Indians of North America -- Northwest Coast of North America Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Field notes
Vocabulary
Lecture notes
Maps
Place:
King County (Wash.)
Date:
1910
Scope and Contents:
This subseries of the Alaska/Northwest Coast series contains Harrington's Duwamish research. The materials primarily consist of field notes and lecture notes.
The field notes consist of small slips and 8" x 10" sheets on which Harrington recorded notes on phonetics, vocabulary, and some short sentences. A general vocabulary section--mostly nouns--covers geographical terms, animal names, material culture objects, and terms for age, sex, and religion. Each Duwamish (Duw.) word is followed by the English translation; a few comparisons are given in Snohomish and Clallam. There are larger vocabulary sections dealing with tribenames and placenames. The tribenames are Duwamish terms referring to the neighboring tribes of Puget Sound and the Olympic Peninsula--mostly other Salish groups. The placename category includes many etymologies as well as sketch maps and references to a "Big map" of Seattle Harbor.
Miscellaneous packets of field notes include biographical information on the Duwamish speakers he worked with and others, a partial bibliography, and notes labeled "< Meany." The latter were apparently personal communications from a professor at the university.
Harrington's lecture notes, evidently used for the course on "The Indians of the Northwest," contain a good deal of original field data. The notes, which were found in great disarray; have been arranged to follow fourteen categories outlined by Harrington on a heading sheet. The sections on history, potlatches, and material culture, in particular, include numerous excerpts from articles by Arthur A. Denny, Myron Eels, and Joseph A. Costello. Much of this secondary source data was checked over with an unspecified person, presumably William Rogers. His comments, labeled "Duw.," frequently appear at the bottom of a page. Notes on "The Indian placenames of King County," consist entirely of original data on places in the vicinity of Lake Washington, White River, and Cedar River. As in the corresponding vocabulary section, etymologies and sketch maps are included.
Biographical / Historical:
Johnn P. Harrington investigated the language and culture of the Duwamish (currently grouped with speakers of other Puget Sound Salish dialects as "Lushootseed") during the period June 17 to August 15, 1910 while residing in Seattle, Washington. He had come there to teach courses on "The Indians of the Northwest" and "The Science of Language" at the University of Washington summer school and to give a series of six popular lectures on "The Siberian Origin of the American Indian" under the auspices of the American Institute of Archaeology.
He studied the Duwamish language with Chief William Rogers at the reservation at Suquamish each weekend during the session. After its close, he made trips with Rogers and a man named Moore to Seattle and Renton ("homeland of the Duwamish") to record placenames. His interpreter in the work was Edward Percival.
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.
Contents: Part I-Man. A. Names, locations, and divisions of the tribes. Twanas, Chemakums, Clallams. B. History. C. Population, and causes affecting. D. Progress: In medical practice. In house building. In dress. In implements. In social customs. In education. In morals. In religion. Part II- Surroundings. A. Inorganic. Outline, etc., of Territory. Geology, economic. Climate. Minerals. C. Social. Travels. Commerce. Part III.- Culture. Chapter 1- Means of subsistance: A. Food. Fish and marine mammals. Shell fish. Roots and branches. Wild fruits. Land mammals. Birds. Salt. Cooking. Storing. B. Drinks. Infusions. Ardent spirits. C. Narcotics. D. Savors. E. Medicines. Chapter II- Habitations and other structures and their appurtenance: A. Houses for human occupancy. Potlatch houses. Sweat houses. Large dwelling-houses. Flat-roofed dwelling-houses. Houses with the roof wholly on one side. Government houses. Mat houses. Half-circle camps. Tents of cotton cloth. Out-buildings. B. Appurtenances to dwellings. Doors. Fireplaces. Material for building. C. Furniture and utensils. Beds. Rugs. Mats. Chapter III- Household vessels and utensils: A. For holding water, food, etc. Baskets. Boxes. Dishes. B. For preparing food. C. For serving and eating food. Mats. Baskets. Plate and troughs. Trays. Ladles. Stone dishes. Pipes. Napkins. D. Miscellaneous. Torches.
