Comanche Ethnography
Field Notes of E. Adamson Hoebel, Waldo R. Wedel, Gustav G. Carlson, and Robert H. Lowie
Published on 1. October 2008
Book
Hardback
571 pages
978-0-8032-2764-4 (ISBN)
Description
In the summer of 1933 in Lawton, Oklahoma, a team of six anthropologists met with eighteen Comanche elders to record the latter's reminiscences of traditional Comanche culture. The depth and breadth of what the elderly Comanches recalled provides an inestimable source of knowledge for generations to come, both within and beyond the Comanche community. This monumental volume makes available for the first time the largest archive of traditional cultural information on Comanches ever gathered by American anthropologists.
Much of the Comanches' earlier world is presented here-religious stories, historical accounts, autobiographical remembrances, cosmology, the practice of war, everyday games, birth rituals, funerals, kinship relations, the organization of camps, material culture, and relations with other tribes.
Thomas W. Kavanagh tracked down all known surviving notes from the Santa Fe Laboratory field party and collated and annotated the records, learning as much as possible about the Comanche elders who spoke with the anthropologists and, when possible, attributing pieces of information to the appropriate elders. In addition, this volume includes Robert H. Lowie's notes from his short 1912 visit to the Comanches. The result stands as a legacy for both Comanches and those interested in learning more about them.
Much of the Comanches' earlier world is presented here-religious stories, historical accounts, autobiographical remembrances, cosmology, the practice of war, everyday games, birth rituals, funerals, kinship relations, the organization of camps, material culture, and relations with other tribes.
Thomas W. Kavanagh tracked down all known surviving notes from the Santa Fe Laboratory field party and collated and annotated the records, learning as much as possible about the Comanche elders who spoke with the anthropologists and, when possible, attributing pieces of information to the appropriate elders. In addition, this volume includes Robert H. Lowie's notes from his short 1912 visit to the Comanches. The result stands as a legacy for both Comanches and those interested in learning more about them.
Reviews / Votes
"Dr. Thomas W. Kavanagh has once again made a valuable contribution to Comanche scholarship with the publication of Comanche Ethnography."-R. Michael Barnett, Southwestern Historical Quarterly "Thomas Kavanagh deserves commendation for making these notes available to others in such a well-organized, contextualized, and useful format."-William C. Meadows, Great Plains Research "Aside from the scholarly service this work provides, Kavanagh's rigorous compiling and editing show what can be done with archival sources, which is an encouraging thought."-Mariah F. Wade, New Mexico Historical Review "Thomas Kavanagh has accomplished a significant achievement in presenting an important set of ethnographic field notes in a compelling and easily accessed manner. . . . [Comanche Ethnography] is a seminal ethnographic resource that will be appreciated by members of the Comanche Nation, anthropologists, historians, and academic and popular students of Native American studies."-Daniel C. Swan, Journal of Anthropological Research "Comanche ethnography is undoubtedly a significant contribution to the study of the Comanche. The presentation of these resources is useful not only for the data found in the field notes themselves, but also in considering how ethnographic research is conducted and used in the construction of ethnographic texts."-Abby Wightman, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute "Comanche Ethnography is a praiseworthy piece of scholarship that will doubtless become a mandatory reference on the pre-reservation Comanches."-Joaquin Rivaya-Martinez, EthnohistoryMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Lincoln
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Edition type
Annotated edition
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
20 photos, 8 figures
Dimensions
Height: 261 mm
Width: 191 mm
Thickness: 51 mm
Weight
1358 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8032-2764-4 (9780803227644)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Thomas W. Kavanagh
Comanche Ethnography
Field Notes of E. Adamson Hoebel, Waldo R. Wedel, Gustav G. Carlson, and Robert H. Lowie
E-Book
10/2008
1st Edition
University of Nebraska Press
€66.49
Available for download
Person
Thomas W. Kavanagh is an assistant professor of anthropology and a museum administrator at Seton Hall University. He is also the Consulting Anthropologist of the Comanche Nation and the author of North American Indian Portraits: Photographs from the Wanamaker Expeditions and The Comanches: A History, 1706-1875, the latter available in a Bison Books edition.
Content
List of PhotographsList of FiguresPreface PART ONE THE 1933 COMANCHE FIELD PARTY IntroductionThe 1933 Field Party Notes Herman Asenap, June 30-July 1Notes on a Comanche Funeral, July 1Quassyah, July 5Niyah, July 6Rhoda Asenap, July 7Niyah, July 7Herman Asenap, July 7Niyah, July 8 Niyah, July 10 Post Oak Jim, July 11 Post Oak Jim, July 12 Rhoda Asenap, July 12 Post Oak Jim, July 13 Post Oak Jim, July 14 Post Oak Jim, July 17 Post Oak Jim, July 18 Post Oak Jim, July 19George Koweno, July 21 Post Oak Jim, July 24 Post Oak Jim, July 25 Niyah, July 25 Unidentified Consultant, Undated Frank Chekovi, Undated I Post Oak Jim, July 26 Frank Chekovi, Undated II Niyah, July 27 Howard White Wolf, July 31 Nemaruibetsi, July 31 Nemaruibetsi, August 1 Howard White Wolf, August 1 Frank Chekovi, August 2 Howard White Wolf, August 2 Frank Chekovi, August 3 Howard White Wolf, August 3 Frank Chekovi, August 4 Howard White Wolf, August 4 Atauvich, August 7 Nemaruibetsi, August 8 Post Oak Jim, Undated Atauvich, August 9 Frank Chekovi, August 10 Frank Chekovi and Pedahny, August 11 Unidentified Consultant, August 10-12 Herkeyah, August 13 Herkeyah, August 14 Herkeyah, August 15 Frank Moetah, August 16 Quassyah, August Rhoda Asenap, Undated Post Oak Jim, Undated Tahsuda, Undated Frank Chekovi, Undated III Norton Tahquechi, Undated Teneverka, Undated Nemaruibetsi, Undated Herkeyah, Undated Howard White Wolf, Undated Ohataipa, Undated Unidentified Consultant, Undated Notes on Dances at Walters and Apache, Undated PART TWO ROBERT LOWIE'S 1912 FIELD TRIP Introduction Lowie's 1912 Field Notes APPENDIX A Sources of Ethnographic Information in Hoebel (1940) APPENDIX B Sources of Ethnographic Information in Wallace and Hoebel (1952) APPENDIX C Sources of Ethnobotanical Information in Carlson and Jones (1940) APPENDIX D Comanche Lexicon References Index