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MS 4800 James O. Dorsey papers

Creator:
Dorsey, James Owen, 1848-1895  Search this
Names:
Smithsonian Institution. Bureau of American Ethnology  Search this
Bushotter, George, 1864-1892  Search this
Gatschet, Albert S. (Albert Samuel), 1832-1907  Search this
Hewitt, J. N. B. (John Napoleon Brinton), 1859-1937  Search this
Mooney, James, 1861-1921  Search this
Powell, John Wesley, 1834-1902  Search this
Riggs, Stephen Return, 1812-1883  Search this
Extent:
30 Linear feet (70 boxes, 1 oversized box, 20 manuscript envelopes, 4 rolled maps, and 23 map folders)
Culture:
Indians of North America -- Subarctic  Search this
Athapascan Indians  Search this
Minitari (Hidatsa)  Search this
Numakiki (Mandan)  Search this
Biloxi Indians  Search this
Tutelo  Search this
Iowa  Search this
Chiwere  Search this
Ho-Chunk (Winnebago)  Search this
Oto  Search this
Quapaw Indians  Search this
Osage  Search this
Sioux  Search this
Lakota (Teton/Western Sioux)  Search this
Dhegiha Indians  Search this
Assiniboine (Stoney)  Search this
Ponca  Search this
Omaha  Search this
Tututni (Tutuni)  Search this
Kaw (Kansa)  Search this
Siletz  Search this
Coos (Kusan)  Search this
Yaquina (Yakwina)  Search this
Arctic peoples  Search this
Indians of North America -- Northeast  Search this
Indians of North America -- Northwest Coast of North America  Search this
Indians of North America -- Great Plains  Search this
Indians of North America -- Southeast  Search this
Takelma (Rogue River Indians)  Search this
Klikitat  Search this
Chasta Costa (Chastacosta)  Search this
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Field notes
Drawings
Vocabulary
Folklore
Sermons
Manuscripts
Obituaries
Correspondence
Newspaper clippings
Place:
Siletz Indian Reservation (Or.)
Date:
circa 1870-1956
bulk 1870-1895
Summary:
Reverend James Owen Dorsey (1848-1895) was a missionary and Bureau of American Ethnology ethnologist who conducted extensive research on Siouan tribes and languages.The papers of James Owen Dorsey comprise mostly ethnographic and linguistic materials on various tribes of the Siouan language family as well as tribes from Siletz Reservation in Oregon. These materials include texts and letters with interlineal translations; grammar notes; dictionaries; drawings; and his manuscripts. In addition, the collection contains Dorsey's correspondence, newspaper clippings, his obituaries, and reprints.
Scope and Contents:
This collection contains James O. Dorsey's research and writings as a BAE ethnologist, as well as his earlier work as a missionary among the Ponca. The vast majority of the collection pertains to his research on Siouan-Catawban languages, including the Dakota and Dhegiha languages, Chiwere, Winnebago, Mandan, Hidatsa, Tutelo, Biloxi, and Catawba. His research on Athapascan, Kusan, Takilman, and Yakonan languages from his field work at Siletz Reservation are also present, as well as some notes on the Caddoan languages. Dorsey's research files include linguistic and ethnological field notes, reading notes, stories and myths, vocabularies, drawings, and unpublished and published manuscripts. The collection also contains Omaha, Ponca, Quapaw, and Biloxi dictionaries that he compiled and materials relating to his work editing Steven Riggs' Dakota-English Dictionary. Additional noteworthy materials in the collection are Teton texts and drawings from George Bushotter and drawings by Stephen Stubbs (Kansa), Pahaule-gagli (Kansa), and George Miller (Omaha). The collection also contains Dorsey's correspondence, newspaper clippings, obituaries, and his collection of reprints.
Arrangement:
The collection is organized into 6 series: 1) Siouan; 2) Siletz Reservation; 3) Caddoan; 4) General Correspondence; 5) Personal Papers; 6) Miscellaneous & Reprints.
Biographical Note:
Reverend James Owen Dorsey (1848-1895) was a missionary and Bureau of American Ethnology ethnologist who conducted extensive research on Siouan tribes and languages.

