January 1982 The Library ofCongress, Washington, D.C. Volume V, Number 1
FOLKLIFE GRANT TO AND THE FEDERAL ELDERLY CYLINDER
In retrospect 1981 was PROJECT a year in which the role of the elderly in society and The American Folklife particularly their role in Center has been awarded the maintenance of the a grant of $15,000 by the country's cultural heritage L. J. Skaggs and Mary C. was a focus ofnational in Skaggs Foundation of terest and a reiterating Oakland, California for theme of Folklife Center the continuing work of activities. the Federal Cylinder Proj The 1981 White House ect. Conference on Aging of The L. J. Skaggs and ficially opened at the Sher Mary C. Skaggs Founda aton Washington Hotel tion is the first private on November 30 with a foundation to designate keynote address by Rich Folklore/Folklife as a sep ard S. Schweiker, Secre arate funding category. tary of the U.S. Depart The category was set up ment of Health and in 1980, and, since that Human Services, to a ple Leisurely conversation near Windsor Locks, Conn., 1942. Farm Security Adminis time, the foundation has nary conference session tration photograph Uy John Collier, Prints and Photographs Division. From the awarded approximately a attended by some 2,200 "Generation to Generation" exhibit. dozen grants under the delegates and 1,200 offi heading. Seven grants cial observers. The four-day program consummated a series of were awarded for calendar year 1982, totalling $70,500. They activities--community forums, mini conferences, and technical went to such institutions as the Center for the Study of Com committee meetings--set in motion by congressional legislation parative Folklore and Mythology at the University ofCalifornia, passed in 1978. Los Angeles for the continuing work of setting up a Visual The delegates and official observers assembled in Washing Media Archive: the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in ton to participate in committee meetings to discuss a wide range San Francisco to fund the position ofa stafffolklorist to coordi of topics such as the economy of an aging population, housing nate all folklife programming for the Federal Parks Department alternatives, and older Americans as a continuing resource. in the area; and the Los Angeles organization Saving and Pre Although cultural issues were not highlighted in the formal serving Arts and Cultural Environments (SPACES) for their agenda, cultural events complemented the program. Over a project to locate, document, and preserve American folk art Continued on page 9 Continued on page 3 of judging seemed inconsistent if not the National Endowment for the Arts downright biased. So I should have has instituted a series of National Heri FOLKLIFE CENTER NEWS been delighted when, as I began to cor tage Awards which accomplishes these same purposes. But our American ver a quarterly publication ofthe respond with people interested in fid dling and fiddlers' contests from other sion of the idea, while emphasizing the American FolJUife Center parts of the country, I found that there honor, tends toplay down the certifica at the was a strong movement to make the tion, particularly insofar as it might judging for the contests more system seem an exclusive certification. It is Library ofCongress atic, using point systems for specifically wonderful to honor a blues singer, for defined characteristics of "good" fid example, but problematic to suggest Alan jabbour, Director dling, and more objective, using devices that any particular blues singer is for Ray Dockstader, Deputy Director such as sequestering the judges so that mally designated as more worthy than they could not see who was playing. Far another blues singer. Furthermore, Elena Bradunas from being delighted, however, I most Americans would squirm at the Carl Fleischhauer Folklife Specialists found the trend toward this kind of idea that blues as an artistic form is systematic judging disquieting. Would being given formal certification as Peter T. Bartis, Folklife Researcher the new and rigorously applied stan more important than, say, spirituals. Eleanor Sreb, Executive Assistant dards foster only one kind of fiddling Nor should it be suggested thatanyone Brett Topping, Writer-Editor style?' Would regional variety be elimi ethnic group or region has permanent Doris Craig, Secretary nated under the guise of objectivity? I claim to a certified artistic slot. We love Tel: 202 287-6590 now wished sentimentally for the old to honor an artist, an art, a skill, ora way hit-or-miss system, complete with fla of life, but we balk at the idea of giving grant favoritism for the local musicians. any person or any form of cultural ex Archive ofFolk Culture At least with the old system nobody's