Skip to main content

American Indian Oral History Collection

 Collection
Identifier: MSS-314-BC

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

To ensure that cultural best practices are observed, materials in this collection will be available pending tribal community review of each item. Materials that have been approved are available digitally via the Archive of Native American Oral History.

Questions about using this collection can be sent to the CSWR reference team: cswrref@unm.edu.

Copy Restrictions

Transcripts and audio materials in this collection may only be copied pending a tribal community review of collection materials.

Questions about this collection can be sent to the CSWR reference team: cswrref@unm.edu.

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.)

Abstract

The American Indian Oral History collection contains recorded interviews with and about Native Americans. There were 904 recordings collected by the University of New Mexico between 1967-1972. The bulk of the interviews contain oral traditions and recollections from Navajos and Pueblos. Transcripts are available for most of the recordings.

Microfilm Edition

Transcripts for the majority of interviews are available on microfilm.

Related Material

Center for Regional Studies and the Center for Southwest Research Fellows presentation, Ramona Caplan.

Sophie D. Aberle Papers Center for Southwest Research, University Libraries, University of New Mexico Santa Fe Indian School: The First 100 Years Project Center for Southwest Research, University Libraries, University of New Mexico. Alamo Navajo Oral History Project Center for Southwest Research, University Libraries, University of New Mexico. Sacred Lands Project Collection Center for Southwest Research, General Library, University of New Mexico. Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute Collection Center for Southwest Research, University Libraries, University of New Mexico. Glenn Leonidas Emmons Papers Center for Southwest Research, University Libraries, University of New Mexico Native American Program Series. Center for Southwest Research, University Libraries, University of New Mexico.

Separated Material

Original reel to reels and master digital files on CD stored in B3.

Box Number Index

In November 2003, news clippings were re-processed and inventoried.

Box Number Index
Box 1-10 There are no boxes numbered 1-10
Box 11: Transcripts, Navajo Final Drafts #1-284
Box 12: Transcripts, Navajo Final Drafts #285-362
Box 13: Transcripts, Navajo Final Drafts #363-532
Box 14: Transcripts, Navajo Final Drafts #533-797
Box 15: Transcripts, Navajo Final Drafts #800-899
Box 16: Transcripts, Acoma, Cochiti, Hopi, and Isleta #110-699
Box 17: Transcripts, Isleta #700-892, Jemez, Laguna, and Nambe
Box 18: Transcripts, Picuris, Sandia, San Felipe, San Ildefonso, San Juan - Ohkay Owingeh and Santa Ana
Box 19: Transcripts, Santa Clara, Taos, Tesuque, Zia, Zuni and White Mountain Apache
Box 20: Transcripts, Miscellaneous, #1-573
Box 21: Transcripts, Miscellaneous, #574-833
Box 22: Transcripts, Miscellaneous, #836-899
Box 77: CD copies of reel numbers 1-49
Box 78: CD copies of reel numbers 50-90 No CDs for interviews 78, 80
Box 79: CD copies of reel numbers 91-145 No CDs for interviews 99-102, 111, 136
Box 80: CD copies of reel numbers 146-180
Box 81: CD copies of reel numbers 181-207
Box 82: CD copies of reel numbers 208-256 No CDs for interviews 210, 211, 251, 254
Box 83: CD copies of reel numbers 257-296 No CDs for interviews 266, 279
Box 84: CD copies of reel numbers 297-324 No CD for interview 318
Box 85: CD copies of reel numbers 325-351 No CD for interview 348
Box 86: CD copies of reel numbers 352-386 No CD for interview 353
Box 87: CD copies of reel numbers 387-409
Box 88: CD copies of reel numbers 410-443
Box 89: CD copies of reel numbers 445-493 No CDs for interviews 445, 447, 452, 456, 487, 488
Box 90: CD copies of reel numbers 494-552 No CDs for interviews 503, 512-517, 520-522, 535, 537-540, 545, 546, 548, 550, 551
Box 91: CD copies of reel numbers 553-611 No CDs for interviews 554-568, 570, 587-588, 590-592, 594
Box 92: CD copies of reel numbers 612-651 No CDs for interviews 617, 620, 640
Box 93: CD copies of reel numbers 652-745 No CDs for interviews 663-704, 706-736
Box 94: CD copies of reel numbers 746-769 No CDs for interviews 756, 765
Box 95: CDs for reel numbers 770-790
Box 96: CDs for reel numbers 791-814
Box 97: CDs for reel numbers 815-837
Box 98: CDs for reel numbers 838-860 No CD for interview 851
Box 99: CDs for reel numbers 861-896 No CDs for interviews 880, 887, 889, 890
Box 100: CDs for reel numbers 897-904
Box 101-102: Sectored CDs [Not for public use]
Box 23: News Clippings
Box 24: News Clippings
Box 25-27 There are no boxes numbered 25-27
Box 28: Reel numbers 1-18
Box 29: Reel numbers 19-35
Box 30: Reel numbers 36-52
Box 31: Reel numbers 53-63
Box 32: Reel numbers 64-81
Box 33: Reel numbers 82-98
Box 34: Reel numbers 99-120 No tapes for interviews 99-102
Box 35: Reel numbers 121-138
Box 36: Reel numbers 139-153
Box 37: Reel numbers 154-164
Box 38: Reel numbers 165-179
Box 39: Reel numbers 180-189
Box 40: Reel numbers 190-202
Box 41: Reel numbers 203-222 No tapes for interviews 210, 211
Box 42: Reel numbers 223-238
Box 43: Reel numbers 239-256
Box 44: Reel numbers 257-274
Box 45: Reel numbers 275-289
Box 46: Reel numbers 290-300
Box 47: Reel numbers 301-313
Box 48: Reel numbers 314-327
Box 49: Reel numbers 328-339
Box 50: Reel numbers 340-352
Box 51: Reel numbers 353-368 No tapes for interview 353
Box 52: Reel numbers 369-386
Box 53: Reel numbers 387-399
Box 54: Reel numbers 400-408
Box 55: Reel numbers 409-421 No tapes for interview 420
Box 56: Reel numbers 422-439
Box 57: Reel numbers 440-458 No tapes for interview 440
Box 58: Reel numbers 459-475
Box 59: Reel numbers 476-492
Box 60: Reel numbers 493-510
Box 61: Reel numbers 511-541 No tapes for interviews 512, 517, 520-522, 537-540
Box 62: Reel numbers 542-579 No tapes for interviews 545, 546, 548, 550, 551, 554-568, 570
Box 63: Reel numbers 580-605 No tapes for interviews 586-590, 592, 594, 597, 598
Box 64: Reel numbers 606-624 No tape for interview 620
Box 65: Reel numbers 625-644 No tapes for interviews 626-636, 638, 649
Box 66: Reel numbers 645-704 No tapes for interviews 663-704
Box 67: Reel numbers 705-753 No tapes for interviews 706-734
Box 68: Reel numbers 754-773
Box 69: Reel numbers 774-791
Box 70: Reel numbers 792-809
Box 71: Reel numbers 810-827
Box 72: Reel numbers 828-845
Box 73: Reel numbers 846-864 No tape for interview 851
Box 74: Reel numbers 865-883
Box 75: Reel numbers 884-898 No tape for interview 887, 890
Box 76: Reel numbers 899-904
Title
Finding Aid of the American Indian Oral History Collection, 1967-1973
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by CSWR staff
Date
©2000
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid is in English

Repository Details

Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository

Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451