Dorsey was born on October 31, 1848 in Baltimore, Maryland. He exhibited a talent for languages at an early age. At age 6 he learned the Hebrew alphabet and was able to read the language at age 10. In 1867 Dorsey attended the Theological Seminary of Virginia and was ordained a deacon of the Protestant Episcopal Church in 1871. In May of that year, Dorsey traveled to the Dakota Territory to serve as a missionary among the Ponca. Plagued by ill health, Dorsey was forced to end his missionary work in August 1873. By that time, however, he had learned the Ponca language well enough to converse with members of the tribe without an interpreter.

Dorsey returned to Maryland and engaged in parish work while continuing his studies of Siouan languages. His linguistic talents and knowledge of these languages attracted the attention of Major John Wesley Powell. Powell arranged for Dorsey to work among the Omaha in Nebraska from 1878 to 1880 to collect linguistic and ethnological notes. When the Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE) was established in 1879, Powell recruited Dorsey to join the staff.

As an ethnologist for the BAE, Dorsey continued his research on Siouan tribes. His studies focused on languages but also included Siouan personal names, folklore, social organization, religion, beliefs, and customs. He conducted fieldwork among the Tutelo at Six Nations on Grand River in Upper Canada (1882); the Kansa, Osage, and Quapaw in Indian Territory (1883-1884); the Biloxi at Lecompte, Rapides Parish, Louisiana (1892); and again with the Quapaw at the Quapaw Mission (1894). He also worked with Native Americans that visited DC, including George Bushotter (Teton), Philip Longtail (Winnebago), Samuel Fremont (Omaha), and Little Standing Buffalo (Ponca). He also spent time at Siletz Reservation in 1884 to collect linguistic notes on the Athapascan, Kusan, Takilman, and Yakonan stocks.

In addition to his research, Dorsey helped found the American Folklore Society and served as the first vice-president of the association. He also served as vice-president of Section H of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

At the age of 47, Dorsey died of typhoid fever on February 4, 1895.

Sources Consulted

1st-16th Annual Reports of the Bureau of American Ethnology. 1881-1897.

Hewitt, J.N.B. 1895. "James Owen Dorsey" American Anthropologist A8, 180-183.

McGee, W.J. 1895. "In Memoriam." Journal of American Folklore 8(28): 79-80.

1848 -- Born on October 31 in Baltimore, Maryland.

1871 -- Ordained a deacon of the Protestant Episcopal Church.

1871-1873 -- Served as a missionary among the Ponca in Dakota Territory.

1878-1880 -- Conducted fieldwork among the Omaha in Nebraska.

1879 -- Joined the staff of the Bureau of American Ethnology.

1882 -- Conducted fieldwork among the Tutelo at Six Nations on Grand River in Upper Canada.

1883-1884 -- Conducted fieldwork among the Kansa, Osage, and Quapaw in Indian Territory.

1887 -- Worked with George Bushotter to record information regarding the language and culture of the Dakota.

1884 -- Conducted fieldwork at Siletz Reservation.

1892 -- Conducted fieldwork among the Biloxi at Lecompte, Rapides Parish, Louisiana.

1894 -- Conducted fieldwork among the Quapaw at the Quapaw Mission in Indian Territory.

1895 -- Died of typhoid fever on February 4th at the age of 47.
Restrictions:
The James O. Dorsey Papers are open for research. Access to the James O. Dorsey Papers requires an appointment
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Catawba Indians  Search this
Language and languages -- Documentation  Search this
Ethnology  Search this
Social structure  Search this
Kinship  Search this
Manners and customs  Search this
Shahaptian languages  Search this
Yakonan languages  Search this
Athapascan languages  Search this
Kusan languages  Search this
Linguistics  Search this
Siouan languages  Search this
Dhegiha language  Search this
Siuslaw Indians  Search this
Hidatsa language  Search this
Omaha language  Search this
Dakota language  Search this
Catawba language  Search this
Biloxi language  Search this
Caddoan languages  Search this
Osage language  Search this
Alsea language  Search this
Kansa language  Search this
Mandan language  Search this
Chastacosta language  Search this
Coquille language  Search this
Tutelo language  Search this
Winnebago language  Search this
Siuslaw language  Search this
Takelma language  Search this
Genre/Form:
Field notes
Drawings
Vocabulary
Folklore
Sermons
Manuscripts
Obituaries
Correspondence
Newspaper clippings
Citation:
Manuscript 4800 James O. Dorsey papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NAA.MS4800
See more items in:
MS 4800 James O. Dorsey papers
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3261ab492-5f9d-4be7-b1f4-c24d3f5da29b
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-naa-ms4800
Online Media:

