Sound Recordings

Object Details

Collection Creator: De Laguna, Frederica, 1906-2004; McClellan, Catharine; Swanton, John Reed, 1873-1958; Guédon, Marie Françoise; Emmons, George Thornton

Collection Citation: Frederica de Laguna papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Scope and Contents: The majority of the sound recordings are field recordings on reel to reel audio tape made by de Laguna, Catharine McClellan, and Marie-Françoise Guédon made from 1952-1969 The recordings contain vocabulary, songs and speeches during potlatches and other ceremonies. Tlingit and several Athabascan languages including Ahtna (Atna), Tutchone, Upper Tanana, and Tanacross are represented. Notes on these field recordings can be found in Series 2 (Field Research) and in [Audio ephemera] in this series. Also among the sound reels are copies of John R. Swanton's Tlingit recordings and Hiroko Hara's Hare Indian recordings as well as some Laguna made for Science for the Blind. All information provided in this list were copied from the reel boxes and paper inserts. Although the handwritten descriptions on the boxes appear to have been written by de Laguna, not all the reels were examined to confirm that the descriptions match the contents of the reels.

Collection Restrictions: Some of the original field notes are restricted due to Frederica de Laguna's request to protect the privacy of those accused of witchcraft. The originals are restricted until 2030. Photocopies may be made with the names of the accused redacted.