence; working files and drafts; and publications.
The bulk of the collection consists of field-gathered data into the economics, culture, and language of the Kalinga people, created and compiled during Takaki's doctoral fieldwork in the Philippines between 1964 and 1968. This data was used in the production of her doctoral dissertation, "Aspects of Exchange in a Kalinga Society, Northern Luzon" (1977) and throughout the remainder of her career as a faculty member at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. In addition to Takaki, this material was often created or edited by her Kalinga research assistants during the period of her fieldwork or by her graduate student assistants at UMass-Boston. The material can be divided into the analytical categories related to the two main threads of Takaki's research: economic and subsistence activities, and linguistics. Economic material in the collection includes tables and tabulations of data on property, rice cultivation, and livestock use, as well as climatic data and cultural stories about exchange systems and subsistence work. Also included is gathered research into the Kalinga response to the Chico River Dam development project of the northern Luzon, an electric power generation project from the 1980s. Language material in the collection includes word lists, vocabulary slips, and morphology and phonology analysis that document the Kalinga language family of the northern Luzon. Also included are working files related to Takaki's project to translate Morice Vanoverbergh's Iloko Grammar into Kalinga.
Maps, photographic images, sound, and film contained in this collection largely document Takaki's fieldwork and research interests into Kalinga society and culture. Field-gathered data has been separated out into its own series. These materials - field notes and field data, maps, photographs, and sound and film recordings - form the first five series of the collection (Series 1-5). Research and analysis, compiled and refined from field-gathered data on the topics of culture, economics, and language, are arranged into their own three topical series (Series 6-8).
The collection also contains correspondence, as well as material documenting Takaki's professional life as a graduate student and faculty member. It includes grant applications, graduate essays, course preparation materials, professional presentations and publications, a curriculum vitae and tenure dossier from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and a copy of her master's thesis, "A Case Study of Cross-Cultural Communication: Some Aspects of the Psychological Warfare as Applied by the United States against Japan during the World War II" (1960).
Arrangement:
The Michiko Takaki papers are divided into 10 series:
Series 1: Field data and field notes, 1935-1985 (bulk 1960s)
Series 2: Maps, circa 1950-2003, undated
Series 3: Photographs, circa 1964-2006
Series 4: Sound recordings, circa 1964-1995
Series 5: Films, circa 1964-1968
Series 6: Kalinga texts, circa 1960-2006, undated
Series 7: Economic and subsistence activities research and analysis, circa 1961-1997
Series 8: Lingustic research and analysis, 1921-1993
Series 9: Correspondence, 1960-2002
Series 10: Professional materials, circa 1958-2011
Biographical / Historical:
Michiko "Michi" Takaki was born on September 11, 1930 to Noboru Takaki and Sumiko Kohaka in Tokyo, Japan.
As a GARIOA Scholar (Government Appropriation for Relief in Occupied Areas), Takaki earned an associate's degree from Stephen's College in Columbia, Missouri (1952) and a bachelor's degree in comparative literature from Lindenwood College in St. Charles, Missouri (1953). She also earned a second bachelor's degree from the Tokyo Women's Christian University (1954), returning to the US to earn a master's degree in journalism from Southern Illinois University (1960). In the fall of 1960, Takaki began graduate studies in anthropology under Prof. Harold C. Conklin at Columbia University. Conklin transferred to the Department of Anthropology at Yale University in 1962. Takaki followed, completing her dissertation and earning her PhD from Yale in 1977.
From 1964 to 1968, Takaki completed a 46-month period of ethnographic fieldwork in the Philippines. Her dissertation, published in 1977, was entitled "Aspects of Exchange in a Kalinga Society, Northern Luzon." After a brief stint as a curator of Pacific ethnology at the American Museum of Natural History (1970-1973), Takaki became a faculty member in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. While teaching, Takaki continued her research into the Northern Luzon region of the Philippines. Her early research into economic and subsistence activities gave way, in later years, to lingustic anthropology centered on the Kalinga language family. Takaki was granted tenure in 1980, and she remained on the UMass-Boston faculty until her retirement in 2002.
Michiko Takaki died in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 5, 2014.
Chronology
1930 September 11 -- Born in Tokyo, Japan
1951-1953 -- GARIOA Scholar (Government Appropriation for Relief in Occupied Areas)
1952 -- A.A. Stephens College
1953 -- B.A. Lindenwood College
1954 -- B.A. Tokyo Women's Christan University
1960 -- M.A. Southern Illinois University (Journalism)
1960-1962 -- Graduate coursework, Columbia University Department of Anthropology
1962-1968 -- Graduate coursework, Yale University Department of Anthropology
1964-1968 -- Field work in the Philippines
1964-1965 -- Research Fellow, International Rice Research Institute
1970-1973 -- Curator, Pacific Ethnology, Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History
1973-2002 -- Faculty, University of Massachusetts, Boston
1977 -- Ph.D. Yale University (Anthropology)
1980 November -- Awarded tenure by the University of Massachusetts, Boston
2014 December 5 -- Died in Boston, Massachusetts
Separated Materials:
The eleven film reels in the collection have been transferred to the Human Studies Film Archives, accession number HSFA 2017-009, but are described in this finding aid in Series 5: Films.
Provenance:
These papers were donated to the National Anthropological Archives by R. Timothy Sieber, Professor and Chair of the Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, in 2016.
Restrictions:
Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice. Please contact the archives for information on availability of access copies of audiovisual recordings. Original audiovisual material in the Human Studies Film Archives may not be played.
Digital media in the collection is restricted for preservation reasons.
Access to the Michiko Takaki papers requires an appointment.
To a considerable degree, the James H. Howard papers consist of manuscript copies of articles, book, speeches, and reviews that document his professional work in anthropology, ethnology, ethnohistory, archeology, linguistics, musicology, and folklore between 1950 and 1982. Among these are a few unpublished items. Notes are relatively scant, there being somewhat appreciable materials for the Chippewa, Choctaw, Creek, Dakota, Omaha, Ponca, Seminole, and Shawnee. The chief field materials represented in the collection are sound recordings and photographs, but many of the latter are yet to be unidentified. A series of color photographs of Indian artifacts in folders are mostly identified and represent the extensive American Indian Cultural collection of costumes and artifacts that Howard acquired and created. Other documents include copies of papers and other research materials of colleagues. There is very little original material related to archeological work in the collection and that which is present concerns contract work for the Lone State Steel Company.