Beaded Vest

Collector:
Ruth D. Lionberger  Search this
Donor Name:
Hawthorne Daniel  Search this
Culture:
Sioux (Oceti Sakowin)  Search this
Object Type:
Vest
Place:
Norfolk, Near / Omaha, Near, Madison County / Douglas County, Nebraska, United States, North America
Accession Date:
17 Nov 1980
Collection Date:
Ca. 1880
Topic:
Ethnology  Search this
Accession Number:
343158
USNM Number:
E421359-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/35c0c3923-d36c-4f13-a1c4-9845090e2999
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8454079
Online Media:

Legging

Collector:
Ruth D. Lionberger  Search this
Donor Name:
Hawthorne Daniel  Search this
Culture:
Sioux (Oceti Sakowin)  Search this
Object Type:
Legging
Place:
Norfolk, Near / Omaha, Near, Madison County / Douglas County, Nebraska, United States, North America
Accession Date:
17 Nov 1980
Collection Date:
Ca. 1880
Topic:
Ethnology  Search this
Accession Number:
343158
USNM Number:
E421360-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/33dee9236-2ff5-443f-956f-84a04a85ee80
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8454081
Online Media:

Pipe-Pouch

Collector:
Ruth D. Lionberger  Search this
Donor Name:
Hawthorne Daniel  Search this
Culture:
Sioux (Oceti Sakowin)  Search this
Object Type:
Pipe Bag
Place:
Norfolk, Near / Omaha, Near, Madison County / Douglas County, Nebraska, United States, North America
Accession Date:
17 Nov 1980
Collection Date:
Ca. 1880
Topic:
Ethnology  Search this
Accession Number:
343158
USNM Number:
E421361-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3f456461e-0ab2-4dc2-b3e4-89a9dc9b49b3
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8454082
Online Media:

Pipe-Pouch

Collector:
Ruth D. Lionberger  Search this
Donor Name:
Hawthorne Daniel  Search this
Culture:
Sioux (Oceti Sakowin)  Search this
Object Type:
Pipe Bag
Place:
Norfolk, Near / Omaha, Near, Madison County / Douglas County, Nebraska, United States, North America
Accession Date:
17 Nov 1980
Collection Date:
Ca. 1880
Topic:
Ethnology  Search this
Accession Number:
343158
USNM Number:
E421362-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3d9e9f853-4784-45a2-a476-b603e677999d
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8454083
Online Media:

Stone Club

Collector:
Ruth D. Lionberger  Search this
Donor Name:
Hawthorne Daniel  Search this
Culture:
Sioux (Oceti Sakowin)  Search this
Object Type:
Club
Place:
Norfolk, Near / Omaha, Near, Madison County / Douglas County, Nebraska, United States, North America
Accession Date:
17 Nov 1980
Collection Date:
Ca. 1880
Topic:
Ethnology  Search this
Accession Number:
343158
USNM Number:
E421363-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3c51ba609-acd6-44a3-89d1-5e09beb84db7
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8454084
Online Media:

MS 4234 Comparative notes on Siouan languages

Creator:
Swanton, John Reed, 1873-1958  Search this
Extent:
3 Pages
8 Items (slips )
Culture:
Ofo  Search this
Sioux  Search this
Osage  Search this
Numakiki (Mandan)  Search this
Minitari (Hidatsa)  Search this
Quapaw Indians  Search this
Tutelo  Search this
Biloxi Indians  Search this
Ho-Chunk (Winnebago)  Search this
Woccon  Search this
Indians of North America -- Northeast  Search this
Indians of North America -- Great Plains  Search this
Indians of North America -- Southern States  Search this
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Date:
undated
Scope and Contents:
Contents: Comparative vocabulary, 117 items, in English, Hidatsa, Ofo, Mandan, Dakota, Biloxi, Tutelo, Osage and (a few) Winnebago. 3 pages. Comparison of 24 words: English, Catawba, Ofo, Tutelo, Dakota and Quapaw. 1 slip. Synonyms for the name "Ofo". 1 slip. Summary of history of classification of Tutelo, Catawba, and Woccon as Siouan. 1 slip.
Local Numbers:
NAA MS 4234
Local Note:
typescript document
Topic:
Language and languages -- Documentation  Search this
Sioux  Search this
Catawba Indians  Search this
Citation:
Manuscript 4234, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NAA.MS4234
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw32adf22e5-f6b6-4cc3-a2d9-f76a06cb93a9
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-naa-ms4234

