Guide to the Indigenous Materials at the American Philosophical Society

Description: The Mexico materials, John Alden Mason Papers include a log of a trip to Sonora, itinerary of pack trip from Yecora to Maicoba; lists of photographs; journal. Archaological materials: report on archaeological sites near Rancho Guiracoba, Sonora, Mexico with report on surface collections at six sites in southern Sonora. Notes on the Northern Extension of the Chalchihuites Culture, written for the Mexican Historical Congress, Zacatecas. Slayton Creek Excavation, regarding Mexico; the Papago [Tohono O'odham]; a dig at Slayton Creek, Delaware. Regarding archaeological, ethnological, and linguistic work in Mexico; genetic classification of languages of Central America and Mexico. Regarding internal strife in local (Durango) Indian tribe (including murders); archaeology in Durango; collection of specimens of material culture; work at Schroeder pyramid; cliff dwellings near Mezquital. Mentions Alex Krieger. Cave investigations in Durango and Coahuila, report on search conducted with Robert H. Merrill for traces of early man, particularly on the Folsom horizon. Written for Weitlaner volume. Includes description of three varieties of Cucurbita moschata; evidence in conflict with the theory that Cucurbita moschata was introduced into southern Arizona in late prehistoric or early historic times from the north and east. Regarding Maya pottery; Piedras Negras, Guatemala; archaeological work in Mexico and Guatemala; the University Museum (University of Pennsylvania); Vaillant's obituary. Includes correspondence between Mason and Sue Vaillant (Mrs. George C.) and between Mason and Charles Marius Barbeau. Linguistic materials: a list entitled, "Familias linguisticas de Mexico-idiomas y dialectos a ellas pertencientes," with the families with subdivisions: for Museo nacional de arqueologia, historia y etnologia, Anales. Includes lexical items in the various languages--Hokan, Oto-Manguren, Uto-Aztecan, and Maya-- arranged in columns; Spanish glosses. Regarding Mason's Subtiaba-Hokan-Caduveo-Mataco comparative vocabulary. Kroeber is not much impressed with the possible resemblances in Mason's list (included). Mexican linguistics, comparative vocabularies, etc., includes short comparative vocabularies for Comecrudo, Papago-Tepecano, Nahua, Huaxtec, Choctaw, Coahuiltec, Karankawa, Torkana, Atakapa, Chitimacha, Tunica; notes on Sapir's classification; other miscellaneous notes. Comparative vocabulary, includes letter from Frederick Johnson to John Alden Mason; comparative vocabulary which is number-keyed to a list of twenty-two languages and arranged in columns headed by Spanish glosses. Words lacking in some languages for almost all items. Languages include Otomi, Mazahua, Matlatzinca, Ocuiltec, Pame, Chichimeca, Cuitlateco, Mazatec, Popoluca, Chochotec (Tlapanec), Ichcateco, Trique, Chiapanec, Manque, Mixtec, Cuicatec, Amuzgo, Zapotec, Chatino, Chinantec, Tarasco, and Tlapanec. Scholarly materials: two versions of a paper, entitled, "Los Cuatro Grandes Filones Linguisticos de Mexico y Centroamerica," for the International Congress of Americanists, August 1939, Mexico. Photographs: Unidentified photographs showing people, dwellings, terrain, etc. Images of temples, excavations, crypts, jade work, etc. Includes a photograph of John Alden Mason and Burton W. Bascom from Palenque. Entire series of photographs from the Mason papers. The bulk of the images are from Mexico (Chihuahua, Durango, Sonora, etc.). Also 3 contact sheets of images from Peru. From the Durango expedition, a list of photographs; "Informes hacera de la Sierro de la Candela:" notes from Tarayre, pages 184-185; "Ruins of an agricultural colony near Zape"; possible routes of migration into Mexico; Everardo Gamiz "La Raza Pigmea," Durango, April 1934; an incomplete set of numbered photos enumerated in above list (all duplicates from museum set). A linguistic realignment north of Mexico, which gives six phyla, one "broken phylum," and two uncertain languages (for presentation at the meeting of the American Anthropological Association, Chicago, 1940) and a detailed outline of five phyla plus several unaffiliated languages.

Collection:John Alden Mason Papers (Mss.B.M384)

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Navajo materials, John Alden Mason Papers

Culture:

Navajo includes: Diné, Navaho

Language:English

Date:1954-1960

Contributor:Brugge, David M.

Subject:Religion | Land claims | Archaeology

Type:Text

Genre:Correspondence

Extent:3 folders

Description: John Alden Mason's correspondence with David M. Brugge, found in Series I of the collection, contains some letters pertaining to Diné matters. One letter of note is from March 28, 1958, from Aneth, Utah, where he was conducting archaeological research for Navajo Tribal Office of Land Use and Surveys, and mentions being welcomed by members of the Native American Church. The Brugge correspondence is frequently about his research in other areas, such as with Indigenous peoples in northern Mexico. The John Alden Mason Papers may contain other information about Diné matters that are not currently identified.