pression permanent hierarchical rank artistic integrity was fundamentally ing in our civilization. joseph C. Hickerson, Head Gerald E. Parsons, jr., Reference Librarian challenged; if you did not win, you just Yet another form of this curious and Patricia M. Markland, Indexer-Secretary blamed the crooked judges! murky issue has surfaced for us at the Sebastian LoCurto, Staff Assistant These thoughts came to mind re Folklife Center with the undertaking of Tel: 202 287-5510 cently when I was shown a list of local a formal study in cooperation with the folk artists which had been prepared Department of the Interior which ad Washington, D.C. for use by community cultural agencies, dresses the question of "intangible ele and which was presented with a cover ments of culture" within the context of sheet explaining that all the artists listed Federal historic preservation responsi Managing editor: Brett Topping were certified as authentic folk artists. bilities. Since one technique in the his All of us who work closely with folk toric preservation movement is the culture fret from time to time that pub employment of systems ofdesignation, lic programs presenting folk arts fail to complete with a formal apparatus for locate and present the best representa nomination, evaluation, and certifica DIRECTOR'S COLUMN tives of folk tradition available in their tion, the question naturally arose locality, or that things are presented as whether such systems might not be Back in the 1960s I frequented a folk arts which are not folk arts at all. applied to intangible cultural tradi number of old time fiddlers' conven Yet when I saw a list which labeled par tions. If there can be a National Regis tions in Virginia and North Carolina. ticular artists as certified, I felt that ter of Historic Places, why not create a They offered prizes for fiddle playing, uneasy sense coming over me that I re parallel National Register for distin usually decided upon by two or three called regarding the objective systems guished storytellers, oldtime fiddlers, judges selected from an informal roster for judging old time fiddling. Half of quilters, or whatever? It has been of local devotees (generally not perfor me longed for the guidance ofa formal interesting to me to discover, in the pro mers themselves) who were willing to list, but the other half rebelled against cess of soliciting ideas and reactions take on the onerous responsibility. any system that certified some at the from a broad r~nge ofconsultants, that When the awards were announced at expense ofothers. there is virtually no support for institut the end of the fiddlers' convention, it The same uneasiness seems to over ing such a formal, hierarchical system was not unusual for the prize to be take me when I am told in glowing of designation for arts and artists. awarded to someone from the immedi terms about the Japanese system for Apparently many other Americans ate community, which inevitably en designating certain master artists as share my sense of disquiet when the gendered intense grumbling on the "living national treasures." The idea of idea of honoring begins to verge into part of other fiddlers who entered the honoring them, encouraging them, permanent, official designations. contest. I suppose I grumbled, too, and rewarding them for their mainte All these instances seem to point to a since I was sometimes a contestant as nance of traditional arts seems wonder dilemma of sorts which we face in try well as an observer, and the standards ful; indeed, the Folk Arts Program of ing to encourage folk culture and
2 FOLKLIFE CENTER NEWS deepen the awareness of it with the selected-by chance a favorite of Mr. CYLINDER PROJECT wider American public. We work in a Ford's--was no more thought of as the Continuedfrom page 1 nation which in its expression of best fiddler than I am, yet the process environments. As Philip M. Jelley, Sec national consciousness uses hierarchi itself was quite stimulating to the world retary and Foundation Manager, ex cal ranking as a means of praise: I think of fiddling and probably contributed in plained, the foundation has not seen of "We're Number One!" and Miss some measure to the revived interest in the award of grants in this category as a America and the Top Forty as manifes old time fiddling in the earlier part of vehicle for preserving specific folk cul tations of this inclination. Yet none of this century. A grayer civilization might turallandmarks or artifacts; rather, the these designations has governmental have concluded that one cannot select grants are made to projects that help to sanction, and none of them is perma "world champions" in 'a nation where delineate the Folklore/Folklife field nent. The very reason for