Scope and Contents:
The James Henri Howard papers document his research and professional activities from 1949-1982 and primarily deal with his work as an anthropologist, archeologist, and ethnologist, studying Native American languages & cultures. The collection consists of Series 1 correspondence; Series 2 writings and research, which consists of subject files (language and culture research materials), manuscripts, research proposals, Indian claim case materials, Howard's publications, publications of others, and bibliographical materials; Series 3 sound recordings of Native American music and dance; Series 4 photographs; and Series 5 drawings and artwork.
Howard was also a linguist, musicologist, and folklorist, as well as an informed and able practitioner in the fields of dance and handicrafts. His notable books include Choctaw Music and Dance; Oklahoma Seminoles: Medicines, Magic, and Religion; and Shawnee! The Ceremonialism of a Native American Tribe and its Cultural Background.
Some materials are oversize, specifically these three Winter Count items: 1. a Dakota Winter Count made of cloth in 1953 at the request of James H. Howard, 2. a drawing of British Museum Winter Count on 4 sheets of paper, and 3. Photographs of a Winter Count.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged in 5 series: Series 1. Correspondence, 1960-1982, undated; Series 2. Writings and Research, 1824-1992; Series 3. Sound Recordings, 1960-1979; Series 4. Photographs, 1879-1985; Series 5. Drawings and Artwork, 1928-1982.
Chronology:
1925 -- James Henri Howard was born on September 10 in Redfield, South Dakota.
1949 -- Received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Nebraska.
1950 -- Received his Master of Arts from the University of Nebraska and began a prolific record of publishing.
1950-1953 -- Began his first professional employment as an archaeologist and preparator at the North Dakota State Historical Museum in Bismarck.
1955-1957 -- Was a museum lecturer at the Kansas City (Missouri) Museum.
1957 -- James H. Howard received his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan. Joined the staff of the Smithsonian's River Basin Surveys in the summer.
1957-1963 -- Taught anthropology at the University of North Dakota.
1962 -- Chief archeologist at the Fortress of Louisberg Archeological Project in Nova Scotia.
1963-1968 -- Taught anthropology at the University of South Dakota; State Archeologist of South Dakota; Director of the W. H. Over Dakota Museum.
1963-1966 -- Director of the Institute of Indian Studies, University of South Dakota.
1968-1982 -- Associate professor of anthropology at Oklahoma State University at Stillwater (became a full professor in 1971).
1979 -- Consulted for exhibitions at the Western Heritage Museum in Omaha, Nebraska.
1982 -- Died October 1 after a brief illness.
Biographical/Historical note:
James H. Howard was trained in anthropology at the University of Nebraska (B.A., 1949; M.A., 1950) and the University of Michigan (Ph.D., 1957). In 1950-1953, he served as archeologist and preparator at the North Dakota State Historical Museum; and, in 1955-1957, he was on the staff of the Kansas City (Missouri) Museum. During the summer of 1957, he joined the staff of the Smithsonian's River Basin Surveys. Between 1957 and 1963, he taught anthropology at the Universtity of North Dakota. Between 1963 and 1968, he served in several capacities with the University of South Dakota including assistant and associate professor, director of the Institute of Indian Studies (1963-1966), and Director of the W.H. Over Museum (1963-1968). In 1968, he joined the Department of Sociology at Oklahoma State University, where he achieved the rank of professor in 1970. In 1979, he was a consultant for exhibitions at the Western Heritage Museum in Omaha, Nebraska.
Howard's abiding interest were the people of North America, whom he studied both as an ethnologist and archeologist. Between 1949 and 1982, he worked with the Ponca, Omaha, Yankton and Yaktonai Dakota, Yamasee, Plains Ojibwa (or Bungi), Delaware, Seneca-Cayuga, Prairie Potatwatomi of Kansas, Mississipi and Oklahoma Choctaw, Oklahoma Seminole, and Pawnee. His interest in these people varied from group to group. With some he carried out general culture studies; with other, special studies of such phenomena as ceremonies, art, dance, and music. For some, he was interest in environmental adaptation and land use, the latter particularly for the Pawnee, Yankton Dakota, Plains Ojibwa, Turtle Mountain Chippewa, and Ponca, for which he served as consultant and expert witness in suits brought before the United Stated Indian Claims Commisssion. A long-time museum man, Howard was also interested in items of Indian dress, articles associated with ceremonies, and other artifacts. He was "a thoroughgoing participant-observer and was a member of the Ponca Hethuska Society, a sharer in ceremonial activities of many Plains tribes, and a first-rate 'powwow man'." (American Anthropologist 1986, 88:692).
As an archeologist, Howard worked at Like-a-Fishhook Village in North Dakota, Spawn Mound and other sites in South Dakota, Gavin Point in Nebraska and South Dakota, Weston and Hogshooter sites in Oklahoma, and the Fortess of Louisbourg in Nova Scotia. He also conducted surveys for the Lone Star Steel Company in Haskall, Latimer, Le Flore and Pittsburg counties in Oklahoma.
Related Materials:
Howard's American Indian Cultural Collection of Costumes and Artifacts, that he acquired and created during his lifetime, is currently located at the Milwaukee Public Museum. In Boxes 19-21 of the James Henri Howard Papers, there are photographs with accompanying captions and descriptions in binders of his American Indian Cultural Collection of Costumes and Artifacts that his widow, Elfriede Heinze Howard, created in order to sell the collection to a museum.
Provenance:
These papers were donated to the National Anthropological Archives by James Henri Howard's wife,
Elfriede Heinz Howard, in 1988-1990, 1992, & 1994.
Restrictions:
The James Henri Howard papers are open for research.
Access to the James Henri Howard papers requires an appointment.
This series consists of Landes's field research and her subject files on various research topics. These include her research on Brazil; the Ojibwa and Chippewa; Potawatomi; and groups, especially minorities, in multilingual states with particular focus on French-speakers of Quebec, Basques of Spain and the United States, Boers and Blacks of South Africa, the several socio-linguistic groups of Switzerland, and Acadians (Cajuns) of Louisiana. Some of the materials in this series were produced for Landes's work for the Fair Employment Practices Commission, a federal government agency during the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt, and a similar private organization which immediately succeeded the FEPA; Gunnar Myrdal's research into the plight of African Americans; Ruth Benedict and Margaret Mead's program Research in Contemporary Culture; and the American Jewish Commission. This series also contains her Fulbright-funded research on British race relations. In addition, there is a small amount of material that reflects Landes's interests from an anthropological perspective in such subjects as Americans of Latin American descent, education, aging, and literature. Furthermore, there is material concerning certain scholars with whom Landes had especially close relations, including Herbert Baldus, Ruth Benedict, Edison Carneiro, Elmer S. Imes, Charles S. Johnson, and Robert E. Park.
