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Wilson Duff fonds Cultural groups
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Final lecture of Anthropology 301, April 3, 1974, “Resurgence of Indian Culture”

Item is an audio recording of a lecture given by Wilson Duff on the “Resurgence of Indian Culture.” On side A, Duff speaks on the failings of colonialist education systems, First Nations traditional knowledge, and his interpretations of Haida art. Works discussed include a Raven rattle and a chest carved by Charles Edenshaw. Side B continues with Duff’s observations on government interest in, and appropriation of, First Nations art and culture as symbols of Canadian identity, and cultural repatriation.

Lecture on Women and bears, February 26, 1974

Item is an audio recording of a lecture given by Wilson Duff on “Women and Bears.” Duff uses the story of the woman who married a bear, represented in a Haida sculpture, to frame a discussion of the disenfranchisement of First Nations women under the Indian Act, the Lavell case (AG v. Lavell, 1971) and the Bedard case (R v. Bedard, 1973), and Haida and Nisga’a art. Lecture is recorded on both Side A and Side B.

Narrative and Songs from Fort Fraser, Hagwilget, Kispiox, Shuswap

Item is an audio recording made by Wilson Duff that features narrative and songs spoken and sung in several First Nations languages.

The first segment of the recording took place on August 1, 1962 in Fort Fraser at the home of Maxime George and the language used is Dakelh; accompanying documentation states that Mr. George was away but his sister Bernadette Grey was present along with Mrs. George and her sister.

The second segment of the recording took place on August 3, 1962 in Hagwilget at the house of Pete and Bernadette Grey and the language used is Dakelh; accompanying documentation states that the main singer is Donald Gray and his wife.

The third segment of the recording took place on August 16, 1962 featuring Johnson Williams, who has a Kitwancool name of Guano and the language used is Gitxsan.

The fourth segment of the recording took place on August 16, 1962 featuring Maxime George. The fifth portion of the recording is a Kitwancool recording. The final segment of the recording features Shuswap songs.

A two page document accompanied the recording. Document text:
Carrier

  1. Fort Fraser, Aug 1, 1962. W. Duff at home of Maxine George. He was away, but his daughter Bernadette Gray, her sister, and Mrs M George were present.
    (1) Song. Same repeated
    (2) Song (very short)
    (3) Song
  2. Hagwilget, Aug 3 1962. At house of Pete and Bernadette Gray. Main singer old Donald Gray (94). His aged wife (104) also present.
    (4) Song (Sun Song)
    Not transcribed Song
    Talk about names
    (5) Song, then talk about languages
    not transcribed Song
    (6) Song, then talk of moon, explaining song
    Song, then explained Sun is traveling in the sky. Talk about peacemaking forgets next song, talk about languages
    (7) Song. Sung song, for making peace
    Song. Long song, then explained. END
  3. Kispiox August 16, 1962. John Williams, who has Kitwancool name Guno. Gitksan.
    (8) Tells Neegamks story in English, includes singing of Neegamks song
    (9) Love song
    (10) Song for welcoming guests
  4. Kispiox, same time as above. Jonathan Johnson sings his direge song
  5. Fort Fraser, August 16 1962. Maxine George, others as above, 1.
    Lahal Song
  6. Song, break, then same song to end of tape
    (reverse tape)
  7. Automobile song interpreted by Bernadette
    Hudson Bay Rum song
    Maxine George tells story of origin of mosquitoes in English
    Then same in Carrier
    Same, origin of fire, water, daylight in English
    Hymn in Carrier, repeated
    Another hymn
  8. Kitwancool recording, self explanatory
  9. Shuswap songs, self explanatory

Tsimshian and Tillamook Coast Salish songs recorded by Dr. Viola Garfield

Item is a recording with two distinct parts. The first part of the recording features Tsimshian songs recorded in 1932 by the American anthropologist Dr. Viola Garfield (1899-1983) of the University of Washington. The songs in this recording were sung by Lewis Grey (1857-1934) who was born in Port Simpson and was recognized as a shaman by the Nass River tribes and upper Skeen River people. The cylinder number referenced during the recording is #14573. The Dr. Viola Garfield fonds is housed at the University of Washington Special Collections. She carried out field work in the summer of 1932, 1935 and 1937 at the Tsimshian village of Port Simpson, British Columbia. An Ediphone machine provided by the University of Washington Anthropology Department was used to record and store the songs on wax cylinders, which were deposited at the University. The recordings were transferred to the open reel format in 1971. More information is available in Dr. Viola Garfield's book Tsimshian Clan and Society (1939), available in the MOA Reading Room, call number 12.7 TSI GAR.

