By Zachary R. Jones, Archivist
Title: Sealaska Historic Sites Research Papers, 1965-1983
ID: MS/023
Primary Creator: Worl, Rosita
Other Creators: Smythe, Charles W.
Extent: 3.0 Boxes
Subjects: Haida Indians--History., Tlingit Indians--History.
This collection consists of the research papers of anthropologists Rosita Worl and Chuck Smythe relating to their work for Sealaska Corporation and its effort during the 1970s and 1980s to locate, protect, and preserve historic and sacred sites in Southeast Alaska. Much of this effort was connected to 14(h)(1) legislation for the Conveyance of Cemetery Sites and Historical Places as outlined by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. These efforts also generated cultural information about the historic habitation of the Tlingit and Haida people throughout Southeast Alaska. The sites that Sealaska worked to document and protect with this project included historic village settlements—both permanent and seasonal settlement sites, cemetery or grave sites, sacred sites of cultural value, Petroglyphs/Pictographs, subsistence sites, forts and battle areas, and other sites that are of special interest. This collection is subject to restrictions that seek to protect historic sites and their locations.
Boxes 1-2 contain working and research files, which are comprised of correspondence, notes, transcribed oral history recordings, copies of 18th and 19th century European exploration diaries, and other that document the work and research the Corporation through Worl and Smythe undertook to document the sites in question.
Box 3 contains handwritten transcriptions of Sealaska Historic Sites interview recordings. Currently, the original recordings for these transcriptions are not in the collection. The transcriptions are of six different tapes interviewing four people. One is dated to 1965, while the rest are undated. The interviews contain information on geographical locations and the oral histories associated with them. The interviews are mostly in Tlingit, with little English translation.
RESTRICTIONS: Researchers should know that this collection is not open to the general public, since these materials contain information about 14(h)1 sites. To prevent further vandalism to these sites, only researchers with reasonable cause are allowed to examine these materials.
Repository: Sealaska Heritage Institute Archives
Access Restrictions: Restrictions: Restricted to the public to protect the integrity of 14(h)1 sites, but access can be granted to those with reasonable reason for inquiry. Contact the archivist for further information.
Acquisition Method: The materials in this collection were obtained by SHI prior to 2007 and found amid unprocessed SHI operational records in 2010. Accession # 2010.006.
Related Materials: Some recordings associated with these materials have been cataloged as distinct SHI collections, see MC 37 and 41.