Landes's field notebooks are in a separate subseries at the beginning of the series and cover her research in Brazil, Louisiana, New York, California, Spain, South Africa, and Switzerland. These are generally in the form of diaries. As indicated in her correspondence with Ralph S. Solecki and other individuals at Columbia University during the 1980s, Landes had lost track of her early notebooks on her field work with the Ojibwa/Chippewa, Potawatomi, and Dakota; she apparently never located them. Some of her notebooks from Brazil also appear to be missing. Relatively little of the material in these notebooks was published by Landes. A folder of notes in the form of diary entries is included in this subseries. Some of the notebooks appear to have been annotated by Landes at a much later period than when the notes were originally taken, likely done when preparing her papers for deposit at the National Anthropological Archives.
The rest of the series is organized by research topic and is comprised mostly of "printed and processed materials." It is unclear whether this was a phrase used by Landes or the original archivist who processed this collection. In general, printed and processed materials consist of reprints, photocopies of articles, newsletters, reports, pamphlets, and newspaper clippings that Landes collected on certain research topics. At the end of the series are materials relating to the funding of her research, as well as a review of a grant application submitted by James Clifton.
Some of the materials in this series may have been for courses she taught, particularly materials in Subseries 2.11: Culture and personality/women. "Culture and personality" was a broad term used by Landes; she marked some materials "C&P" to indicate the area of interest. These materials probably relate to courses she taught in culture and personality. She also included some materials concerning homosexuality under this term. Materials not marked "C&P" by Landes have been filed here because they relate to the other, clearly marked materials. An example is items concerning women. It should be kept in mind, however, that Landes also taught courses that focused mainly on women, and some material filed here probably relates to those courses rather than courses on culture and personality.
In addition to Landes's notebooks, materials of particular interest in this series are Maggie Wilson's Ojibwa stories, as recorded by her daughter Janet for Landes, and notes and early drafts of her manuscript based on her experiences at Fisk University. A more complete draft of the manuscript can be found in Series 3. Writings.
See Series 3: Writings and Series 6: Graphic Materials for other materials relating to Landes's research.
Arrangement:
Suberies 2: Research Materials is arranged into the following 23 subseries: (2.1) Notebooks; (2.2) Acadians of Louisiana; (2.3) Africa; (2.4) Aging; (2.5) American Indians (general); (2.6) Anthropology; (2.7) Basques; (2.8) Bilingualism and biculturalism; (2.9) Brazil; (2.10) British race relations; (2.11) Culture and personality/women; (2.12) Education; (2.13) Fisk University and African Americans; (2.14) Judaism and other religions; (2.15) Literature; (2.16) Ojibwa/Chippewa; (2.17) Potawatomi; (2.18) Quebec/Canada; (2.19)South Africa; (2.20) Spain; (2.21) Spanish-speaking Americans; (2.22) Switzerland; (2.23) Research grants
Collection Restrictions:
The Ruth Landes papers are open for research. The nitrate negatives in this collection have been separated from the collection and stored offsite. Access to nitrate negatives is restricted due to preservation concerns.
Access to the Ruth Landes papers requires an appointment.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
Ruth Landes papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
The revision of this finding aid and digitization of portions of the collection were made possible through the financial support of the Ruth Landes Memorial Research Fund.
-Jon Bilboa, "Basque prehistory and linguistics," 1968 March 19
- William A. Douglass, "Background and current status of Basque Americans," in Anderson and Bayer, Bilingualism in the United States
-__________, "The Basques"
-__________, "Peasant emigrants: reactors or actors," in Migration and anthropology, Proceedings of the 1970 annual spring meeting of the American Ethnological Society
-__________, "Rural exodus in two Spanish Basque villages: a cultural explanation," 1969 December 15
-__________ and Stanford M. Lyman, "Ethnicity: strategies of collective and individual impression management"
-__________ and Milton da Silva, "Basque nationalism"
Collection Restrictions:
The Ruth Landes papers are open for research. The nitrate negatives in this collection have been separated from the collection and stored offsite. Access to nitrate negatives is restricted due to preservation concerns.
Access to the Ruth Landes papers requires an appointment.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
Ruth Landes papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
The revision of this finding aid and digitization of portions of the collection were made possible through the financial support of the Ruth Landes Memorial Research Fund.
-Bruno Bettelheim, "Feral children and autistic children," American journal of sociology (1959 March), pp. 455-467.
-Marvin Y.T. Chen, "A selected bibliography for sociology of language and speech," 1970 November
-Noam Chomsky, "Language and the mind, II"
- R.L. Cooper, review of Language science and national development series ed. by Anwar S. Dil, prepared for Prospect: the UNESCO quarterly review of education
-__________ and Ronald J. Horvath, "Language, migration, and urbanization in Ethiopia," reprinted from Anthropological linguistics, 1973 May
-Francesco Cordasco, "Educational enlightenment out of Texas: toward bilingualism," pages from Teachers College record
-Joshua A. Fishman, "Language in sociocultural change," 1972 (selected pages)
-Leonard Forster, "The poet's tongues: multilingualism in literature," undated
-Allen D. Grimshaw, "Some problematic aspects of communication in cross racial research in the United States"
-John J. Gumperz, "Sociolinguistics and communication in small groups," Working Paper no. 33, Language-Behavior Research Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, 1970 April
- __________, "Verbal strategies in multilingual communication," Working paper no. 36, Language-Behavior Research Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, June 1970.
Collection Restrictions:
The Ruth Landes papers are open for research. The nitrate negatives in this collection have been separated from the collection and stored offsite. Access to nitrate negatives is restricted due to preservation concerns.
Access to the Ruth Landes papers requires an appointment.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
Ruth Landes papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
The revision of this finding aid and digitization of portions of the collection were made possible through the financial support of the Ruth Landes Memorial Research Fund.
Most of Ruth Landes's papers relate directly or indirectly to Landes's American Indian research, her work in Brazil, and her study of bilingualism. There is also a considerable amount of material that relates to her experiences (sometimes fictionalized) at Fisk University. There is only small amount of material related to her other interests. Her collection also has material of and relating to the Brazilian folklorist and journalist Edison Carneiro. There is also noteworthy material concerning Herbert Baldus, Ruth Benedict, Elmer C. Imes, Charles S. Johnson, and Robert E. Park. There is a large amount of printed and processed materials in the collection, mainly in the form of newspaper clippings and a collection of scholarly papers.
