New Mexico Archives Online - American Indian Oral History Collection

Title: American Indian Oral History Collection

Scope and Content: The collection documents oral traditions and recollections of Native Americans, 1967-1972. It contains 904 recordings, 970 typed transcripts and 5 linear feet of contemporary newspaper clippings on Indian affairs. Organized into four series: I. Pueblo Interviews; II. Navajo Interviews; III. Miscellaneous Interviews; IV. Newspaper Clippings. The bulk of the material is from Navajo and Pueblo informants. Other tribes represented are from Southern California, Washington, Montana and Alaska.

Personal and family histories represent a large part of the material. They include information on social culture, education, ceremonies, legends, language, government, history, descriptions of boundaries, early irrigation practices and land and water usage. Historical subjects reported from a Native American perspective include the Pueblo Revolt, brief tribal histories, traditional hunting practices and public works programs. Historical and contemporary inter-tribal relations and relations with the U.S. Government are described, as are traditional accounts of relations with the Spanish. The miscellaneous series contains commentaries on the 1968 Indian Civil Rights Act, the Red Power movement and the occupation of Alcatraz. Recorded meetings held around Albuquerque on education and Indian rights are also included.

Interviews are with Navajo, Acoma, Cochiti, Hopi, Isleta, Jemez, Laguna, Nambe, Picuris, Sandia, San Felipe, San Ildefonso, San Juan - Ohkay Owingeh, Santa Ana, Santa Clara, Taos, Tesuque, Zia, Zuni, Apache, Eskimo, Koyukuk, Nunamiut, Cahuilla, Digueno, Callam, Nez Perce, Blackfeet and Cheyenne informants. Recorded meetings include the National Congress of American Indians Convention, 1969; University of New Mexico Kiva Club, 1970; Navajo Education Conference, 1970; National Indian Education Conference, 1971; Gallup Inter-tribal Ceremonial, 1968; and Head Start, 1970.

Entries in this guide are in the order that the transcripts appear on the microfilm. The tape descriptions in the container list are based on the subject indexing done as a part of the original American Indian Oral History Project. The tape numbers and subjects are as they were originally assigned.

Transcripts are not available for tapes in Navajo, however, in some cases those tapes were translated and transcribed in English.

The collection also includes 2 boxes of news clippings which cover a wide variety of topics relating to Navajo, Pueblo, Hopi, Apache, Eskimo, and other specific Native American tribes and well as clippings on Indians and Indian issues, in general.

This collection is also known as the Doris Duke collection.

Dates: 1967-1973

Language of Materials: English, Navajo, North American Indian

Access Restrictions: Researchers are required to use the microfilm or digital edition of interview transcripts. Only Navajo transcripts are currently available in digital format.

Four restricted tapes and transcripts are closed indefinitely. They are not listed in the finding aid.

Copy Restrictions: Limited duplication of CSWR material (from microfilm or digital file) is allowed for research purposes. User is responsible for compliance with all copyright, privacy, and libel laws. Permission is required for publication or distribution.

Project History: The American Indian Oral History Project, 1967-1972, was designed to provide a record of oral traditions by and for the Native American people. Universities from seven states, including the University of New Mexico were involved in the project, funded by the Doris Duke Foundation. The interviews in New Mexico were conducted by history and anthropology faculty and graduate students. Employees of the project transcribed the English language interviews and assigned subject headings to each. Original reel to reel audio tapes and transcripts were deposited in the University Libraries in 1973, along with contemporary newspaper clippings collected by the project staff. The transcripts were microfilmed in 1990.

Extent: 89 boxes (25.8 cu. ft.)

Subject(s):

Doris Duke Foundation

Indians of North America -- Biography

Indians of North America -- History -- Sources

Indians of North America -- Religion

Indians of North America -- Social life and customs

Navajo Indians

Oral histories

Pueblo Indians

Transcripts

Citation:

American Indian Oral History Collection (MSS 314), Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections, University of New Mexico Libraries.

GUIDE CREATOR NOTE: No Traditional Knowledge (TK) Labels are present on the collection information page.

For more information on the New Mexico Archives Online and their American Indian Oral History Collection, please visit their website here.