shouting cultural diversity is a preeminent fact of contribute to scholarship on America~ "We're Number One!" is a nagging un life. But that's no fun: instead, America folk culture, or further the production certainty about the truth of the matter. has generated dozens ofcompeting fid of publications, festivals, or other folk Applying ranking systems, with all their dlers' contests all of which proclaim the cultural presentations of high quality measurements and weighted catego winner to be world champion. Demo and professionalism. ries, to humane values is something cratic vagueness, full of the pretense of Organized in 1967 by Mr. and Mrs. Americans seem to enjoy-but only so orderly and scientific deliberation but L. J . Skaggs, the foundation is a source long as everyone understands that the without any permanently conferred of funding mostly for innovative, declared results are both uncertain and status, allows us culturally to have our smaller projects. Grants are made to tax impermanent. You can rank fiddlers cake and eat it, too. We certify and exempt charitable organizations under on the smoothness of the bowing, but select and designate and confer honors eight program categories. Preference is ultimately you must yield to the possi on our fine folk artists and the cultural given to projects "involved with the bility, not only that smoothness is not traditions they bear witness to, but at alleviation of social problems and con the only important criterion, but even the same time we take care not to make cerns, as well as the enrichment and . that scratchiness may be a positive vir· the system too systematic nor the results preservation of our cultural and his tue in some styles. too incontestable. toric heritages, both here and abroad." Humane values are neither finite nor As for me, I love fiddlers' contests, For further information write: Jill ian infinite, but simply spiritual, and thus but I have sworn off accepting requests Steiner Sandrock, Program Officer, do not lend themselves well to systems to be ajudge. The L. Skaggs and Mary C. Skaggs of quantification and systematic rank J. Foundation, 1330 Broadway, Suite ing. When I read recently in the Wash BOARD OF TRUSTEES 1730, Oakland, California 94612. ington Post about the Federal govern ment's efforts to quantify and rank Janet Anderson, Oregon and California, segments of the California coastline for GIFTS TO KEGAN Chairman aesthetic values--with points scored for Ronald C. Foreman, Jr., Florida, Vice FUND such criteria as visual variety-I could Chairman not help thinking that such efforts, The Center received several gener Raye Virginia Allen, Washington, D.C., though inevitable in the world we live ous year-end gifts to be used for its and Texas in, are also inevitably inconclusive. If work supported by the Elizabeth Edward Bridge Danson, Arizona visual variety is an incontestable aes Hamer Kegan Fund. Lawrence Kegan David E. Draper, California thetic virtue, how shall we rank the ofWashington, D.C., who has regularly Wayland D. Hand, California majesty of the Plains, where the oppo supported the Fund since his wife's un C. John Sobotka,Jr., Mississippi site quality seems to call forth a com par timely death in 1978, contributed St.John Terrell, New Jersey able aesthetic response? $1,000; Myron Coler of New York gave I shall venture no further philosophi $5,000 in memory of his parents, cally, but practically speaking Ameri Marcus and Bertha Coler; and Mrs. cans seem to solve these dilemmas with Ex OffICio Members Irvin McCreary of Temple, Texas, an artful democratic vagueness about whose daughter Raye Virginia Allen is honors and designations in the cultural Daniel J. Boorstin, The Librarian of a member of the Center's Board con sphere. We want our national honors Congress tributed 100 shares ofAshland oil. and designations, but we don't want S. Dillon Ripley, Secretary of the Smith Elizabeth Hamer Kegan, former As them to be taken too seriously. In 1927 sonian Institution sistant Librarian of Congress, actively Henry Ford tried to organize and sys Francis S. M. Hodsoll, Jr., Chairman, assisted the Center in its early years, tematize the grassroots phenomenon of National Endowment for the Arts providing strong guidance and coun fiddlers' contests by setting up local William Bennett, Chairman, National En sel. The memorial fund named for her contests which led in an orderly prog dowment for the Humanities was created with the goal of assisting ress through state playoffs to a final Alan Jabbour, Director, American Folklife the Center in its publications program. national contest to determine the cham Center It is a revolving fund, authorized to pion fiddler. The champion finally receive gifts and income from sales.