Catawba

Collection Creator:
Dorsey, James Owen, 1848-1895  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Scope and Contents:
Notes on Catawba words and phrases and comparisons to other Siouan languages.
Collection Restrictions:
The James O. Dorsey Papers are open for research. Access to the James O. Dorsey Papers requires an appointment
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
Manuscript 4800 James O. Dorsey papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NAA.MS4800, Subseries 1.7
See more items in:
MS 4800 James O. Dorsey papers
MS 4800 James O. Dorsey papers / Series 1: Siouan-Catawban
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw38162f3c7-00da-45e3-a34f-883260cf6421
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-ms4800-ref486

Notes on the comparison of Catawba with other Siouan languages

Collection Creator:
Dorsey, James Owen, 1848-1895  Search this
Container:
Box 58, Item 359
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1890
Scope and Contents:
Contents: Catawba-Siouan comparative vocabulary; summary sheets: "Catawba and Siouan. I. Words identical in meaning," "Catawba words unlike Siouan," untitled (probably draft for first above).
Collection Restrictions:
The James O. Dorsey Papers are open for research. Access to the James O. Dorsey Papers requires an appointment
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
Manuscript 4800 James O. Dorsey papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
MS 4800 James O. Dorsey papers
MS 4800 James O. Dorsey papers / Series 1: Siouan-Catawban / 1.7: Catawba
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw354d7cfae-bb85-4b58-9b6a-79d744b2d0a8
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-ms4800-ref489

William C. Sturtevant papers

Topic:
Handbook of North American Indians
Creator:
Sturtevant, William C.  Search this
Names:
National Museum of Natural History (U.S.)  Search this
Six Nations  Search this
Extent:
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.)
Culture:
Indians of North America -- Southeast  Search this
Indians of North America -- Northeast  Search this
Indians of North America  Search this
Iroquois  Search this
Seminole  Search this
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Realia
Research
Notes
Office files
Theses
Slides (photographs)
Sound recordings
Exhibition catalogs
Field notes
Clippings
Correspondence
Photographs
Microfilms
Newsletters
Manuscripts
Memorandums
Articles
Card files
Books
Artifacts
Negatives
Date:
1952-2007
Summary:
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.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Ethnology  Search this
Botany  Search this
Anthropology  Search this
Archaeology  Search this
History  Search this
Linguistics  Search this
Genre/Form:
Realia
Research
Notes
Office files
Theses
Slides (photographs)
Sound recordings
Exhibition catalogs
Field notes
Clippings
Correspondence
Photographs
Microfilms
Newsletters
Manuscripts
Memorandums
Articles
Card files
Books
Artifacts
Negatives
Citation:
William C. Sturtevant papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NAA.2008-24
See more items in:
William C. Sturtevant papers
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3b2223e72-e872-41c5-ae7b-abd0b27eaf6a
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-naa-2008-24
Online Media:

[Vol 13--Plains--Siouan Languages ch]

Collection Creator:
Sturtevant, William C.  Search this
Container:
Box 442
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
2000
Collection 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.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
William C. Sturtevant papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
William C. Sturtevant papers
William C. Sturtevant papers / Series 6: Handbook of North American Indians
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw314e33140-de34-4a60-8c4c-b515f3fd1f40
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-2008-24-ref11959

[Virginia Siouan Languages--Tutelo]

Collection Creator:
Sturtevant, William C.  Search this
Container:
Box 142
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
undated
Collection 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.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
William C. Sturtevant papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
William C. Sturtevant papers
William C. Sturtevant papers / Series 2: Research Files / 2.3: Southeast Languages
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3f5c420ea-837f-4493-a3e1-1b721af96154
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-2008-24-ref4964

Siouan Languages in the East

Collection Creator:
Sturtevant, William C.  Search this
Container:
Box 318
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1958
Collection 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.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
William C. Sturtevant papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
William C. Sturtevant papers
William C. Sturtevant papers / Series 3: Writings / 3.2: Reprints & Monographs
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw34bb47ae8-c02f-4b81-b036-c5ae8cd6e367
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-2008-24-ref9111

R.H. Pratt's Report

Collection Creator:
Sturtevant, William C.  Search this
Container:
Box 318
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1956
Collection 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.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
William C. Sturtevant papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
William C. Sturtevant papers
William C. Sturtevant papers / Series 3: Writings / 3.2: Reprints & Monographs / Siouan Languages in the East
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3102f565f-dedd-4a28-b7d5-c0c9392e89b7
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-2008-24-ref9114

