Abenaki materials, Alfred Irving Hallowell Papers

Wolastoqiyik includes: Wəlastəkwewiyik, Malecite, Maliseet
Wabanaki includes: Wabenaki, Wobanaki
Innu includes: Montagnais, Mountaineer
Haudenosaunee includes: Iroquois, Onkwehonwe
Abenaki includes: Abnaki
Atikamekw includes: Têtes-de-Boules, Têtes de Boules, Tete de Boule
English | Abenaki, Western | French | Abenaki, Eastern
1914-1930
Hallowell, A. Irving (Alfred Irving), 1892-1974 | Day, Gordon M. | Laurent, Bernedette | Masta, Henry Lorne | Nolet, Beatrice | Obomsawin, Louis Napoleon | Panadis, Theophile | Reynolds, Beatrice | Ritzenthaler, Robert E. (Robert Eugene), 1911-1980 | Watso, William
Dance | Architecture | Ethnography | Clothing and dress | Hunting | Psychology | Agriculture | Animals | Personal names | Kinship | Music | Botany | Material culture | Folklore | Medicine | Religion | Genealogy | Economics | Linguistics | Québec (Province)--History
Still Image | Text
Field notes | Photographs | Maps | Notes | Rorschach tests | Vocabularies | Drawings | Bibliographies | Biographies | Stories
1 linear foot
The Abenaki materials in the Hallowell Papers are mostly located in Series V, Research Files, in folders labled "Abenaki" and Series VI, Photographs, Subseries E "St. Francis Abenaki Album." These include linguistic, ethnographic, ethnobotanical, ceremonial knowledge, information on political organization, and historical materials. Of particular interest are a sketch of Abenaki history from 1600-1930 accompanied by detailed notes from secondary sources on 17th century Abenaki history. The linguistic materials include an analysis of how the language changed after contact with Catholic missionaries, Abenaki vocabulary related to body parts, Abenaki phonetics, and religious, medical, and kinship terminology. The ethnobotanical materials include a manuscript labled "Identity of animals and plants," and information concerning herbal medicine and its practitioners. There is a wealth of ethnographic materials that include drawings of pipes, descriptions of games, basketry and birch bark mats. There are descriptions of Abenaki music and diagrams of dances, as well as detailed descriptions of hunting techniques. Some of the genealogical materials contain lists of community members names and descriptions of marriage. Interspersed throughout the folders labled "Abenaki" in the Research Files are interlinear translations of stories such as "Man who could Find Lost Objects," "Woman and Bear Lover" and numerous other stories. The materials on hunting include topics such as the use of snow shoes, preparation of moose hide, and techniques and drawings of trapping. The collections contain important information designation hunting territories and family names. Four folders contain detailed informaiton on kinship terms. Two folders on Measurements and Genealogical data contain lists of names. The folders labled "Linguistics" in Series V contain scattered information about Abenaki grammar. In Series VI, of 160 photographs taken at St. Francis, Odanak in the Centre-du-Québec region. The Abenaki people in the photographs are identified, in most cases, and also include depictions of traditional dress, buildings, clothing, baskets, and a wide variety of material culture. The correspondence, in Series I, includes letters from Théophile Panadis; Gordon Day describing his collection of stories, recordings, vocabularies, and hunting territories. Henry Lorne Masta, one of Hallowell's Abenaki consultants, writes about culture and language. Additional correspondents may contain other Abenaki-related information.
Alfred Irving Hallowell Papers Mss.Ms.Coll.26