James Baenen Nez Perce Recordings, 1963

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Baenen, James.
Title
James Baenen Nez Perce Recordings
Dates
1963 (inclusive)
Quantity
0.5 Linear feet of shelf space, (1 box)
Collection Number
Cage 938 (collection)
Summary
Reel-to-reel audio recordings of Nez Perce songs, stories, and interviews.
Repository
Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Access Restrictions

This collection is open and available for research use.

Languages
English, Nez Perce

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

James “Jim” Anthony Baenen (July 2, 1938-Oct. 5, 2017) received a B.A. from the University of Idaho before getting an M.A. in Anthropology at Washington State University in 1965. His WSU thesis dealt with hunting and fishing rights of the Nez Perce Indians. Baenen became a professor of Anthropology at Seattle Central Community College.

Albert Moore (d. 1965), also as Peace Pipe or Tuk-tar-mal-way-une, had been a member of the Chief Looking Glass of Nez Perce, but had remained behind to take care of his frail mother during the Nez Perce War of 1877. He lived to be 103, passing away at Lapwai, ID in 1965.

Sam Slickpoo (1890-1969) was a leader within the Nez Perce tribe, serving on the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Council.

Elizabeth Wilson (1882-1973) was noted as an activist within the Nez Perce tribe who was one of those responsible for creating a published tribal language, and for the preservation of tribal craftsmanship.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection consists of songs, stories, and interviews originating with the Nez Perce tribe in the Spalding, ID area ca. 1963. These were recorded (or collected) by anthropologist James “Jim” Baenen during the course of a WSU-originated field study taking plane in and around Spalding, ID. Interviewees include Nez Perce tribal members Elizabeth Wilson, Albert Moore, and Sam Slickpoo.

Descriptive information for each tape comes primarily from notations on the box.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Alternative Forms Available

All recordings in this collection were digitized in June, 2019, and the audio files are retained both as unedited wav files and as speed-corrected mp3 files in MASC’s archival digital storage. Each digital file contains both sides of a tape.

Restrictions on Use

Copyright restrictions apply.

Preferred Citation

[Item description]

Jim Baenen Nez Perce Recordings, 1963 (Cage 938)

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The collection consists of seven individually boxed one-hour reel-to-reel audio tape recordings, six of which were numbered one to six by their creator. That numbering has been used as the collection order, with the sole unnumbered tape as the seventh.

Acquisition Information

Justin Haney donated this collection to the Washington State University Libraries’ Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections on June 24, 2019, where they were retained as MS.2019.25. Mr. Haney had purchased these recordings at Jim Baenen’s estate sale in Lynnwood, WA on June 13th, 2019.

The materials were offered to the Nez Perce Tribe shortly after WSU received them, but they wished the original tapes to remain with the MASC for preservation purposes.

Processing Note

This collection was processed by Mark O’English in March, 2020.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
tape side
1 1 Spalding Rodeo Grounds. Indian dancing, singing. 03 August 1963
1 2 Mud Springs. Singing: Game Songs. 04 August 1963
2 1 Mud Springs. Singing: Game Songs. 04 August 1963
2 2 Elizabeth Wilson. Camas, Coyote, Buffalo 07 August 1963
3 1 Sam Slickpoo. Songs. Undated, circa 1963
3 2 Interview with Albert Moore. Undated, circa 1963
4 1 Interview with Albert Moore. Undated, circa 1963
4 2 Interview with Albert Moore. Undated, circa 1963
5 1 Interview with Albert Moore. Spalding. 1963
5 2 Interview with Albert Moore. Spalding. 1963
6 1 Interview with Albert Moore. Spalding. 1963
6 2 Indian songs and dances at Spalding. Feather, Arrow, and Swan. 24 July 1963
7 1 Sam Slickpoo stories. Snowshoe and Elk; Raven and Fox. 25 June 1963
7 2 Child singing nursery rhymes. Almost certainly not be of Nez Perce origin and incidental to the collection, but noted here as a clarification. Undated

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Nez Percé Indians -- Biography -- Archives.
  • Nez Percé Indians -- History -- Archives.

Personal Names

  • Baenen, James -- Archives.
  • Moore, Albert, -1965.
  • Slickpoo, Sam, 1890-1969.
  • Wilson, Elizabeth, 1880?-1973.

Form or Genre Terms

  • Oral histories

Other Creators

  • Personal Names
    • Moore, Albert, -1965. (creator)
    • Slickpoo, Sam, 1890-1969. (creator)
    • Wilson, Elizabeth, 1880?-1973. (creator)