Guide to the Indigenous Materials at the American Philosophical Society

Description: 13 notebooks recorded by Ethel Aginsky. The first 11 notebooks document Aginsky's research with mostly Puyallup people between November 1935 and January 1936. Puyallup (Washington) is the only location identified - the location is thought to be Tacoma. Consultants include: Mary Adams, Henry Allen, Emily Hawk, Annie James, Anthony James, Nancy Sherwood, Kimball Sherwood, Joseph Sparr, Annie Wilbur, Jimmy (or Jimmie) Wilbur, Willy Wilbur, Mrs. Willy Wilbur, and Marcel Williams. The notebooks include texts (histories, conversations, etc.) and wordlists. In addition to Lushootseed, there is Chehalis and Twana language identified. Notebooks 12-13 are Aginsky's unrelated classroom notes.

Collection: Ethel Aginsky Notebooks Collection (Mss.SMs.Coll.127)

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Fanggui Li Collection

Culture: Denesuline | Mattole | Hupa

Alternate forms: Chipewyan, Dënesųłiné, Na:tini-xwe

Language(s): English | Denesuline (ᑌᓀᓱᒼᕄᓀ)

Date: 1928-1982

Contributor: Li, Fanggui | Mandeville, François | Ferrier, Baptiste | Thompson, Laurence C. | Thompson, M. Terry

Type:Text | Sound recording

Extent: 1.5 linear feet

Description: The heart of the Fanggui Li Collection is comprised of ten notebooks kept by the linguist Fanggui (Fang-Kuei) Li relating to his research on the Denesuline "Chipewyan" language in 1928. Recorded in the field, these texts consist of phonetic transcriptions of stories elicited from François Mandeville in Denesuline, and, in one instance, Baptiste Ferrier) in July 1928, with interlinear English translations. The topics of these stories include myths, folklore, and tribal history as well as activities like fishing, tanning a moose hide, or making a canoe. The balance of the collection consists of an extensive slipfile for Denesuline language, and two audio cassettes of oral history interviews conducted by Laurence C. Thompson and M. Terry Thompson in 1982, concerning Li's memories of Edward Sapir and other colleagues in linguistics. Interview topics include Li's early education, experience at the University of Chicago, Leonard Bloomfield, Edward Sapir's influence on his course of study, Li's fieldwork on the Mattole language in Northern California in the late 1920s, discrimination against Chinese in that region at that time, Li's work with Sapir on the Hupa reservation, and various aspects of linguistic methodology of the times, including recording with wax cylinders. See the finding aid for more information, including more details on the contents of each notebook and the two audio cassettes, and for related material.

Collection: Fanggui Li Collection (Mss.Ms.Coll.119)

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Ojibwe materials, Charles E. Fiero Papers

Culture: Ojibwe | Anishinaabe

Alternate forms: Ojibwa, Ojibway, Oji-Cree

Language(s): English | Oji-Cree (ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᒧᐏᐣ) | Ojibwa, Northwestern | Ojibwe | Ojibwa, Western

Date: 1957-2017

Type:Text | Sound recording | Cartographic

Extent: 2.75 linear feet

Description: Almost all of the Charles E. Fiero Papers reflect varieties of Ojibwe/Anishinaabemowin. Fiero, a missionary linguist, is best known within the field for creating the double-vowel orthography. Series I (the bulk) contains manuscripts, while Series II contains a small volume of digital media that has yet to be transferred. The collection represents fieldwork originally done between 1957 and 1993 (bulk 1957-1970s), chronologically arranged by date of first fieldwork, and contains many retranscriptions and reanalyses by Fiero from subsequent decades, illustrating his understanding of the material. The fieldnotes mostly comprise lexica and texts, and individual folders typically contain detailed background information. Fieldwork was mostly conducted in Ontario. Place names include: Berens River, Deer Lake, Pauingassi, Pikangikum, Poplar Hill, Red Lake, White Earth, Cat Lake, Doghole Bar, Fort Hope, Grassy Narrows, McDowell Lake, North Spirit Lake, and Pickle Lake.