Scope and Contents:
This collection is mainly comprised of the professional papers of Ruth Schlossberg Landes. Included are correspondence, journals, published and unpublished manuscripts of writings, research materials including field notes and reading notes, photographs, drawings, scholarly papers and publications by other scholars, and clippings from newspapers and periodicals.
Landes's field research on Candomblé in Brazil is well-represented in this collection, consisting of her field journals, writings, and photographs. Also present are Maggie Wilson's stories that were the basis for Landes's The Ojibwa Woman. Unfortunately, Landes was unable to locate her journals for her early research with the Ojibwa/Chippewa, Potawatomi, and Dakota. There are, however, field photographs of the Ojibwa/Chippewa and Potawatomi in the collection. There is also a great deal of her research on groups, especially minorities, in multilingual states with particular focus on the French of Quebec, Basques of Spain and the United States, Boers and Blacks of South Africa, the several socio-linguistic groups of Switzerland, and Acadians (Cajuns) of Louisiana. In the collection are several drafts of her unpublished manuscript on bilingualism, "Tongues that Defy the State." There is also a small amount of material about Black Jews of New York and considerable material about Landes's experience among African Americans when she taught briefly at Fisk University, including her unpublished manuscript "Now, at Athens," containing fictional and autobiographical accounts of her time at Fisk.
Reflections of other facets of Landes's professional activities are also included. Some materials concern her teaching activities, and there is also documentation of her work with the Fair Employment Practices Commission (a federal government agency during the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt) and a similar private organization which immediately succeeded the FEPA; Gunnar Myrdal's research into the plight of African Americans ("The Negro in America"); the Research in Contemporary Cultures project at Columbia University; and the American Jewish Congress.
Among Landes's correspondents are Ruth Benedict, Franz Boas, Margaret Mead, Ralph Bunche, Herbert Baldus, Edison Carneiro, Sally Chilver, Frances Densmore, Sol Tax, Elmer S. Imes, Charles S. Johnson, Robert E. Park, and Hendrik W. van der Merwe.
Arrangement:
The collection is organized into 6 series: (1) Correspondence, 1931-1991; (2) Research Materials, circa 1930s-1990; (3) Writings, circa 1930s-1990; (4) Teaching Materials, 1935-1975, undated; (5) Biographical and Personal Files, 1928-1988; (6) Graphic Materials, 1933-1978, undated
Biographical Note:
Ruth Schlossberg Landes was born on October 8, 1908 in New York City. Her father was Joseph Schlossberg, an activist in the Yiddish labor socialist community and one of the founders of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America. She studied sociology at New York University (B.A. 1928) and social work at the New York School of Social Work, Columbia University (M.S.W. 1929). While in graduate school, Landes studied Black Jews in Harlem for her master's thesis, a topic that developed her interests in anthropology.
After graduating in 1929, she worked as a social worker in Harlem and married Victor Landes, a medical student and son of family friends. Their marriage ended after two years when she enrolled in the doctoral program in anthropology at Columbia against her husband's wishes. She kept his surname due to the stigma of being a divorced woman.
At Columbia, Landes studied under Franz Boas and Ruth Benedict, her main advisor. Under the guidance of Benedict, Landes moved away from further study of African Americans to focus on Native American communities. Upon Benedict's suggestion, Landes studied the social organization of the Ojibwa in Manitou Rapids in Ontario from 1932 to 1936 for her Ph.D. fieldwork. Her dissertation, Ojibwa Sociology, was published in 1937. Landes also contributed "The Ojibwa of Canada" in Cooperation and Competition among Primitive Peoples (1937), a volume edited by Margaret Mead. In 1938, Landes published Ojibwa Women (1938), a book written in collaboration with Maggie Wilson, an Ojibwa interpreter and informant.
In addition to studying the Ojibwa in Ontario, Landes also conducted fieldwork with the Chippewa of Red Lake, Minnesota in 1933, working closely with shaman or midé Will Rogers. Her book, Ojibwa Religion and the Midéwiwin (1968) was based largely on her research with Rogers and Maggie Wilson. In 1935 and 1936, she undertook fieldwork with the Santee Dakota in Minnesota and the Potawatomi in Kansas. Like Ojibwa Religion and the Midéwiwin, her books on the Santee Dakota and Potawatomi were not published until several years later—The Mystic Lake Sioux: Sociology of the Mdewakantonwan Sioux was published in 1968 while The Prairie Potawatomi was published in 1970. In between her field research in the 1930s and the publication of The Prairie Potawatomi, Landes returned to Kansas to study the Potawatomi in the 1950s and 1960s.
Landes's plan to continue her studies with the Potawatomi in 1937 changed when Benedict invited her to join a team of researchers from Columbia University in Brazil. Landes was to conduct research on Afro-Brazilians in Bahia, Brazil, while Walter Lipkind, Buell Quain, and Charles Wagley studied indigenous people in the Amazons. To prepare for her research, Landes was at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee in 1937 and 1938 to consult with Robert Park and Donald Pierson and to use the university's library collections of African and African American materials. During that time, Landes also held a teaching position at Fisk and lived in the non-segregated women's residence on campus. Landes later wrote "Now, at Athens," an unpublished memoir containing fictional and true accounts of her experiences at Fisk.
From 1938 to 1939, Landes conducted fieldwork on the role of Afro-Brazilian women and homosexuals in the Candomblé religion in Bahia, Brazil. Unable to move freely by herself in Brazil as a single woman, Landes was accompanied by Edison Carneiro, a Bahian journalist and folklorist. With Carneiro as her companion, Landes was allowed access to rituals and people that would have been closed off to her otherwise. Due to her association with Carneiro, a member of the Brazilian Communist Party, Landes was suspected of being a communist and was forced to leave Bahia early. Publications from her research in Brazil include "A Cult Matriarchate and Male Homosexuality" (1940) and City of Women (1947). She returned to Brazil in 1966 to study the effects of urban development in Rio de Janeiro. In 1967, a Portuguese translation of City of Women was published, a project that Carneiro had commissioned as the first director of the Ministry of Education and Culture's Special National Agency for the Protection of Folklore.
