Finding Aids to Collections Organized by Topic in the Archive of Folk Culture

NORTH DAKOTA COLLECTIONS
IN THE ARCHIVE OF FOLK CULTURE

Compiled by: Rachel S. Hall
Series Editor: Ann Hoog

Publication Date: September 2003; Web Revision March 2006
Series Number: LCFAFA No. 33
ISSN 0736-4903

Multiformat Collections

AFS 9543B6-9562: Willard Rhodes / Bureau of Indian Affairs Duplication Project
Twenty 16-inch discs of American Indian music recorded in Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, and Washington by Willard Rhodes, summer 1947, for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The collection includes 32 pages of concordances and lists and one article. [There are 10-inch and 12-inch disc copies of this collection on AFS 12,204-12,262.]

AFS 9556B1-9557B2; 9561B6-9562A3: Four discs containing a Grass Dance, Rabbit Dance, Soldier Boy's Song, Kick Dance, War Song, War Dance, and the Tah-roh-pa Society Song performed by Clair Everett, George Howard, George Lewis, Charley Parshall, Leo Shield Necklace, Willis Two Crow, and Thomas Yellow Face. Recorded in Elbowoods and Fort Berthold, North Dakota, August 23-25, 1947. (1 hour; LWO 5111 reels 237A and 238A)

AFS 9557B3-9561B5: Five discs containing a Victory Song, Kahomini Dance, Grass Song, Death Song, and Patriotic Song performed by Jerome Hastricks (or Hetrich), Alex Sage, Leon Spotted Bull, Charles Tuske, James Miles Vaulter, and Francis Yellow Lodge. Recorded in Fort Yates, North Dakota, August 28-September 5, 1947. (1 hour and 35 minutes; LWO 5111 reels 237B-238A)

AFS 10,902: Hartle and Howard / Sioux Songs
One 7-inch tape of 12 Sioux songs including "Longing for Custer," "To a Little Boy Who Lost His Horse," "Bloody Knife," "Bear Trail," "Indian National Anthem," "Song for World War II Veterans," "Scout Song" (dedicated to Bob Tailed Bull), "Kick Dance," "Fox Song," "Grass Dance," and others, performed by Johnny Fox and Davis Paint. Recorded in Fort Berthold, North Dakota, by Donald Hartle and James Howard, October 29, 1951. The collection includes 1 page of song lists. (24 minutes; LWO 5366)

AFS 11,301: Ross Lee Finney Recordings
One 7-inch tape of 10 folksongs sung by Ross Lee Finney, originally from North Dakota, which he heard in his childhood including songs collected from John Jacob Niles, Carl Sandburg, and others. Recorded at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., ca. 1957. The collection includes a 1-page song list. (24 minutes; LWO 2509)

AFS 13,992-14,021: National Federation of Music Clubs Archivists / Folk Music Materials
Eighteen 7-inch, 3 5-inch, and 9 3-inch tapes of folk music from Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Recorded by regional National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) archivists and contributors, 1931-63. Donated by Annabel M. Buchanan for the NFMC Folk Music Archive. The collection includes 5 linear inches of articles, correspondence, logs, and musical and textual transcriptions.

AFS 14,002-14,003; 14,020: Two 7-inch tapes and 1 3-inch tape of Norwegian fiddlers, folk dances, and popular songs performed by Olander Nelson, Ernest Sanis, Ted Sanis, Knut Sorensen, and Guntur Sorensen and others playing fiddle, banjo, mandolin, and piano. Recorded in Grand Forks, North Dakota, by Mrs. George Sturgeon, 1961-63. (4 hours and 20 minutes; LWO 5712 reels 11-12, 29)

AFS 21,846-21,854: Federal Cylinder Project / State Historical Society of North Dakota Mandan Hidatsa Cylinders
Nine 7-inch tapes copied from 175 wax cylinders of Mandan-Hidatsa music, including 141 war and dance songs from the Black Mouth Society, Buffalo Society, Creek Woman Society, Foolish Dog Society, Fox Society, Half Cut Society, Horse Society, and Young Dog Society and other songs performed by Crow's Heart, Flat Bear, Holding Eagle, Mrs. Holding Eagle, Little Crow, Sitting Crow, Sitting Rabbit, Spotted Weasel, Wolf Head, Wounded Face, Young Hawk, and numerous others. Also includes Mandan words and the narratives of Reverend and Mrs. C. L. Hall from early experiences at Fort Berthold. Recorded in North Dakota by Frances Densmore, 1912-29. The collection includes 9 pages of song lists. (8 hours and 12 minutes; RWA 6011-6019)