Collection: Charles E. Fiero Papers (Mss.Ms.Coll.187)

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Reminiscences of Franziska Boas : oral history, 1972

Culture:

Language(s): English

Date: 1972

Contributor: Boas, Franziska, 1902-1988

Subject: Anthropology | Linguistics

Type:Text

Genre: Biographies | Interviews | Oral histories

Extent: 76 pages

Description: Franziska Marie Boas was the youngest of six children of anthropologist Franz Boas and Marie Krackowizer. These reminiscences of her father, Franz Boas (1858-1942), were the result of an interview by John R. Cole of the Oral History Research Office at Columbia University in 1972. Portions of her life are highlighted but the primary focus is on her father, Franz Boas, with numerous comments on his students and colleagues. This is a typed transcript of the original interview reels in the Oral History Research Office of Columbia University, now the Columbia Center for Oral History.

Collection: Reminiscences of Franziska Boas : oral history, 1972 (Mss.B.B61re)

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Round Valley materials, Amelia Susman Schultz Papers

Culture: Maidu | Konkow | Wailaki | Nomlaki

Alternate forms: Concow, Noamlakee, Nomelaki

Language(s): Maidu, Northwest | English | Wailaki | Nomlaki

Date: 1930s-1970s

Type:Text | Cartographic

Extent: 1.5 linear feet

Description: During the late 1930s, Amelia Susman Schultz conducted fieldwork on acculturation at the Round Valley Indian Reservation, California, for a Ph.D. thesis eventually published in 1976. Series II of the Amelia Susman Schultz Papers reflects both periods of research, though mostly the late 1930s. Of particular interest are: ten field notebooks from 1937, most containing some language data (undetermined as yet which languages) in addition to ethnographic notes from discussions with consultants; ethnographic notes arranged by subject (see items titled "Ethnographic notes by subject" in addition to "Notes on full sheets" and "Notes on half sheets"); descriptions of Round Valley's chronology, population history, genealogy, and socioeconomic surveys; and Schultz's works-in-progress, including the original dissertation.

Collection: Amelia Susman Schultz Papers (Mss.Ms.Coll.171)

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Sahaptin field notes

Date: ca. 1953-1969

Type:Text

Extent: 2 reels; 18 notebooks and ca. 380 loose pages

Description: Fieldnotes across the Plateau region, especially in Pendleton OR (near the Umatilla Reservation), Nespelem WA (in the Colville Reservation), and Toppenish WA (Yakama Reservation), between 1963 and 1969, supplemented by materials collected from other recent secondary sources. Copies held by the APS were privately microfilmed by Bruce Rigsby; the APS does not possess the originals. Notebooks 1-8 mostly represent work at and around the Umatilla Reservation in 1963, and notebooks 9-18 were recorded mostly near the Colville and Yakama reservations, 1964 onwards. The notebooks contain elicited lexica, with some texts, and details on the knowledge and use of languages by specific individuals. The loose notes at the end are mostly texts. A full inventory of the notebooks and notes, with individual contributor, place and language information, is in the collection finding aid.

Collection: Sahaptin field notes (Mss.Film.1261)

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The Natchez, 1840

Culture: Natchez

Language(s): English

Date: 1840

Contributor: Unknown

Subject: Religion | Social life and customs | Rites and ceremonies | Mississippi--History

Type:Text

Genre: Essays | Oral histories

Extent: 136 pages

Description: This account of the Natchez was written at Natchez in November 1840 and appears to convey oral history of the time. The unidentified author begins by stating “it was with extreme difficulty we succeeded in procuring the information.” The document touches on Natchez history and “manners, customs, [and] traditions.” The focus of the document is on their history, however, and much of the content was relayed to the author orally by Natchez consultants. There is an extended discussion of Natchez beliefs and practices. The document contains biographical data on prominent members of the Natchez and other native peoples, such as Pushmataha.

Collection: The Natchez, 1840 (Mss.970.3.N19)

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Women Anthropologists and the Native American Southwest, 1880-1945

Culture:

Language(s): English

Date: 1986

Subject: Anthropology | Arizona--History | New Mexico--History

Type:Text

Genre: Essays | Oral histories

Extent: 28 pages

Description: Barbara Babcock (Department of English) and Nancy Parezo (American Indian Studies and Anthropology) are members of the faculty at the University of Arizona. Their oral history of women anthropologists in the southwestern United States was published in 1988 as Daughters of the Desert : Women Anthropologists and the Native American Southwest, 1880-1980. This related essay includes brief biographical discussions of over 30 women who worked in the southwestern United States between 1880 and 1945. It was published as "The leading edge: Women anthropologists in the native American Southwest, 1880-1945," El Palacio 92 (1986).

Collection: Women Anthropologists and the Native American Southwest, 1880-1945 (Mss.301.092.B11w)