Scope and Contents

Ethnological and linguistic notes collected by Truman Michelson during his fieldwork among the Munsee in Kansas and the Delaware in Oklahoma in 1912. Also letters received in 1913 from Silas Longbone, one of the Delaware with whom Michelson worked closely. The majority of the notes are on the Delaware, and include Delaware stories in English. According to Ives Goddard, most of the information was provided by Elk Hair, the last great Delaware ceremonialist. Longbone served as an interpreter.

Contents of Delaware files: F.1) Letters from Silas Longbone, Dewey. Oklahoma, January 10, 1913. 5 pages; F.2) Ethnological notes. Longbone, informant. 3 pages; F.3) Legend. 8 pages; F.4) Doll Dance. 11 pages. Notes on small sheets, 2 pages; F.5 ) Delaware linguistic notes. 4 unnumbered pages. Text with interl. translation. 8 pages. Notes on small sheets, 5 pages. (17 pages total); F.6) Notes from Elk Hair. December 12 [1912] 11 pages; F.7) [Story of Delawares and White People] 10 pages; F.8) "Doctoring. Otter Skin Dance, ritualistic origin." 9 pages. Plus small sheet numbered "2". (10 pages.); F.9) Story of Wehixamokas, "the Delaware Sampson." Possibly from Longbone, with comments at end by Silas and Elkhair. 21 pages; F.10) Delaware Meeting House. Elk Hair, age 62. English text. 18 and 1 page (Also 3 pages notes on small sheets, possibly unrelated.); F.11) Miscellaneous ethnological and linguistic notes, apparently Delaware of Oklahoma. 8 pages.

Contents of Munsee files: F.12) "Munsee notes," ethnological and linguistic. Informants: Mr and Mrs Veix, Mr Caleb, Mrs Plake, Mr Eliot, Rufus Caleb, Joab Samuel, Mrs Spooner. 6 and 6 and 1 plus 3 pages. (16 pages total); F.13) [Munsee. Mrs Plake mentioned as 1 inft.] Text with interlinear English translation. 10 pages. Vocabulary and other linguistic notes, 9 unnumbered pages and pages numbered 2-8. (26 pages, total)

Local Numbers

NAA MS 2776