Research Contributions: Articles

Collection Creator:
Sturtevant, William C.  Search this
Container:
Box 320
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1958-1960
Scope and Contents note:
photocopies/reprints of "Accomplishments and Opportunities in Florida Indian Ethnology," "Siouan Languages in the East," "Authorship of the Powell Linguistic Classification," "A Seminole Medicine Maker," "Osceola's Coats?" "The Significance of Ethnological Similarities between Southeastern North America and the Antilles"
Collection 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.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
William C. Sturtevant papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
William C. Sturtevant papers
William C. Sturtevant papers / Series 3: Writings / 3.2: Reprints & Monographs
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw37e55b905-bb6f-4e9c-9ea0-1fd3832ec9e3
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-2008-24-ref9155

Hockett Sound Recording 8

Collection Creator:
Hockett, Charles Francis  Search this
Extent:
1 Sound discs (vinyl) (disc broken. , 10 in.)
Container:
Box 11
Type:
Archival materials
Audio
Sound discs (vinyl)
Scope and Contents:
Missing Title

Hidatsa A Siouan Language

Water Buster Account

Recorded and transcribed by C.F. Voegelin and Z.S. Harris

From Hidatsa Texts

By R.H. Lowie

Z.S. Harris, C.F. Voegelin

Indiana Historical Society

[broken]
Collection Restrictions:
The Charles F. Hockett Papers are open for research.
Collection Rights:
Contact repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
Charles F. Hockett Papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
Charles F. Hockett papers
Charles F. Hockett papers / Series 9: Sound Recordings
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw31a5af36a-20c1-4d2b-8f41-d008f9fdf895
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-2011-14-ref183

"Linguistic," The Siouan Languages Archive, Siouan and Caddoan Linguistics, Algoquian Dialects, etc.

Collection Creator:
Medicine, Beatrice  Search this
Container:
Box 33
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
bulk 1952-1981
Collection Restrictions:
Materials relating to student grades, letters of recommendation, and evaluations have been restricted.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
Beatrice Medicine papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Beatrice Medicine papers
Beatrice Medicine papers / Series 15: Linguistics: Native American Languages
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw30c6a8606-8eec-492e-863c-f3d211f48f00
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-1997-05-ref858

Gens and sub-gens as expressed in four Siouan languages

Collection Creator:
Dorsey, James Owen, 1848-1895  Search this
Container:
Box 1, Item 7
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
undated
Scope and Contents:
In Dakota, Dhegiha, Chiwere, and Winnebago.
Collection Restrictions:
The James O. Dorsey Papers are open for research. Access to the James O. Dorsey Papers requires an appointment
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
Manuscript 4800 James O. Dorsey papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
MS 4800 James O. Dorsey papers
MS 4800 James O. Dorsey papers / Series 1: Siouan-Catawban / 1.1: General Siouan
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3b9f2aff1-66e2-42e3-bb8a-52daa39b5a74
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-ms4800-ref16

Gens and sub-gens as expressed in four Siouan languages

Collection Creator:
Dorsey, James Owen, 1848-1895  Search this
Container:
Box 1, Item 8
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1888
Scope and Contents:
Address before Section H of AAAS. In Dakota, Dhegiha, Chiwere, and Winnebago.
Collection Restrictions:
The James O. Dorsey Papers are open for research. Access to the James O. Dorsey Papers requires an appointment
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
Manuscript 4800 James O. Dorsey papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
MS 4800 James O. Dorsey papers
MS 4800 James O. Dorsey papers / Series 1: Siouan-Catawban / 1.1: General Siouan
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3856ebacd-7bc9-4b3c-860f-866d7883d833
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-ms4800-ref17

Comparison of terms for 'serpent,' 'mysterious being,' etc., in the Siouan languages

Collection Creator:
Dorsey, James Owen, 1848-1895  Search this
Container:
Box 2, Item 37
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
undated
Collection Restrictions:
The James O. Dorsey Papers are open for research. Access to the James O. Dorsey Papers requires an appointment
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
Manuscript 4800 James O. Dorsey papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
MS 4800 James O. Dorsey papers
MS 4800 James O. Dorsey papers / Series 1: Siouan-Catawban / 1.1: General Siouan
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw38dfe7e49-dad8-449b-8783-1881227c905d
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-ms4800-ref46

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