AFS 23,206: Federal Cylinder Project / O.G. Libby and Frances Densmore (Mandan-Hidatsa)
One 7-inch tape copied from 21 wax cylinders of 21 Mandan-Hidatsa songs sung by Black Bear, Flat Bear, Four Rings, Little Crow, Red Star, Alex Sage, Sitting Rabbit, Spotted Horn, and other unknown performers. Recorded in North Dakota by Russell Reed and O. G. Libby, August 1929, and others recorded by Frances Densmore, ca. 1915. Donated by the North Dakota Historical Society. The collection includes a 1-page song list. (1 hour; RWA 7032)

AFS 23,207: Federal Cylinder Project / O.G. Libby (Mandan-Hidatsa)
One 7-inch tape copied from 18 wax cylinders of 18 Mandan-Hidatsa songs sung by Bob Tailed Bull, Enemy Heart, David Hand, Little Soldier, Red Star, Alex Sage, Sitting Bear, and Standing Soldier. Recorded in North Dakota by O. G. Libby on various dates, 1915. Donated by the North Dakota Historical Society. The collection includes a 1-page song list. (1 hour; RWA 7033)

AFC 1948/056: Mark Mahto Recording of Mandan Indians' Tribal Songs
One 16-inch disc of 5 Mandan tribal songs from Elbowoods, North Dakota. Recorded at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., by Mark Mahto, ca. 1948. (13 minutes; tape copy on LWO 5111 reel 169A) [includes AFS 8945]

AFC 1987/005: Bjorngjeld Family Collection
Two audiocassettes of instrumentals and songs by the Bjorngjeld family, recorded in Minnesota, November 1986, and Columbus, North Dakota, 1956-60. The collection includes a 2-page list of 63 instrumentals and songs, 11 pages of notes, and an article about the family. Includes: Bjorngjeld Family Reunion Band in concert at the Homestead Pickin Parlor (Richfield, MN, November 22, 1986; and Dulono's, November 29, 1986), Minneapolis, MN. Selections recorded include country music, Scandinavian dance music, bluegrass, gospel, and ballads [ recorded by Arthur J. Bjorngjeld?] Bjorngjeld Family "homemade recordings": sample of records and tapes recorded at home [location unknown] during the 1950s and 1960s. Musicians include Clarence Bjorngjeld (harmonica and vocals), Ervin Bjorngjeld (tenor banjo), Alfred Bjorngjeld (piano accordian), Borghild Person (guitar and vocals), Olga Hanson (mandolin and vocals).

AFC 1990/032: Arikara Dictaphone Belt Recordings, University of Chicago, Fort Berthold Project Records
Two 7-inch tapes copied from 15 dictabelts of Arikara spoken word by an unknown Arikara ceremonial leader. Recorded at the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota, by Sol Tax, 1950-53 as part of the records of the Action Anthropology Project of the University of Chicago. Accompanying manuscript materials for these recordings are at the National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution. (3 hours and 10 minutes; LWO 25,488)

AFC 1993/001: Ethnic Heritage and Language Schools in America Project Collection
Ethnic Heritage and Language Schools in America Project Collection. 1982 survey of 23 ethnic schools, 14 of which the Center represented in a book resulting from the study, Ethnic Heritage and Language Schools in America. Collection contains 32 boxes of unmicrofilmed manuscripts, 8 microfilms (fieldnotes and reports), 248 audio cassettes, 84 7-inch reels, 1130 color slides, 9072 black and white negatives, and 1 3/4-inch videotape.