Chapter IV- Clothing: d. Head clothing. Hats. E. Body clothing. Pantaloons, shirts, and coats. Blankets. Mat-coats. F. Arm clothing. G. Leg and foot clothing. H. Parts of dress. Lace. Fastenings. Fringes. Bead-work. I. Receptacles for dress. Boxes. Baskets. Chapter V- Personal adornments: A. Skin ornamentation. Tattooing. Painting. B. Head ornaments. Head bands. Plumes. Ear pendants. C. Neck ornaments. Necklaces. D. Breast ornaments. E. Ornaments for the limbs. Bracelets. Finger-rings. F. Toilet articles. Combs. Chapter VI- Implements. (I) Of general use. Knives. Axes, and adzes. Wedges. Chisels. Hammers. Awls. (II) Of war and the chase. A. Weapons for striking. Clubs. B. Throwing weapons. Strings and shots. Fire-pots. C. Cutting weapons. D. Thrusting weapons. Spears. E. Projectile weapons. Bows and arrows. Cases for projectiles. F. Defensive weapons. (III) Implements of special use. A. For stone working. C. For bow and arrow-making. D. Fishing implements. Spears and hooks. Traps and nets. Bouys. Sinkers. F. For leather-working. G. Builder's tool. K. For procuring and manufacturing food. L. Agricultural implements. M. For basket-working. Tools. Ornamentation. N. For working fiber. Hacklers. Spindles. Looms. P. For special crafts. Painting. Dyeing. Sand paper. Rope and strings. Of vegetable matter. Of animal matter.
Chapter VII- Locomotion and transportation. A. Traveling by water. Canoes. Large canoes. Shovel canoes. Small canoes. B. Accessories to water travel. Poles. Paddles. Oars. Sails. Rudders. Anchors. Bailing vessels. C. Foot traveling. Snow shoes. D. Land conveyances. Chapter VIII- Measuring and valuing. A. Counting. B. Measuring. Time. Length. Quality. C. Valuing. Chapter IX- Games and pastimes. With bones. A. Gambling: With disks. Women's games. Cards. B. Field sports and festive games. Dancing. Horse-racing. Shooting. Children's plays. Chapter XI- Music: Instruments and accompaniments. Songs. Boat songs. Patriotic songs. Gambling songs. Nursery songs. Funeral songs. War songs. Religious songs. Chapter XII- Art: On baskets. On cloth. On skin. On wood. Carvings. On horn and bone. On metal. On stone. Chapter XIII- Language and literature. A. Language. The Twana. The Skwaksin. The Chemakum. The Chinook jargon. The English language. B. Literature: Tales about thunder and lightning. Tales about the Sun. Proverbs of the Clallams. Fables of the Twanas. The pheasant and the raven. The enchanted husband. The colcine Indian and the wolf. Domesticating wolves. Modern orations.
Chapter XIV- Domestic life: A. Marriage. B. Children. Cradling. Naming. C. Women. Puberty dance. Chapter XV- Social life and customs: A. Eating. B. Cannibalism. C. Potlatches. Potlatch Number 1. Dancing. Gambling. Tamanous. Eating. The potlatch proper, or distribution of gifts. Learning. Potlatch Number 2. Potlatch Number 3. D. Funeral and burial customs. 1st Period. 2nd Period: canoe burial. 3rd Period: scaffold burial in cemeteries. 4th Period: burial in the ground with Indian accessories. 5th Period: civilized burial. Funeral ceremonies. Mourning observances. Cemeteries. Progress. Chapter XVI- Government. A. Organization. B. Laws and regulations. Division of Labor. Property rights. Chapter XVII- Religion. A. Objects and implements of reverence and worship. Supreme Being. Demons. Angelic spirits. Inanimate objects. Images, pictures, etc. Water. Idols. The sun. Implements of worship. Hand-sticks (wands). Head bands. Drums. Rattles. Masks. B. Holy places C. Ecclesiastical organization. Medicine men. Rain-makers.
D. Sacred rites. Tamanous. Finding tamanous. Using tamanous. Tamanous for wind. Tamanous for gambling. Tamanous to produce and cure illness. The crazy tamanous. Tamanous for the living. Tamanous for lost souls. Black tamanous. Purification. Sacrifice. Dancing. E. Myths and traditions. The Flood. Ants. Snakes. F. Beliefs. Dreams. Future existence. Incarnation and metamorphoses. Chapter XVIII- Archeology: Stone age. Skeletons. Shell heaps. List of archeological items in the book.