The second portion of the recording starts at 8:26, when an unidentified male speaker states that the remainder of the tape are Tilamook recordings made by Prof Melville Jacobs of the University of Washington recorded in the Winter of 1933 using an Ediphone cylinder. The speaker states that the first three songs are Tillamook Coast Salish North West Orgeon songs, sung by Clara Pearson, the informant of Elizabeth Jacobs in late 1933, and recorded at Garibaldi, Oregon. The speaker states that two songs are possibly in one of the Muckleshoot Reservation dialects. The speaker states that Song 1, Tit Willow, is possibly sung by the American anthropologist Dr. Erna Gunther.

Accompanying documentation for this recording contains the following text:
B. Johnstone, November 15, 1971
Tsimshian Songs Recorded by Viola Garfield
Tape Two
000 - Song #18 - Louis Gray - Taunting Song
100 - Song #19 - Louis Gray - Nursing Song
145 - Song #20 - Louis Gray - Dancing Society song
180 - Tillamook recordings made by Jacobs in Garabaldi, Ore., 1933.
Ni-sgane’-s are a ganhada chief house of the ginad‚iks tribe

Tsimshian files

Research notes compiled by Wilson Duff during his work on the Barbeau/Beynon material held at the National Museum of Canada (now Canadian Museum of History). This research, focused specifically on the Tsimshian culture, includes correspondence addressed to and/or written by Duff, files relating to the Nishga Land Claim of which Duff was involved as a witness, and typed manuscripts.

Tsimshian songs recorded by Dr. Viola Garfield

Item is a recording of Tsimshian songs recorded by the American anthropologist Dr. Viola Garfield (1899-1983) of the University of Washington. The songs in this recording were sung by Matthew Johnson (ca. 1867 - ?) who was one of the leading lineage heads of the G-spaxlo-‘ts tribe, and a great admirer of the lineage of the Tsimshian chief, Legaic” (Legaik, Legex). The title Legaic was carried by at least four chiefs of the Tsimshian Eage Clan. The last-known individual to carry the title took it in 1938.The cylinder numbers referenced during the recording are #14561, #14562, #14563, #14564 .

The Dr. Viola Garfield fonds is housed at the University of Washington Special Collections. She carried out field work in the summer of 1932, 1935 and 1937 at the Tsimshian village of Port Simpson, British Columbia. An Ediphone machine provided by the University of Washington Anthropology Department was used to record and store the songs on wax cylinders, which were deposited at the University. The recordings were transferred to the open reel format in 1971. More information is available in Dr. Viola Garfield's book Tsimshian Clan and Society (1939), available in the MOA Reading Room, call number 12.7 TSI GAR.

A document that accompanied this recording contains the following text:
Document text:
Cylinder 14561
000 - Song # 1 - Matthew Johnson - marriage song composed for the wedding of Legaik’s sister to ni•s nawa•
030 - Song # 2 - Matthew Johnson - entertainment and potlaching song, a song belonging to Legaik
080 - Song #3 - Matthew Johnson - supernatural power song ni•s nawa, Sky Spirit
137 - Song #4 - Matthew Johnson - a winant secret society power song belonging to ni•s nawa• Kilutsan chief
168 - Song #5 - Matthew Johnson – a secret society song or ludzista•l song
Cylinder 14562
190 - Song #6 - Matthew Johnson, a dog eater society song. nute•m, ni•s nawa, giluska’u
255 - Song #7 - Matthew Johnson –
300 - Song #8 - Matthew Johnson - boasting song for potlatch of Legaic’s tribe
Cylinder 14563
385 - Song #10 - Matthew Johnson - supernatural power song. Legaik, wiskani•st
475 - Song #11 - Matthew Johnson - dirge ni•s nawa• limkoi
530 - Song #12 - Matthew Johnson - dirge gispaxbts, gilutsa’u
588 - Song #13 - Matthew Johnson - dirge
Cylinder 14564
614 - Song #14 - Mrs. Marsden (sp.?) – wolf clan song of kitsees
665 - Song #15 - Mrs. Marsden - song belonging to the supernatural power name lugaxli’bam laxha belonging to ni•syagane•t
774 - Song #16 - Mrs. Marsden - ni•sgune (gitsecs) supernatural power song
825 - Song #17 - Mrs. Marsden – supernatural (naxnog) power song, house of welk

Wilson Duff interview with Jonathan Johnson at Kispiox

Item is an audio recording of an interview by Wilson Duff with Jonathan Johnson about the geography of the Gitxsan village of Kispiox and surrounding region. According to Tribal Boundaries in the Nass Watershed by Neil J. Stewart (MOA Reading Room, call number 12.7c GIT STE), Jonathan Johnson (1902-1968) of Kispiox was from the House of Xhliimlaxha and had knowledge of territories in the Nass watershed, including his father’s territory at Gwinhagiistxw. In interviews that took place on July 6 and 7, 1965, Duff gathered information about house territories in the Nass and Skeena watersheds to produce a map showing territories and numbered sites at Kispiox, see the Wilson Duff fonds at MOA, Box/File# Mc15, File# 10-B-21.