Guide to the Indigenous Materials at the American Philosophical Society

Description: Materials relating to John Alden Mason's interest in and research on Indigenous Central and South American languages and cultures. Materials attributed to Mason include a bibliography composed of about 300 cards primarily on South American languages, including many entries not in the Handbook of South American Indians; a notebook of observations on the distribution, relationships, etc., of South American languages; a file with correspondence, bibliography, draft of introduction, etc., relating to his contribution to the Handbook of South American Indians; a 166-page essay on the preconquest history and culture of the Andean region (mostly Peru) through the medium of artifacts preserved in the University Museum (University of Pennsylvania); two copies of Mason's "Andean Civilization," including bibliography, for the Encyclopedia Britannica (1960); two copies of the preface to the Spanish edition of "Ancient Civilizations of Peru," with a memorandum from Alfred Kidder II to Mason regarding recent developments in Central Andean archaeology; an incomplete essay titled "Status and problems of research in the Native Languages of South America," primarily concerned with historical linguistics and genetic relationship; and a file of notes on genetic relationships, subgrouping, etc., from published sources or giving his own impressions: Kamakan, Choroti, Ashluslay Kaduveo, Mataco; Malali, Mashakal, Ge, Vejoz, Coropo, Motilon, Towothl, Kaingang, Subtiaba, Hokan, Coroado, etc.. Unattributed materials (most likely Mason's) include circa 2,000 cards of notes on South American linguistic and ethnology focused on genetic classification of South American languages; circa 4,000 cards of notes regarding South American languages and dialects and their geographical distribution, etc.; and 17 pages of notes concerning a letter (included) from Harry B. Wright to Captain Colon Eloy Alfaro proposing that expeditions be sent to Ecuadorean Oriente for study in linguistics, ethnology, etc. Materials attributed to others than Mason include two essays or drafts by John Peabody Harrington on the affiliation of Witoto [Huitoto, probably Murui Huitoto but possibly Nüpode Huitoto], Miranya [aka Miraña or Miranha, now known as Bora] and Guaranian/Tupi-Guarani [Guarani, represented by Cocama], one with Mason's comments; 27 pages of Kagaba [Kogi] texts with interlinear Spanish translation and lists of animals, plants, body parts, natural phenomena, kinship terms, etc., with Spanish and English glosses; and Eugenio Garro's "Geographical distribution of the Native languages and dialects of Peru," an article submitted for the Handbook of South American Indians (marked "not printed in Handbook"). Correspondence includes Mason's Handbook of South American Indians correspondence, with Zellig S. Harris, Harry Hoijer, Eugene A. Nida, et al., soliciting contributions to the handbook, etc.; letters from Claude Levi-Strauss regarding locations, languages, and dialects of indigenous peoples of Brazil (mentions Parintintin [Kagwahiva], Rama-Rama [Rama], Tupi, Nambikuara [Southern Nambikuára], Tupi-Kawahib [Kawahiva?], Kabixiana [Kabixí], Kep-kiri-uat [?]); correspondence with John Peabody Harrington concerning Harrington's work for Mason on the Handbook of South American Indians; correspondence with Willard Z. Park regarding Park's ethnological work among the Kagaba [Kogi] in Colombia; correspondence with Louis Rankin regarding the Cocama, Cocamilla [the dialects of what is now called Cocama-Cocamilla], Chama [Ese Ejja], Campa [Ajyíninka Apurucayali?], and Amuesha [Yanesha'] languages of Peru; correspondence with David B. Stout regarding Stout's genetic classification of Chibchan, Kuna, and Choco, with one page of Mason's opinions on Stout's classification; correspondence with John Howland Rowe regarding South American languages and cultures, including the Quechua, Aymara, and Millcayac languages, early work of Max Uhle in Peru, Bolivia, etc.. and mentioning Alfred V. Kidder, Alfred L. Kroeber, and others; and a letter from Otis H. Green regarding the origin of the word "jivaro."

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

Go to the collection

Collection of Peruvian manuscripts, 1790-1800, 1820

Culture:

Quechua

Inca

Language:Spanish

Date:1780-1800

Subject:Bolivia--History | Peru--History

Type:Text

Extent:26 items

Description: Items relating to the uprising of Túpac Amaru II (José Gabriel Condorcanqui) in the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru, 1781-1783. Bulk 1780-1783. Topics include the proclamation of Túpac Amaru II entitling himself Inca; the Siege of La Paz; Spanish efforts to relieve La Paz; the capture of Túpac Amaru II and his wife and family; the pardon and pension of Túpac Amaru II [as most sources indicate that he was executed in 1781, it is possible that he is here confused with others who took the name Túpac Amaru]; an affidavit given by former prisoners of Túpac Amaru II; an official copy of the sentence and execution of the indigenous leader Chabe Diego (Janos) Christoval Túpac Amaru and others; and the 1800 opinion of the Fiscal Villaba respecting the lenient and conciliatory measures to be adopted toward indigenous rebels as an alternative to persecution.

