National Anthropological Archives

Register to the Papers of Jon Haskell Breslar

Summary

Collection ID:
NAA.2007-04
Creators:
Cidey, Guy
Breslar, Jon, 1949-2005
Dates:
1870-1984
bulk 1971-1982
Languages:
Most of the writings are in
French
and
English
, but there are also photocopies and photographic prints of a manuscript in
Arabic
. There are sound recordings in
Maore
,
French
, and
English
.
Physical Description:
7.2 Linear feet
16 boxes, 21 cassette tapes, 12 audio reels, 1 map drawer
Repository:
These papers document Jon Breslar's fieldwork on Mayotte, Comoro Islands for his dissertation as well as his work developing a new housing policy for Mayotte. The collection contains his professional correspondence, field notes, research notes, his writings, writings by others, newspaper clippings, teaching materials for his Shimaore language course, photographs, maps, plant specimens, and sound recordings.

Scope and Content note

Scope and Content note
These papers document Jon Breslar's fieldwork on Mayotte, Comoro Islands for his dissertation as well as his work developing a new housing policy for Mayotte. The collection contains his professional correspondence, notes, writings, research materials, photographs, maps, plant specimens, and sound recordings.
Among his correspondents in the collection are Georges and Genevieve Boulinier, Michael Lambek, Paul Ottino, and Alexander Spoehr. The collection also contains his correspondence relating to arrangements for his trip to Mayotte as well as his fieldwork progress reports sent to the Social Science Research Council, which funded his research.
A copy of Breslar's dissertation can be found in the collection along with his field notes; maps; sound recordings of ceremonies and interviews with informants; plant specimens used for medicine; photographic prints; and 35 mm slides. Materials relating to his work on the Mayotte housing project consist of his research notes, photographs, and the
L'Habitat
publications produced from the project.
Michael Lambek and Breslar both conducted fieldwork on Mayotte at around the same time and collaborated on two papers: "Death and Politics in Mayotte" (presented at the 1977 76th American Anthropological Association meeting) and "Funerals and Social Change in Mayotte" (1986). A draft of the first paper can be found filed with Lambek's correspondence while a copy of the second paper is under
Series 4. Writings.
In addition to Breslar's writings, the collection contains monographs, articles, and theses on the Comoro Islands and Madagascar by other authors. Most of the writings are in French and English, but there are also photocopies and photographic prints of a manuscript in Arabic.
Other materials that may be of interest are Breslar's teaching materials for his course on Shimaore. While in Mayotte, Breslar became fluent in Shimaore and offered a course on the language.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Arranged into 8 series: (1) Correspondence, 1971-1989 [Bulk 1971-1978]; (2) Research, 1975-1980; (3) Language, 1979-1982; (4) Writings, 1870-1984 [Bulk 1959-1984]; (5) Photographs, circa 1975-1982; (6) Maps, 1955-1956; (7) Botanical Specimens, circa 1975-1982; (8) Sound Recordings, 1976

Biographical Note

Biographical Note
Jon Haskell Breslar, a sociocultural and applied anthropologist, was born on June 22, 1949 in Ware, Massachusetts. He received a B.A. in Anthropology and French in 1971 from Franklin & Marshall College and his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh in 1981.
As a doctoral student, Breslar originally planned to study ethnic identities and relationships in the Lac Alaotra region of Northeast Madgascar. His plans came to a halt, however, when officials from the Malagasy Embassy informed him that westerners were no longer allowed to conduct long term ethnological research in Madagascar. As a result, he decided to carry out his research in Mayotte, Comoro Islands. From 1975 to 1976, Breslar conducted fieldwork in the villages of Sada and M'Zouazia, which led to his dissertation, "An Ethnography of the Mahorais (Mayotte, Comoro Islands)." He still had not completed his dissertation when, upon the invitation of the French government, he returned to Mayotte for four months from November, 1977 to February, 1978 to develop a new housing policy for the Mahorais as a contractor for Société Immobilière de Mayotte. He returned to Mayotte again in September, 1978 to January, 1982, this time with his family, to continue work on the project. A pilot study was conducted and published in a three-volume set, one of which was Breslar's
L'Habitat Mahorais: Une Perspective Ethnologique
(1979-1982). The project resulted in the construction of more durable housing using low-cost materials.
In 1983, he joined the US Agency for International Development (USAID). During the course of his career at USAID, he was assigned to Nepal, Mali, and Lebanon (where he served as director). He rose to the diplomatic rank of Minister Counselor and was a recipient of the Presidential Rank Award and the Administrator's Award for Distinguished Career Service.
Breslar passed away at the age of 56, from lung cancer, on September 3, 2005.
Sources Consulted
Lambek, Michael. "Jon Haskell Breslar."
Anthropology News
47.2 (2006): 35.
Chronology
1949
Born June 22 in Ware, Massachusetts
1971
Earns B.A. from Franklin & Marshall College in Anthropology and French
1975-1976
Conducts ethnological fieldwork in Mayotte, Comoro Islands.
1977-1978
Returns to Mayotte for four months to help develop new housing policy for the Mahorais as a contractor for Société Immobilière de Mayotte
1978-1982
Continues work on Mayotte housing project
1981
Earns Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh
1983
Joins USAID
1985-1989
Serves as USAID Rural Development Officer in Nepal
1989-1993
Serves as USAID Program Officer in Mali
1997
Visits Mayotte
2000-2002
Serves as Mission Director in Lebanon
2005
Dies on September 3 at the age of 56.
Selected Bibliography
1981
Ph.D. dissertation. "An Ethnography of the Mahorais (Mayotte, Comoro Islands)." University of Pittsburgh.
1979
L'Habitat Mahorais: Une Perspective Ethnologique
. Paris: Editions A.G.G.
1986
with Michael Lambek. "Funerals and Social Change in Mayotte."
Madagascar: Society and History
. Durham: Carolina Academic Press.

Administration

Author
Lorain Wang
Sponsor
The Jon Breslar Papers were processed with the support of a Wenner-Gren Foundation Historical Archives Program grant awarded to Bonnie Breslar. Funding for the digitization of portions of this collection was provided by the Arcadia Fund.
Processing Note
The papers of Jon Breslar were received partially organized and loosely grouped into field notes and research notes, correspondence, languages materials, and writings by others. The processing archivist kept existing groupings and organized the collection into eight series. Original folder titles were retained with titles assigned by the archivist placed within square brackets. Paper clips and staples were removed and, when necessary, an acid-free sheet of paper was folded around documents to indicate original groupings. Photographs that were intermixed with other materials were separated and filed with other photographs. Oversized materials were also separated and placed in oversized storage. Original and new locations of separated materials have been noted with separation sheets.
The processing archivist would like to thank Dominique Rogers for her assistance.
Processed by Lorain Wang
Encoded by Jocelyn Baltz, June 2012
Separated Materials
Four 8mm film reels received with the papers of Jon Breslar have been transferred to the Human Studies Film Archives. The reels contain footage of a circumcision and other Mayotte rituals and ceremonies.
Provenance
These papers were donated to the National Anthropological Archives by Jon Breslar's wife, Bonnie. A copy of Breslar's dissertation was obtained by his wife and added to the collection at a later date.

Using the Collection

Restrictions on Accesss
No restrictions on access.
Restrictions on Use
Contact repository for terms of use.
Preferred Citation
Jon H. Breslar papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Housing Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Field notes Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Mayotte Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sound recordings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Botanical specimens Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Slides (photographs) Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographic prints Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Mahorais Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Language and languages -- Documentation Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Applied anthropology Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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