National Anthropological Archives

Robert E. Johnson Papers on the Coeur d'Alene and Makah Languages

Summary

Collection ID:
NAA.2011-34
Creators:
Johnson, Robert E. (Robert Erik), 1945
Dates:
1969-1971
Languages:
English
,
Coeur d'Alene
and
Makah
Physical Description:
1 Boxe
Oversize
2.7 Linear feet
4 document boxes, 2 boxes of index cards and 16 sound recordings
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This collection documents the research Robert E. Johnson conducted for his dissertation on the Coeur d'Alene language, as well as his fieldwork on the Makah language. Johnson's papers consist of field notes, audio recordings, index cards, and transcripts concerning both languages. The Coeur d'Alene recordings are of Lawrence Nicodemus. The Makah recordings were done with several of the last remaining speakers of that language, most of whom were over eighty years old when the recordings were made.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is organized into two series: 1) Coeur d'Alene Language, 1969 and 2) Makah Language, 1971.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Robert E. Johnson, an anthropological linguist, received a B.A. in psychology from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in anthropology from Washington State University. As a doctoral student he conducted field research on the Coeur d'Alene language on the tribe's reservation in Idaho (1969 and 1970). In 1971, he did fieldwork on the Makah language in Washington state.
Johnson began teaching at Gallaudet University's Department of Linguistics in 1981. While there, he engaged in research on the phonetic, phonological, and morphological structures of signed languages. He studied the structures of American Sign Language, Argentine Sign Language, and the sign language of a Yucatec Maya community. He also worked with Scott Liddell on a phonetic notation system for signed languages and co-authored with Liddell and Carol Erting "Unlocking the Curriculum: Principles of Achieving Access in Deaf Education." In addition, he provided consulting services as an expert witness on Miranda rights for deaf suspects.
Johnson retired from Gallaudet University in December of 2011.
Sources Consulted
Johnson, Robert. n.d. Robert Johnson, PhD. Accessed April 10, 2013. http://www.gallaudet.edu/faculty-staff/linguistics/johnson_robert_e.html
Johnson, Robert. n.d. Robert Johnson, PhD. Accessed April 10, 2013. http://www.mendeley.com/profiles/robert-johnson2/

Administration

Author
Richelle Brown
Sponsor
Digitization and preparation of most of this material for online access has been funded through generous support from the Arcadia Fund and by National Science Foundation under BCS Grant No. 1561167 and the Recovering Voices initiative at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.
Processing Information
Robert E. Johnson's papers were received organized by language. The original folder titles and arrangement were retained. Folder titles assigned by the archivist are indicated by square brackets. Files have been rehoused in acid free folders. Oversized materials were separated and placed in oversize boxes. Original and new locations of separated materials have been indicated with separation sheets.
Processed by Richelle Brown, May 2013.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
These papers were donated to the National Anthropological Archives by Robert E. Johnson upon his retirement from Gallaudet University in 2011.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Use
Contact repository for terms of use.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access.
Preferred Citation
Robert E. Johnson papers on the Coeur d'Alene and Makah languages, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Related Materials
The Human Studies Film Archives holds Robert E. Johnson's Mayan sign language video tapes and related notebooks.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Coeur d'Alene Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Language and languages -- Documentation Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Makah Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Field notes Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Makah Indian Reservation (Wash.) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Makah language Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Coeur d'Alene language Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Neah Bay (Wash.) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sound recordings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Nicodemus, Lawrence G., 1909-2004 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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