Collection:John Alden Mason Papers (Mss.B.M384)

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Northern Tepehuan language material

Culture:

O'dam

Language:Pima Bajo | Spanish | Tepehuan, Northern

Date:1951, 1956, 1958

Type:Sound recording

Genre:Conversations | Songs | Speeches | Stories

Extent:3 sound tape reels (2 hr., 9 min.) : DIGITIZED

Description: Northern Tepehuan songs and stories originally recorded on wire by John Alden Mason in 1951, 1956, and 1958. Numerous short songs, folkloric and unidentified stories, description of pottery-making, conversation in Spanish on indigenous peoples, and texts and speech in the Macoba dialect of Pima Bajo. Recorded in Baborigame (Chihuahua,) Hermosillo, and Onavas (Sonora.) Tepehuan consultants are Gerónimo Aguilar, Andrés Carrillo, Antonio Carrillo, Celestina Carrillo, Dolores Carrillo, Juan Carrillo, Lorenzo Carrillo, Carolina Chaparro de Carrillo, Catalina Carrillo De Onteveros, Dolores Molina, and Julio Estrella. The Pima Bajo consultant is Nacho Lucero Coyote. Some material was recorded by David M. Brugge or Burton Bascom. (NOTE: This material has been digitized and can be accessed online for free by users not physically at the APS Library through a login and password. Please see our Audio Access Page for information on how to request these materials.)

Collection:Northern Tepehuan language material (Mss.Rec.12)

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Pima Bajo materials, John Alden Mason Papers

Culture:

Yaqui includes: Hiaki, Yoeme

Tepehuán includes: Tepehuanes, Tepehuano

Pima Bajo includes: Lower Pima, Mountain Pima, O'ob

Navajo includes: Diné, Navaho

Date:1953-1965

Contributor:Brugge, David M. | Mason, John Alden, 1885-1967

Type:Still Image | Text

Extent:12 items

Description: Materials relating to Pima Bajo language and culture. Most items are attributed to David M. Brugge, though some include notes or comments by John Alden Mason. Materials include 10 pages of Lower Pima [Pima Bajo] notes, part of Brugge's contribution to an article co-authored with Mason; 85 pages of notes, drafts, letters, etc. relating to the same article, including bibliographic items and a linguistic map of northwestern Mexico; a file of correspondence, draft reports on, and expenses for a 1953 Nevome [aka Lower Pima, Pima Bajo] or Lower Pima Expedition, a research trip to Sonora, Mexico (correspondents include Dale S. King, James McConnell, Edward H. Spicer, Fernando Pesqueira, David Lopez Molina, Robert J. Weitlaner, John E. Heimnick, and Robert J. Drake); 13 pages of Nevome [Pima Bajo] Vocabularies, with notes from three informants at Santa Ana rancheria near Onavas, Sonora; 2 pages of Nevome [Pima Bajo] grammatical notes, primarily a listing of locative particles and adverbs, from an unspecified source; circa 1,000 cards of Pima Bajo linguistics notes (alphabetically arranged), most with English translation and some keyed to informant, along with three letters between Brugge and Mason discussing the language and Brugge's work; 25 pages of notes on Yaqui and Northern Tepehuan recordings to be sent to Indiana University, including the contents of Southern Tepehuan recordings (in hand of John Alden Mason), two Pima Bajo texts, Spanish translations for four texts, and a phonetic key for Pima Bajo; and Brugge's "History of the Pima Bajo of the mountains" (1960) a ten-page essay discussing information from historical and archaeological sources regarding the Pima in the villages of Yecora and Maicoba, Sonora, and Yepachic and Moris, Chihuahua. Three items, all written from Gallup, New Mexico, are described as "Brugge-Annon trip to Sonora-Log, itinerary, list of photos, journal. Letter to John Alden Mason." Dated February 1956, #4670 gives identification for two photographs showing pottery and baskets and for two showing terrain near Rancho Los Tepalcates; #4671 (March 1956) gives information about baskets shown in four photos (two photos lacking); and #4672 (June 1958) concerns mistreatment of Maicoba Pimas by whites, i.e., the taking of land, cattle, church offerings, etc. A Brugge-Annon trip is also mentioned in #4668, Brugge's correspondence with Mason 1955-1960, which totals 175 pages and concerns Brugge's work on Pima Bajo and Navajo; problems arising from mistreatment of Maicoba Pimas by whites; log, itinerary, list of photographs, and journal of Brugge-Annon trip to Sonora; correspondence with the Wenner-Grenn Foundation and Paul Fejos; and an essay on distribution, religion, fiestas, social structure, economy, houses and furnishings, handicrafts, etc., of the Pima Bajo.

Collection:John Alden Mason Papers (Mss.B.M384)