Frederica de Laguna Tlingit Fieldwork Recordings Collection, 1952-1954 | Sealaska Heritage Institute Archives

This collection consists of CD copies of ten audio recordings made by Frederica de Laguna at Yakutat, Alaska in 1952 and 1954. The original Laguna recordings from 1952 and 1954 are held by the American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia. It should be noted that Laguna made a number recordings of Tlingit individuals during her career as an anthropologist, and the recordings in SHI’s collection do not constitute a comprehensive set. Researchers should contact the American Philosophical Society to learn about additional Tlingit recordings.

The recordings in this collection contain songs and stories about the Tlingit Indians of the Yakutat and Dry Bay area of Southeast Alaska and concern most clans of this area. Many of these songs and stories discuss important aspects of Tlingit history and culture, as they were told and sung by knowledgeable elders. Some of these include stories and songs on Tlingit history, ceremonial and cultural protocols, stories about Tlingit at.óow, clan houses, stories about Tlingit lands and places, and other important information. Stories and songs are in both the Tlingit and English languages. The recordings also contain some words by Laguna.

The recordings in this collection have been described based on the descriptive forms provided by the American Philosophical Society, though this information has been updated. This update and correction resulted since from 2008-2010 researchers commented that some descriptions were said to be inaccurate and out of order. As result, via a 2011-13 IMLS Enhancement Grant, Sealaska Heritage Institute contracted fluent speaker Fred White (Shangukeidí Clan, Xeitl Hít) of Yakutat to review these recordings. White, who grew up in Yakutat and knew and was related to many of those who spoke in the recordings, provided corrective and enhanced feedback on the recordings and their content. The descriptive information for the items in this collection was updated in December 2011.

Note: Since American Philosophical Society (APS) contains the original recordings that comprise this collection, SHI cannot make copies for researchers without the permission of the APS.