Mi'kmaq materials, C. F. Voegelin Papers
Culture:
Mi'kmaq includes: Micmac
Date: circa 1915-1936
Contributor: Voegelin, C. F. (Charles Frederick), 1906-1986 | Pacifique, père, 1863-1943 | Speck, Frank G. (Frank Gouldsmith), 1881-1950
Subject: Linguistics | Anthropology | Missions | Orthography and spelling | Religion
Type: Text
Genre: Correspondence | Newsletters | Prayers
Extent: 3 folders
Description: Three items relating to Mi'kmaq (formerly Micmac) language and culture has been identified in the C. F. Voegelin Papers. Two are in Subcollection I, Series. I Correspondence. Of greater interest is a file containing two letters (October 1938), two copies of the "Micmac Messenger" (1936), and a slip with the Lord's Prayer represented in both Mi'kmaq and English. These materials were apparently sent by Father Pacifique, a French Capuchin missionary to the Mi'kmaqs of Gaspé and author of "Micmac Grammar." The two letters touch on publication of the "Messenger," sign writing, and the Rand Micmac-English dictionary (which Pacifique pronounced "not so good"). Pacifique also briefly contrasted the "skillful" work of professional linguists with his own "practical" approach to the language. The other item is a brief note, also dated to October 1936, regarding a Mi'kmaq syllabary and other references. The author, signed "Em," also copied the first few lines of the Lords Prayer from a book in the "Clemens Library" [perhaps the Clements Library?], which is perhaps the slip found in the Pacifique folder. Finally, in Subcollection II, Series I. Correspondence, there is a letter from Frank Speck to Edward Sapir in which Speck mentions his manuscript and map of "Nova Scotia Micmac hunting territories," which he plans to send to Sapir.
Collection: C. F. Voegelin Papers Mss.Ms.Coll.68