Landes returned to New York in 1939, working briefly as a researcher for Gunnar Myrdal's study of African Americans. Unable to obtain a permanent position at a university, she worked in several other short term positions throughout most of her career. During World War II, Landes was a research director for the Office of the Coordinator for Inter-American Affairs (1941) and consultant for President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Fair Employment Practices Committee on African American and Mexican American cases (1941-44). In 1945, Landes directed a program created by Pearl S. Buck and a group of interdenominational clergy to analyze pending New York anti-discrimination legislation. She moved to California the following year to work for the Los Angeles Metropolitan Welfare Council on a study of race and youth gangs. After her contract ended, she moved back to New York and was hired as a contract researcher for the American Jewish Congress (1948-50). She also participated in Columbia University's Research in Contemporary Cultures (1949-51), studying Jewish families. She coauthored with Mark Zborowski, "Hypothesis concerning the Eastern European Jewish Family." From 1951 to 1952, Landes spent a year in London, funded by a Fulbright fellowship to study colored colonial immigrants and race relations in Great Britain.
After her fellowship ended, Landes returned to the United States and held short term appointments at several universities. She taught at the William Alanson White Psychiatric Institution in New York (1953-54), the New School for Social Research in New York (1953-55), University of Kansas (1957, 1964), University of Southern California (1957-62), Columbia University (1963), Los Angeles State College (1963), and Tulane University (1964). At Claremont Graduate School, Landes helped to develop and direct the Claremont Anthropology and Education Program (1959-62).
It was not until 1965 that Landes obtained a permanent faculty position at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario; she was recruited for the position by Richard Slobodin. Due to Ontario's age retirement law, Landes was forced to retire in 1973 at the age of 65. She continued to teach part-time until 1977, when she became professor emerita.
Landes passed away at the age of 82 on February 11, 1991.
Sources Consulted
Cole, Sally. 2003. Ruth Landes: A Life in Anthropology. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press.
Chronology
1908 October 8 -- Born Ruth Schlossberg in New York City
1928 -- B.A. in sociology, New York University
1929 -- M.S.W., New York School of Social Work, Columbia University
1929-1931 -- Social worker in Harlem Married to Victor Landes
1929-1934 -- Studied Black Jews in Harlem
1931 -- Began graduate work in anthropology at Columbia University
1932-1936 -- Studied the Ojibwa in Ontario and Minnesota (in field periodically)
1933-1940 -- Research Fellow, Columbia University
1935 Summer-Fall -- Studied the Santee Sioux (Dakota) in Minnesota
1935-1936 -- Studied the Potawatomi in Kansas
1935 -- Ph.D., Columbia University
1937 -- Instructor, Brooklyn College
1937-1938 -- Instructor, Fisk University
1938-1939 -- Studied Afro-Brazilians and Candomblé in Brazil, especially at Bahia
1939 -- Researcher on Gunnar Myrdal's study, "The Negro in America"
1941 -- Research Director, Office of Inter American Affairs, Washington, D.C.
1941-1945 -- Representative for Negro and Mexican American Affairs, Fair Employment Practices Committee (FEPC), President Franklin D. Roosevelt Administration
1944 -- Interim Director, Committee Against Racial Discrimination, New York
1946-1947 -- Researcher, study of Mexican American youth, gangs, and families, Los Angeles Metropolitan Council
1948-1951 -- Researcher, American Jewish Congress, New York
1949-1951 -- Research consultant, study on Jewish families in New York for Research in Contemporary Cultures Project, Columbia University
1951-1952 -- Fulbright Scholar, to study colored colonial immigration into Great Britain
1953-1954 -- Lecturer, William Alanson White Psychiatric Institution, New York
1953-1955 -- Lecturer, New School for Social Research, New York
1956-1957 -- Married to Ignacio Lutero Lopez
1957 Summer -- Visiting Professor, University of Kansas
1957-1958 -- Visiting Professor, University of Southern California
1957-1965 -- Consultant, California agencies (Department of Social Work, Bureau of Mental Hygiene, Department of Education, Public Health Department) and San Francisco Police Department
1958-1959 -- Director, Geriatrics Program, Los Angeles City Health Department
1959-1962 -- Visiting Professor and Director of Anthropology and Education Program, Claremont Graduate School
1962 -- Extension Lecturer, University of California, Los Angeles and University of California, Berkeley
1963 -- Extension Lecturer, Columbia University Extension Lecturer, Los Angeles State College
1963-1965 -- Consultant, International Business Machines (IBM)
1964 January-June -- Visiting Professor, Tulane University
1964 Summer -- Field work with Potawatomi in Kansas Professor, University of Kansas
1965-1975 -- Professor at McMaster University
1966 -- Studied urban development in Rio de Janeiro
1968-1975 -- Studied bilingualism and biculturalism in Spain, Switzerland, South Africa, United States, and Canada (in Spain and the United States concentrated on Basques)
1975 -- Became part-time faculty member at McMaster University
1977 -- Professor Emerita, McMaster University
1978 -- Award of Merit from the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay
1991 February 11 -- Died in Hamilton, Ontario
1991 -- Establishment of the Ruth Landes Memorial Research Fund at Research Institute for the Study of Man (RISM)
Related Materials:
Correspondence from Ruth Landes can be found in the William Duncan Strong Papers, the Leonard Bloomfield Papers, and MS 7369. The Ruth Bunzel Papers contains a copy of a grant application by Landes.
Provenance:
These papers were donated to the National Anthropological Archives by Ruth Landes in 1991.
Restrictions:
The Ruth Landes papers are open for research. The nitrate negatives in this collection have been separated from the collection and stored offsite. Access to nitrate negatives is restricted due to preservation concerns.
Access to the Ruth Landes papers requires an appointment.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Language and languages -- Documentation Search this
Ruth Landes papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
The revision of this finding aid and digitization of portions of the collection were made possible through the financial support of the Ruth Landes Memorial Research Fund.
This scrapbook includes articles, newspaper clippings, letters and photographs from various events and marches Grace participated in regarding the fight for returning surplus lands to Native peoples. These events and materials include--Fishing Rights March (1970) in Yelm, Washington with the McCloud family; Fort Lawton "Surplus" March (1970) in Seattle, Washington; Pit River versus P.G..E. (1970) in Big Bend, California; DQU, Deganawidah Quetzalcoatl University founding (1971) in Davis, California; and documentation as National Commitee Director for the "Return Surplus Lands to Indian People".