JANUARY 1982 3 FOLKLIFE AND THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
If a researcher were investigating a topic such as the origins ofthe log.c~bin in North America or the rehg10us observances of slaves through the col lections of the Library ofCongress, the quest might well begin in offices of ~e American Folklife Center and Its ~e,\\~~\)'!~,,"~)\)\\.&~ ) O . Archive of Folk Culture. The Center and the Folk Archive serve as the focal ~\l\\ ~\\lC"'\~'(~'( ~ ~\'t\\\'t. ~~\)'t.~ ~
4 FOLKLIFE CENTER NEWS THE TRUMAN tion's Handbook of North American Indi gist, Journal of American Folklore, and ans, the tribes recorded on the cylinder International Journal ofAmerican Linguis MICHELSON collections have been grouped for the tics. The topics ofhis publications range COLLECTION forthcoming catalog according to their from linguistic technicalities ("Two earliest known locations. By the time Proto-Algonquian Phonetic Shifts") to With the copying of the Truman they were actually recorded, however, general ethnology ("The Punishment Michelson collection of 123 wax cylin many had moved or had been relocated of Impudent Children among the Kick ders onto tape, the Federal Cylinder by the government onto reservations apoo"). Project has now concluded the preser far from their original homelands. The Michelson collection includes vation ofall known cylinder holdings in Thus, while most of the Michelson col several groups of cylinders which offer Federal agencies covering the north lection is contained in the Northeast important insights into the language, eastern United States and western ern catalog, he actually recorded the history, and culture of the tribes he Woodlands areas. Michelson's Fox, Kickapoo in the Southwest, possibly in studied. Because of his linguistic inter Sauk, Kickapoo, and Shawnee material Mexico, where a band of them mi ests, the collection is about equally can now be added to the already grated from their original location in divided between spoken narratives and preserved collections of Ojibwa, present-day Wisconsin, and the Shaw music. This distinguishes it from most Menominee, Winnebago, Iroquois, and nee, once living in the Ohio Valley area, other cylinder collections, such as those Passamaquoddy. Documentary infor were recorded in Oklahoma. of Alice Fletcher or Frances Densmore, mation related to all of these tribes and Truman Michelson (1879-1938) was which focus almost exclusively on the the recorded collections will be incor one of the most prominent scholars songs of Native Americans. porated into the first of 1 I projected specializing in Native American lan Michelson had an abiding interest in Federal Cylinder Project Native Ameri guages; his particular contribution was the culture and language of the Fox can catalogs. comparative studies of Algonquian tribe. His Fox cylinders recorded in Following the general organizational speaking peoples. He published widely principle of the Smithsonian Institu in such journals as American Anthropolo Continued on overleaf
Alfred Kiyana of the Fox tribe with Truman Michelson (Photo courtesy of the National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution)
•
JANUARY 1982 5 MICHELSON COLLECTION Continued from previous page
Tama, Iowa, the present location ofthe tribe, include Bill Leaf giving a speech, "Kishko's Words," which lasts more than six minutes, and Alfred Kiyana telling the story of "[How] W~sakea Greatly Strengthens the Ducks and Was Not Met by His Grandmother." Such narrations should be of particular interest to linguists as well as tribal peo ple wishing to preserve their spoken language and traditional tales. The ceremonials of the Fox tribe are well represented by a corpus of more than 100 Drum Dance songs performed mostly by Bill Leaf. This quantity far exceeds the number of songs of the same ceremony collected by Densmore from the Lac du Flambeau Ojibwa and the Menominee. Drum Dance songs, which Michelson calls "Religion Dance songs," belong to an important central Algonquian revitalization movement which began sometime in the 1870s through the vision of Tailfeather Woman, presumed to be a Santee Sioux. She was told by the Great Spirit to