Collection:Collection of Peruvian manuscripts, 1790-1800, 1820 (Mss.980.P75)

Go to the collection

Ernestine H. Wieder Singer notes

Culture:

Zuni includes: A:shiwi

Seneca includes: Onöndowága

Séliš includes: Salish, Flathead

Ojibwe includes: Ojibwa, Chippewa, Ojibway

Pawnee includes: Chaticks si Chaticks, Chatiks si Chatiks

Sahaptin includes: Shahaptin

Purépecha includes: Tarascan (pej.), P'urhépecha

Maya

Natchez

Navajo includes: Diné, Navaho

Kiowa includes: Ka'igwu

Haudenosaunee includes: Iroquois, Onkwehonwe

Kaingang includes: Caingangue, Kanhgág

Inca

Cree includes: Nēhiyaw, Cri

Language:English

Date:1935-1937

Contributor:Singer, Ernestine H. Wieder

Subject:Anthropology | Archaeology | Economic conditions | Guatemala--History

Type:Text

Genre:Notes

Extent:2 volumes, 150 p.

Description: These items include notes on "primitive economics" (Incan) for A. Irving Hallowell and from seminars with Linton Satterthwaite (on Mayan architecture), E. B. Howard (on problems of the Clovis site in New Mexico), and others at the University of Pennsylvania. There are also notes taken at the 1936 meeting of the American Anthropological Association of papers by various anthropologists in attendance, including Ruth Benedict, Frederica de Laguna, Waiter Dyk, William N. Fenton, Alfred V. Kidder, David G. Mandelbaum, George P. Murdock, Arthur C. Parker, Elsie Clews Parsons, Gladys A. Reichard, William A. Ritchie, Linton Satterthwaite, Gene Weltfish, and others regarding Cree, Flathead, Iroquois (Haudenosaunee), Kaingang (Southern Brazil), Kiowa, Mayan, Natchez, Navajo, Ojibwa, Pawnee, Pueblos, Sahaptin, Saulteaux, Siouan, Tarascan, Tonawanda (Seneca), Zuni, etc.

Collection:Ernestine H. Wieder Singer notes (Mss.970.1.Si6)

Go to the collection

General indigenous materials, Alfred Irving Hallowell Papers

Culture:

Yurok includes: Pueleekla’, Puliklah

Yuki includes: Huchnom

Séliš includes: Salish, Flathead

Pomo

Nuu-chah-nulth includes: Nootka, Nutka, Aht, Westcoast

Miwok

Mojave includes: Mohave, Aha Macav

Maya

Makah includes: Kwih-dich-chuh-aht, Qʷidiččaʔa·tx̌

Maidu

Kwakwaka'wakw includes: Kwakiutl

Ktunaxa includes: Kootenai, Kootenay, Kutenai, Tonaxa

Inca

Hupa includes: Natinixwe, Na:tinixwe, Natinook-wa, Na:tini-xwe, Hoopa

Dene includes: Athabaskan, Athapascan, Athabascan, Athapaskan

Hopi

Chukchi includes: Chukchee, Чукчи, ԓыгъоравэтԓьат

Cahuilla includes: Ivilyuqaletem, ʔívil̃uqaletem, Táxliswet

Atikamekw includes: Têtes-de-Boules, Têtes de Boules, Tete de Boule

Language:English

Date:1920-1958

Contributor:Hallowell, A. Irving (Alfred Irving), 1892-1974

Type:Text

Description: Materials from a wide range of indigenous cultures around the world are scattered throughout Series V of the A. Irving Hallowell Papers. Hallowell was interested in comparative ethnology on a number of topics including Bear Ceremonialism, textiles, artistic representations of Native people, basketry, kinship, pre-history, the development of language, family and marriage, nets and netting, etc. Much of this material constitutes Hallowell's reading notes on secondary sources and his research for very broad-based studies of humanity. Geographic regions represented in Series V include Australia, Africa, Pacific Islands, Polar regions California, Northwest coast, Southwest, and Southeast. The correspondence, in Series I, includes a very interesting, brief description of Franz Boas' first visit to the Kwakwaka'wakw community of Fort Rupert by the daughter of George Hunt in a folder labled Ronald Rohmer. There is also a letter from Edward Sapir detailing Nuu-chah-nulth bear hunting and face painting as well as sketches of netting needles.

Collection:Alfred Irving Hallowell Papers (Mss.Ms.Coll.26)

Go to the collection

Uru materials, John Alden Mason Papers

Culture:

Uru includes: Qhas Qut Suñi

Quechua

Inca

Language:English

Date:[1943]

Contributor:Harrington, J. P. (John P.), 1865-1939

Subject:Linguistics | Peru--History | Bolivia--History

Type:Text

Genre:Essays

Extent:22 pages

Description: This paper by John Peabody Harrington expresses the author's belief that Uru-Puquina is Arawakan and that Campa and Mojo are related to Uru-Puquina, and discusses the position of the Uru in the Inca Empire, the distribution of Uru, and works on Uru and Arawak.

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