Separated Materials:
The cover and back of the scrapbook binder are in Box 12 since they are oversized.
Collection Restrictions:
Access to NMAI Archive Center collections is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment (phone: 301-238-1400, email: nmaiarchives@si.edu).
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiphotos@si.edu. For personal or classroom use, users are invited users to download, print, photocopy, and distribute the images that are available online without prior written permission, provided that the files are not changed, the Smithsonian Institution copyright notice (where applicable) is included, and the source of the image is identified as the National Museum of the American Indian.
Collection Citation:
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Grace F. Thorpe Collection, Box and Folder Number; National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center, Smithsonian Institution.
Photographs of Southeastern Native American people, homes, ceremonial grounds, and events made circa 1900s-1910s by John Reed Swanton. The lantern slides include images of southeastern rivers and bayous and historical maps. Additionally, there are a number of slides with notes and charts relating to linguistic comparisons.
Arrangement:
Swanton's original order has been maintained. The photographs are in alphabetical order by language group or tribe. Lantern slides are listed at the end.
Biographical/Historical note:
John Reed Swanton (1873-1958) was an ethnologist and ethnohistorian with the Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE) from 1900 until his retirement in 1944. Swanton spent his first few years at the BAE conducting research among the Haida and Tlingit communities of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, and published a number of significant articles on the language, ethnography, and folklore of Northwest Coast Tribes. His focus then shifted to Native Americans of the Southeastern United States.
In addition to conducting ethnographic fieldwork in the Southeast, Swanton studied the history of the area in order to better understand its indigenous cultures and is considered a pioneer in the field of ethnohistory. During his career Swanton published numerous articles and several major works on Southeastern Native Americans, including the reference work The Indians of the Southeastern United States, Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 137, 1946.
Location of Other Archival Materials:
The National Anthropological Archives holds more than 200 manuscripts created or collected by Swanton.
Photographs relating to Swanton's work with the Tlingit are held in National Anthropological Archives Photo Lot 24.
The anthropology collections of the National Museum of Natural History hold objects collected by Swanton, including potsherds from various sites in Southeastern United States (accessions 111748, 113252, 122679, 129788, 165802, and 062577).
Restrictions:
The original nitrate negatives are in cold storage and require advanced notice for viewing.
Indians of North America -- Northwest Coast of North America Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Field notes
Vocabulary
Date:
1942
Scope and Contents:
This subseries of the Alaska/Northwest Coast series contains Harrington's research on Chimakum, Clallam, Makah, and Quileute. The bulk of the notes consist of a comparative vocabulary for the four languages. A minimal number of equivalences in Quinault and Snohomish also appear. Other kinds of vocabulary were recorded, but the emphasis was placed on obtaining placenames. There are also notes containing observations by Harrington on the phonetics of the languages, as well as charts of morphemes he devised for Clallam, Makah, and Quileute. These are supplemented by notes on the relationships of the languages and on Edward Sapir and Morris Swadesh's (1939) Nootka Texts. In addition, Harrington collected biographical data on those he worked with in the field and James G. Swan. Swan was a collaborator for the Smithsonian Institution and a collector for the United States National Museum who lived at Shoalwater Bay and Port Townsend. Of ethnographic interest are comments on excerpts from T. T. Waterman's (1920) "The Whaling Equipment of the Makah Indians." A flood legend, historical figures, and events of significance to Washington tribes are mentioned. Other materials in these files include a miscellany of notes Harrington made to himself during his work in northwestern Washington and annotated extracts from Manuel J. Andrade's (1931) "Quileute Texts" and E. S. Curtis' (1911, 1913) The North American Indian.
Biographical / Historical:
John P. Harrington conducted fieldwork in April 1942 in Clallam, Jefferson, and Kitsap Counties in northwestern Washington. His main linguistic sources were Louise Adams Butler Webster Buttner (Louise, Lou.); her daughter-in-law, Emily Webster (Emily, Eml., or rarely Em.); Louise's grandson, Cy Webster (Cy); Joe Sly (Sly); and Mrs. Washington Howeattle.
Louise Buttner, a long-time resident of the Little Boston Reservation near Port Gamble, spoke Chimakum, Clallam, some Makah, and Chinook jargon. She and her brother, George Adams, were probably the same people Boas worked with to elicit Chimakum in 1890.
Emily Webster was married to Louise's son, James Webster, Jr. Her native language was Clallam, but she also spoke Chimakum and Makah.
Cy was the son of James Webster, Jr., although it is not clear if Emily was his mother. His grandmother, Louise, raised him and is probably the main source of his knowledge of Chimakum. In addition to this language, he spoke Clallam and had some knowledge of Makah and Quileute.
Joe Sly was the son of a Clallam father and a Makah mother. In 1942 he lived at Neah Bay and was ninety years old. Another speaker of Makah was Mrs. Washington Howeattle of Tahola. She also knew Quileute.
Emma Luscier (Em.) was the main source of Lower Chehalis data, she also commented on the more northerly Salishan languages. Her first husband was a Quileute, from whom she probably gained her knowledge of Quinault and possibly Quileute.
John Peabody Harrington papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The preferred citation for the Harrington Papers will reference the actual location within the collection, i.e. Box 172, Alaska/Northwest Coast, Papers of John Peabody Harrington, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
However, as the NAA understands the need to cite phrases or vocabulary on specific pages, a citation referencing the microfilmed papers is acceptable. Please note that the page numbering of the PDF version of the Harrington microfilm does not directly correlate to the analog microfilm frame numbers. If it is necessary to cite the microfilmed papers, please refer to the specific page number of the PDF version, as in: Papers of John Peabody Harrington, Microfilm: MF 7, R34 page 42.