build a special large drum (the so called Dream Drum), how to decorate it, and what songs and rituals tb use in the ceremony. The drum was meant to be copied and passed from tribe to tribe to promote peace and brotherhood be tween them. The Sioux gave the drum The large "Dream Drum" at an Ojibwa Drum Dance at Lac Courte Oreille in 1899. Similar to the Ojibwa, who in turn transmitted drums were transmitted to the Fox. From author's forthcoming "The Ojibwa Dance Drum: Its it to the Menominee, thence to the History and Construction. " (National AnthrrY/Jological Archives photo fry A. E. Jenks) Potawatomi and Winnebago, and so on. The Fox received some drums from These songs were for individuals holdc tribe to tribe, even when the recipients Wisconsin tribes, although the appear ing the special positions, such as Keeper may already be familiar with. them. A ance of Sioux words in a few of the of the Drum or Dance House Keeper cursory comparison of Bill Leafs songs songs Leaf recorded suggests a parallel (called Janitor or Sweeper by other with those published by Densmore in transfer from the Sioux. In the early tribes having the Drum Dance). Tradi some of the Bureau of American Eth 1900s the Fox, in turn, presented tionally, during the performance of his nology bulletins and others I have drums to the Prairie Po~awatomi in special song, each officer in turn rises, collected at Lac Courte Oreille in Wis Kansas, to keep the path of the drum dances, and is afterwards obligated to consin show a close affinity and attests traveling. present a gift tO,someone in attendance. to the accuracy oforal transmission. The portion of the collection re Because the Fox Drum Dance songs While the Drum Dance cylinders corded by Leaf is valuable not only for are roughly contemporaneous with the comprise by far the largest musical cor its size but for its depth, including, as it early collections from other tribes, and pus in the collection, there are also Fox does, most of the sub-genres of songs include many of the same songs re recordings of sacred songs from a few used by the Drum Dance Societies. corded by Ojibwa and Menominee of their other religious fraternities There are a number ofcommon songs, singers, they considerably enhance the which probably predate the Drum the general congregational dance songs possibility ofa broad comparative study Dance-bundle songs from the White interspersed throughout the day-long of the music of this (;entral Algonquian Buffalo Dance, for example. The "Sa drum ceremonies. Officers' songs also ceremonial. Such songs are ritually cred Bundle Song When Four Dogs figure in this portion of the collecti9n. rehearsed when drums are passed from Are Used" must date from the time
6 FOLKLIFE CENTER NEWS when the ritual eating of dog flesh still groups of the larger Shawnee tribe. a series of fragmentary takes with the held high ceremonial value for the Fox, Three cylinders each are taken up by voices ofthe collector and (presumably) among other tribes. addresses to two of the five divisions a Piegan Indian presenting, among Although dates are not attached to that originally made up the Shawnee other things, a short history reading on the Fox cylinders, it is possible to learn the "Kishpogos" (=kiSpoko) and the Charles II, a prayer ("Dearly beloved of Michelson's movements by following "Kila" (=presumably, ·9awikila). Con brethren. . .."), religious readings the Smithsonian Institution's reports of cerning them, Charles Callender has ("Our egress from this world ....") his fieldwork. For instance, we know written, "Each was a descent group one each from Michelson and the that he witnessed a drum presentation whose members patrilineally inherited Indian in English, a speech in ,Piegan from the Wisconsin Potawatomi to the their affiliation. A division was con (?), a biographical sketch of Michelson's Fox in 1916 (Smithsonian Miscellaneous ceived as a distinct territorial unit cen field journey to Montana ("Left Wash Collections 66: 130), which conceivably tering on a town that bore its name" ington on june 13...."), an Indian tale sparked his interest in recording Leaf (1978,623). There is some speculation in English, and a