MS 3137 Material relating to the Music of Alaska, Acoma, and Yuma Indians (original) (raw)

Summary

Collection ID:

NAA.MS3137

Creators:

Densmore, Frances, 1867-1957

Chapman, John W. (John Wight), 1858-1939

Dates:

ca. 1929-37

Languages:

Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents

Includes: (1) "A Comparison between Yuma, Acoma, and Alaska Indian Songs" 19 pages. (2) Descriptive analysis of seven Acoma songs 7 pages. (3) Material relating to eight Alaska Indian songs sung by James Fox and recorded by the Reverend John W. Chapman at Anvik, Alaska. The songs are those of the waterspirit, crane, fox, owl, woodpecker, jay, porcupine, and crow. They have been identified as being Ingalik, perhaps on the basis of where they were recorded. The words, if there were any, have not been included in the transcriptions. (a) Descriptive analysis 2 pages. (b) Three sets of musical transcriptions (15 pages) plus a photostatic copy of one set. The three transcriptions differ in small but significant ways. (c) Forms used in analyzing the songs 16 pages. (d) Fragment of a note that includes information about Fox, Chapman, and the acquisition of the sound recordings by the Bureau of American Ethnology 1 page. (e) Fragment of a note about the songs and the quality of the recordings 1 page. (f) Fragment of a letter, Chapman to Densmore, May 11, 1931, including information incorporated in f, above 2 pages.

Administration

Existence and Location of Originals

The sound recordings have been transferred to the Library of Congress.

Custodial History

The letter of Chapman was received from the Densmore estate ca. 1962. The photostatic copy of one set of musical transcriptions was received in 1937. The latter were originally catalogued under manuscript 3918 and, later, 3771. The rest of the material was received in 1929. Fourteen pages of tabulated analysis and six pages of transcripts of Acoma songs that are reported as being mentioned former cataloging have not been found, but see manuscript 4482.

Using the Collection

Citation

Manuscript 3137, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

More Information

Local Numbers

Other Title

Other Title

A Comparison between Yuma, Acoma, and Alaska Indian Songs

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.

National Anthropological Archives

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