Indians of North America -- Northwest Coast of North America Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Field notes
Manuscripts
Vocabulary
Narratives
Place:
Oregon
Date:
1933, 1942
Scope and Contents:
This subseries of the Alaska/Northwest Coast series contains Harrington's research on Alsea, Siuslaw, and Coos. The materials consist mostly of vocabulary for the three languages, as well as terms in Lower Umpqua and Chinook jargon. A small section of notes deals mainly with phonetics and includes comments on Frachtenberg and Jacobs' publications, as well as general observations made by Harrington during various stages of his work in the field. A section of written notes are accompanied by "sementographs," visual representations of the sounds present in each language. Vocabulary and nonlinguistic information on plants and animals are also present, along with placename vocabulary. His placename notes also include information on tribal boundaries and linguistic relationships; the location, etymology, English pronunciation, and history of places in the three tribal areas, and anecdotes and biographical data. Abstracts in English of mythological texts are also present, along with descriptions, anecdotes, and reminiscences by Lottie Evanoff, Frank Drew, Spencer Scott, and Clayton Barrett, with references to events of both personal and historical significance. There is also material relating to the 1931 U.S. Court of Claims case "Coos Bay, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indian Tribes vs the United States" with comments by Frank Drew on the tesimony from tribal members. In addition, Harrington's files include notes from a conversation with George Wasson in 1933. Topics include Wasson's life and discussions regarding tribal territories and language boundaries, canoe construction, burial, and the historical figure Jedediah Smith. Harrington's notes also contain scattered quotations from Louie Fuller (LL), Clara Pearson (Clara), and Sammy Jackson, three Tillamook speakers Harrington had interviewed earlier in 1942.
Biographical / Historical:
John P. Harrington's work on these neighboring languages began in Oakville, Washington in early April of 1942. While interviewing Lizzie Johnson (Liz.) and Minnie Case (Min.) regarding Kwalhioqua, he also worked with John Albert (Ja.), the last speaker of Alsea (Als.) He had occasion to recheck the linguistic data with Albert sometime in May (there is a reference to May 23 in the notes), possibly at Siletz, Oregon, his home before moving to Oakville. These notes are labeled "Ja. rhg."
Around June, July, and possibly August of the same year, Harrington recorded Coos--both the Hanis (H., Empire) and Miluk (M., South Slough) varieties--and Siuslaw (Sius.) and Lower Umpqua (L.U., Ump.) from Frank Henry Drew (referred to as Frank) in Florence, Oregon. In Marshfield, Harrington interviewed Lottie Evanoff (Lottie, Lot.), formerly Lottie Jackson, daughter of a prominent Coos chief and cousin of Annie Peterson, who had worked with Melville Jacobs. Additional sources of information for Coos were Martha Johnson, a neighbor of Frank Drew; the Wasson sisters, Lolly, Nellie, and Daisy; and Lottie Evanoff's niece, Nellie Aason.
He also obtained information from Spencer Scott (called Spencer or rarely Spen.), who may have also served as an interpreter for Harrington. He knew John Albert and had formerly spoken Alsea with him when they were boys at Siletz. He could also speak Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw. Lesser amounts of Siuslawan data were provided by Clayton Hudson Barrett and his younger half-brother, Howard Barrett (called Clay. and Howard). Nonlinguistic information came from Alec Evanoff, Lottie's husband; Carl Severy, Frank Drew's son-in-law; the Collson family; John Waters; and Larry Hofer.
John Peabody Harrington papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The preferred citation for the Harrington Papers will reference the actual location within the collection, i.e. Box 172, Alaska/Northwest Coast, Papers of John Peabody Harrington, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
However, as the NAA understands the need to cite phrases or vocabulary on specific pages, a citation referencing the microfilmed papers is acceptable. Please note that the page numbering of the PDF version of the Harrington microfilm does not directly correlate to the analog microfilm frame numbers. If it is necessary to cite the microfilmed papers, please refer to the specific page number of the PDF version, as in: Papers of John Peabody Harrington, Microfilm: MF 7, R34 page 42.
Indians of North America -- California Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Field notes
Vocabulary
Songs
Maps
Place:
California -- History
Date:
1914-circa 1957
Scope and Contents:
This subseries of the Northern and Central California series contains Harrington's research on the Yokuts.
Notes from his fieldwork in 1914 include references to residents who he thought might be able to assist him in his research, detailed descriptions of house construction and the fabrication of sleeping mats, and small sketches of pictographs which Harrington had seen in the region. Amidst the miscellaneous notes are lists of baskets which he purchased, notes on photographs he took and bibliographic references from C. Hart Merriam. Harrington also copied extracts of his field notes onto slipfiles, which he filed under a variety of subject headings. The Tachi file contains ethnographic notes from Roberto Bautista and Agnes Light as well as a few Tachi lexical items. The file labeled "Tule" consists of mixed linguistic and ethnographic data from Jim Alto and Mr. Edmundson at the Tule River Reservation and notes on the Tachi dialect recorded from Pacifico Archuleta.
The section of linguistic, ethnographic, historical, and biographical notes consists of raw field data collected by Harrington and Carobeth from twenty residents of Yokuts territory during the period 1916-1917. Topics include vocabulary, placenames, tribenames, myths, ceremonial regalia and dances, songs, and religion. The notes from Josefa Damian, marked "Jos. Mar.," feature extensive data on relationship terms, age and sex terms, and moieties in Chunut, Tachi, Tejonefio, and Wowol. The most extensive notes were recorded from Francisca Lola. The notes contain voluminous amounts of linguistic data (vocabulary and paradigms) in Koyeti, Yawdanchi, Choynok, and Tachi as well as equivalent forms in "R. C." (Rio Chiquito). The material is also rich in ethnographic detail, providing information on uses of plants (Tejon ranch specimens), ceremonies, fiestas, dances, and material culture accompanied by diagrams and sketches. In addition, there are biographical notes on informants, myths, and texts of songs.
A year after collecting his field data on Yokuts, Harrington made copies of his notes and arranged them into several sizable slipfiles. One major file was created for the Chunut and Tachi languages, and another for the Yawelmani, Koyeti, Yawdanchi, and Wikchamni languages. There are also small slipfiles for Choynok and Palewyami. The slipfiles are organized semantically; headings included are cosmography, plants, animals, "artifacts" (material culture), sociology, religion, tribenames, and placenames. They include information regarding plant speciments collected by Harrington at the Tejon Ranch.
An additional step that Harrington took in the analysis of his Yokuts field data was the development of an outline grammar of the Yawelmani dialect. He extracted vocabulary and linguistic notes from the semantically arranged slipfiles, marking the slips which he copied with a check mark or the notation "gr." The data which he extracted are largely Yawelmani, although vocabulary and sentences from Koyeti, Yawdanchi, Chunut, and Tachi are included for comparative purposes. Harrington also submitted multiple manuscripts of his Yawelmani grammar to the Bureau of American Ethnology (former B.A.E. Mss. 2973, 3041, 3047, 3048, and 3054).