fragment ofan Indian at that time. Such information, com that of the five descent groups, the kiJ song followed by its repetition at a bined with informants' names, has led poko, the .8awikila, and the pekowi higher pitch. For anyone who has ex the Federal Cylinder Project to assign formed the basis ofthe Absentee Shaw perienced recording in the field, un tentatively a date of1916 to the cylinder nee. A translation of Abotchkilawetha's questionably the most amusing point recordings. This would be supported address to two ofthese groups may help occurs halfway through one cylinder by the fact that Alfred Kiyana, a key in shed light on this supposition. when a sudden outburst of Michelson, formant in the Fox case, was providmg cursing in blunt language the recording much information for Michelson on equipment he has been provided and Fox ceremonials in 1917. threatening to ship it back to Washing Another portion of the collection ton, is recorded for posterity. This is documents the Shawnee tribe. Follow followed by the Indian's slowly articu ing settler contact the Shawnee people lated rejoinder in English that, in effect, split up, ultimately forming three it does the collector no good to fret and larger social aggregates-the Eastern fume over his predicament. Shawnee, the Cherokee Shawnee, and Thomas Vennum,jr. the Absentee Shawnee. Michelson re corded 45 cylinders of joe Billy, an Absentee Shawnee, reciting legends of Callender, Charles. "Shawnee." Hand his people. The legends concern such book ofNorth American Indians 15:622 deities as Pabothkwe (Cloud), the fe 35. Edited by Bruce G. Trigger. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian In male supreme being of the Shawn~e stitution, 1978. pantheon. One series of recordings is Truman MicJwlson. (Photo courtesy of tJw devoted to Abotchkilawetha (Rounded National Anthropological Archives, Smith Voegelin, C. F. and E. W. "The Shaw Side), the grandson of Pabothkwe. In sonian Institution) nee Female Deity in Historical Per Shawnee legends, Abotchkilawetha spective." American Anthropologist "does various things, some good, some In addition to legendary material, 46:370-75. wilful; he is responsible for releasing Joe Billy recorded discourses on sub impounded water and thereby causing jects ranging from whiskey to peyote, the first world to be flooded; he slays the white man's churches and schools, Further Reading powerful giants and monsters; he even and land frauds. creates the progenitors ofone or two of Michelson's collection also includes Callender, Charles. "Fox." Handbook of the Shawnee political divisions" (C. F. 14 cylinders with songs and spoken North American Indiar"ts 15:636-47. Voegelin and E. W. Voegelin, 1944, words of the Northern Cheyenne and Edited by Bruce G. Trigger. Wash 371). On the recordings he addresses, Piegan. Their singers provide good ington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institu through joe Billy, a number of other examples ofmusic enjoying wide popu tion, 1978. Indian tribes one by one, among them larity on the northern Plains at the time, Michelson, Truman. "Contributions to the Creek, Choctaw, Wichita, and such as Grass Dance and Owl Dance Fox'Ethnology-II." Bureau ofAmeri Caddo. All of these groups shared songs. Two cylinders from this part of can Ethnology, Bulletin 95. Washing Oklahoma territory with the Shawnee. the collection have been a great source ton, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, Each tribal address is contained on one of amusement to the project staff and 1930. cylinder lasting approximately six certainly deserve a place in the history minutes, except for the Arapaho, Chey of early sound recordings. Michelson Ve!lnum, Thomas, jr. "The Ojibwa enne, and Comanche, who are ad appears to have used them as test cylin Dance Drum: Its History and Con dressed jointly on one cylinder. ders, perhaps to check out his record struction." Smithsonian Folklife Studies, Abotchkilawetha has more to say to ing equipment. The contents of the re No.2. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian two peoples who were actually sub- cordings suggest this, as they consist of Institution, forthcoming.