AFC 1993/001:Box 7: Materials pertaining to the report on the German-Russian Ethnic Studies program at Emmons Central High School in Strasburg, North Dakota, collected by Timothy J. Kloberdanz. Contains fieldwork for the chapter that appeared in Ethnic Heritage and Language Schools in America. Includes 5 color slide logs with photo descriptions for 85 individual slides, in addition to black and white photo logs for 7 rolls of film, each containing 36 photos with descriptions, as well as 5 photo enlargements. Miscellaneous items include a German-Russian dinner menu titled "Was Gibt es Zuessen?", a postcard titled "The interior of SS. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church." and 4 final reports written by Kloberdanz.

AFC 1993/001:Microfilm Reel 3: Contains personal correspondence, day-to-day fieldnotes, and expense sheets of fieldworker Timothy J. Kloberdanz. Also includes sound recording logs, photo logs, and interview sheets. Other miscellaneous documents include curriculum materials pertaining to the German-Russian ethnic studies course taught at Emmons Central High, reports and diagrams on the architecture of historic German-Russian houses in North Dakota, local newspaper articles, photocopies from the high school yearbook, song lyrics, and additional copies of the drafts for the final reports.

AFS 23,454-23,463: One audiocassette containing interviews with various members of the Strasburg community, and students and staff at Emmons Central High School. Includes recording of 1 ethnic studies class session, and the end of the year German-Russian ethnic dinner. Also includes 14 German folk songs sung by the Young German Singers of Emmons County, in addition to a commercial recording made by the same group, containing 17 religious hymns. (RYA 4459-4468)

AFC 1995/031: North Dakota Council on the Arts / "Faces of Identity, Hands of Skill" Collection
Two audiocassettes of ethnic folk music and dance of North Dakota for use in an exhibition entitled "Faces of Identity, Hands of Skill: Folk Arts in North Dakota," assembled by the North Dakota Council on the Arts. Performers include Bryan Akipa playing the Sisseton Sioux "Siyo Tanka" flute, John Gross Jr. singing German-Russian "Volkslieder," James LaRoque playing "Metis" ("mixed") French/Chippewa/Cree fiddle tunes, Luqman Maii playing Kurdish music on the tambour (a form of lute), and Sokhom and Bun Sun You playing and singing Khmer dance music of Cambodia. Recorded in Bismarck, Fargo, Napoleon, Sisseton, and Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation, North Dakota, by Troyd Geist, 1994. The collection includes 26 pages of descriptions, information about performers, and sections of newsletters. (2 hours)

AFC 2000/001: Local Legacies Collection
Four hundred and five linear feet (approximately 90,000 manuscript pages, 475 sound recordings, 13,270 graphic materials, 335 electronic media, and 75 artifacts) of documentation of local festivals, fairs, parades, and other community-based events from each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories and trusts. The Local Legacies Collection was donated through the efforts of individuals, organizations, and institutions asked to participate by members of Congress. This project was part of the Library of Congress Bicentennial celebration in the year 2000. An online presentation of this collection, entitled Community Roots, is available at http://www.loc.gov/folklife/roots/ . The following is a list of Local Legacies from North Dakota, arranged by congressional sponsorship:

Senator Kent Conrad: Fort Seward Wagon Train (held in Jamestown), International Music Camp (located at the International Peace Garden), United Tribes Powwow (held on the campus of the United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck; coordinated with Rep. Pomeroy), Norsk Hostfest (held in Minot; coordinated with Sen. Dorgan and Rep. Pomeroy), Medora Musical (held in Medora).

Senator Byron Dorgan: One Hundredth Annual Celebration by Icelanders (held in Mountain), Prairie Rose Lace Makers, Taylor Horse-Festival Celebration (held in Taylor), Fort Ransom Sodbusters Association: Pioneer Life (held in Fort Ransom), Dakota Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Medora (held in Medora), Cowboy Poetry of Bill Lowman, Family Immersion in Traditional Norwegian Culture (featuring Robin and Paul Carlson of Kenmare), Norsk Hostfest (see Sen. Conrad above).

Representative Earl Pomeroy (At Large): North Dakota Winter Show in Valley City, United Tribes Powwow (see Sen. Conrad above), Norsk Hostfest (see Sen. Conrad above), Germans from Russia Cooking, Roughrider Days (held in Dickinson).