Harrington's files relating to the Tejon Ranch Case contain correspondence dating from 1921 to 1924, legal documents, a copy of a census taken at the ranch, and documentary evidence from a variety of secondary sources including military records, newspaper accounts, and Senate documents. The major portion of the records consists of notes from interviews with about twenty Tejon residents. The content is primarily biographical, with placename references. In many cases the notes were taken down in the form of depositions. Harrington simultaneously recorded lengthy Yokuts myth texts as well as stories in English and Spanish. Information from a number of the informants was formerly cataloged as B. A. E. ms. 3046. There is also a carbon copy of a "Report on Tejon Indians, Kern County, California" submitted by Herbert V. Clotts, Acting Superintendent of Irrigation, to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs on January 15, 1918.
Records relating to sound recordings pertain to songs performed by five Yokuts speakers and two Kitanemuks. The songs were recorded on wax by Harrington in Yokuts territory during the periods 1916-1917. The cylinders were sent to ethnomusicologist Helen H. Roberts in 1921 to review. The bulk of this section contains her lengthy notes on the texts of songs, accompanied by musical transcriptions.
The final section of this subseries consists of miscellaneous notes. There are notes from interviews and correspondence with information on boat construction, a sketch map received in a 1925 letter, notes relative to a conversation with J.N.B. Hewitt in 1926, notes from an interview with Angel Sanchez and Bill Skinner, and information from Roberts on song text. There are also copies of Harrington's own field notes and notes on secondary sources.
Biographical / Historical:
John P. Harrington worked on the Yokuts language a number of times during his forty years of fieldwork in California. This study certainly matches the breadth of the data for Karok and Salinan and is surpassed in volume only by his output for Costanoan and Chumash.
Harrington's first contact with the so-called "Tulareno" people occurred in late September to early October 1914 on a two-week trip to the San Joaquin Valley. At that time he made short visits to the Santa Rosa rancheria near Lemoore, to the Tule Indian Reservation near Porterville, and to Bakersfield as part of a dialect survey. A limited amount of additional data was obtained in 1914 and 1915 during the course of his work on Salinan and Chumash. Migueleno speaker Pacifico Archuleta, whose wife, Suncion, was Yokuts, gave a limited Tachi vocabulary, and Rosario Cooper, an Obispeno speaker, also provided several words.
In November 1916 Harrington traveled to the Tejon region, ostensibly to work with Jose Juan Olivas, an inland Chumash speaker. It appears, in addition, that for a virtually uninterrupted period from that time until September 1917, Harrington (assisted by his wife, Carobeth) made an in-depth study of a number of Southern Valley and Foothills Yokuts dialects, obtaining extensive vocabularies and texts, as well as a considerable amount of ethnographic and historical data. This work took them to the valley near the Santa Rosa rancheria and to the Tule River Reservation. Harrington also made trips with informants to obtain placename data and to collect, identify, and describe botanical specimens. The observance of ceremonial rituals during that winter afforded him the opportunity of recording on wax cylinders and in writing a significant number of songs.
The flare-up of the Tejon Ranch case, which threatened to disinherit many Indians of their tribal lands, brought Harrington back to the area in February 1922. As a special temporary appointee to the Department of the Interior, he was responsible for obtaining depositions from the elderly residents of the Tejon. He simultaneously elicited additional biographical, historical, and linguistic data for his own work. The case was argued before the Supreme Court on February 28, 1924. In June of that year the court held that the Indians had abandoned the land. The decision was based on the Indians' failure to present their claim to the commission appointed under the act of March 1851 to ascertain and adjust private land claims in territory ceded by Mexico to the United States.
In the fall of 1923, he took a number of Yokuts to the Ventura County Fair to perform dances, to demonstrate house and boat building techniques, and to exhibit their crafts. He also made trips to Yokuts territory in the early 1930s and again in January 1942. These were possibly side trips made during the course of other work to follow upon the Tejon Ranch case.
John Peabody Harrington papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The preferred citation for the Harrington Papers will reference the actual location within the collection, i.e. Box 172, Alaska/Northwest Coast, Papers of John Peabody Harrington, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
However, as the NAA understands the need to cite phrases or vocabulary on specific pages, a citation referencing the microfilmed papers is acceptable. Please note that the page numbering of the PDF version of the Harrington microfilm does not directly correlate to the analog microfilm frame numbers. If it is necessary to cite the microfilmed papers, please refer to the specific page number of the PDF version, as in: Papers of John Peabody Harrington, Microfilm: MF 7, R34 page 42.
This subseries of the Northeast/Southeast series contains Harrington's Shawnee and Peoria research. Most of the material is little more than raw field notes. One section of field notes consists of over 300 pages of Shawnee and Peoria lexical items, copied one word to a page. Maggie Boyd, born at Peoria, Oklahoma, in 1882, and her husband, Sam, provided the terms. A speaker named Amos is mentioned several times in the notes but is not further identified. The Indian names of family members and lists of possible sources are interspersed with the vocabulary. Harrington prepared an "English word-guide" to the vocabulary (former B.A.E. MS 6022pt.).
A brief vocabulary (former B.A.E. MS 6022pt.) from Alice Blalock consists of Shawnee and Peoria terms and includes placenames and notes on persons, probably given after 1943. Scattered Delaware terms copied from Harrington's John Snake notes (see below) are interfiled. A field note suggests that a more comprehensive Shawnee and Peoria vocabulary (former B.A.E. MS 6022pt.) was the work of Maggie Boyd reheard by "B," presumably referring to Blalock. Very little of this category is actually labeled "Mag." or "Maggie Boyd," however, and most notes are attributed to "B."
The few linguistic notes (former B.A.E. MS 6023pt.) include Shawnee terms with Delaware, Miami, Kickapoo, and Abnaki comparisons either given by John Snake or interfiled from other Harrington field notes.
A few additional original notes were evidently C.F. Voegelin's (former B.A.E. MS 6022pt.), and terms extracted from his "Shawnee Stems and the Jacob P. Dunn Miami Dictionary" (1938-1940) are interfiled.
John Peabody Harrington papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The preferred citation for the Harrington Papers will reference the actual location within the collection, i.e. Box 172, Alaska/Northwest Coast, Papers of John Peabody Harrington, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
However, as the NAA understands the need to cite phrases or vocabulary on specific pages, a citation referencing the microfilmed papers is acceptable. Please note that the page numbering of the PDF version of the Harrington microfilm does not directly correlate to the analog microfilm frame numbers. If it is necessary to cite the microfilmed papers, please refer to the specific page number of the PDF version, as in: Papers of John Peabody Harrington, Microfilm: MF 7, R34 page 42.