JANUARY 1982 7 Graduation day program of Saturday Polish School held at St. Ladislaus Rectory, Chicago,Illinois, MaY31 J 977. (Photo by]onas Dovydenas) ETHNIC HERITAGE Armenian or Latvian Saturday School, 5,000 schools, and he estimates that or Greek Sunday School. Nthough there may be over 1,000 remaining to AND LANGUAGE such schools were established ~ early as be located. SCHOOLS STUDY the last quarter of the 19th century and Fishman's research identifies three continue to function to the present, categories that describe the majority of The process of maintaining cultural they have received little attention from ethnic schools: (I) all-day schools, often values and traditions is one that con scholars studying ethnic groups or affiliated with parochial schools, which cerns groups from all ethnic back from educationists. Yet these scij.ools incorporate ethnic language or culture grounds and from all economic levels often have a central role in the life of instruction into the regular school day; ofsociety. It is a selective process where their community and might be consid (2) weekday schools which are in session by certain traditions are maintained ered true "folk" schools. They are during two or more weekday after while others perish; the traditions that organized and maintained by voluntary noons and are supplementary to a,ttend continue combine with other values community effort and express impor ance at regular public or p'rivate and change in such a way that they tant values shared by all community schools; and (3) weekend schools held on remain relevant to the group that ad members. The curriculum materials Saturday or Sunday. Some schools are heres to them (see Director's Column, for the classes are also generated and affiliated with religious institutions, Folklife Center News, Vol. IV, Nos. 3 and approved by the ethnic community and others are strictly secular. Some are 4, July and October 1981). Cultural constitute tangible data for the group's part of a larger network administered maintenance often results from an collective sense of their ethnic heritage. by umbrella ethnic organizations span unconscious process of tenacity, selec Reseachers could learn a great deal by ning the country, others operate inde tivity, and change, or it can be encour analyzing the phenomenon in its en pendently within a close community. aged in a more conscious and systematic tirety. Ethnic schools exist nationwide, and manner. One example of the latter are In order to facilitate scholarly investi recent statistics indicate that their the special classes organized by ethnic gation ofethnic community schools, the number is increasing. When collecting groups outside of the standard educa American Folklife Center is planning to data for his study, Fishman relied pri tional system, through which they have launch a special research project to marily on questionnaires inquiring tried to instill in their children a knowl draw attention to the history and cur mainly on aspects of language use edge of the language, history, litera rent status of these schools. The Center which were sent out to the directors of ture, and religious traditions of their has consulted with socio-linguist Joshua the schools. He did some preliminary cultural heritage. Fishman from Yeshiva University in probing into other aspects of ethnic The name we have given to such New York, who has studied heritage heritage, but notes that there remain schools---ethnic heritage and language and language schools for a number of many questions about ethnic schools schools-is rarely used by ethnic years and has compiled an extensive that need research. He strongly recom groups themselves. Often members ofa directory of such community institu mends study of the school curricula, group refer to them as Hebrew School, tions. His 1979 listing named nearly and urges field documentation of
8 FOLKLIFE CENTER NEWS schools in their community context. Teachers, parents, founders, members of the boards that run the schools, and children who attend them need to be interviewed in person. Site visits to observe classes in session could yield valuable information both for docu mentary purposes and for cross-cultural comparative studies. The Center wishes to solicit the help of professional folklorists throughout the country to assist us in a documenta tion project to further investigate eth nic heritage and language schools. By the end of March we hope to have con tractual agreements with those indi viduals who wish to participate in a fieldwork phase of the project which will last twelve weeks. Any professional folklorist who is interested in studying one ethnic school in his or her area should send a resume and cover letter to the Center, stating the target ethnic group and including any available in formation about a specific school. For those who wish to participate but are unaware ofethnic schools in their area, Mary Hufford interviews participant in Smithsonian's "Toolsfor the Harvest" project. the Center will try to locate a school from the listings on hand. Responses FOLKLIFE AND THE played. In addition, a group of folklor should be addressed to Elena Bradunas, ELDERLY ists led by Steve Zeitlin and Amanda American Folklife Center, Library of Continued from page 1 Dargan interviewed confererice partic Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 ipants. The interviewing was intended (202/287-6590) before · March 22, hundred commercial and educational to inform them about oral history docu 1982. displays were mounted in the main hall mentation, while recording their own Simultaneously with the fieldwork exhibit area, and exhibits such as memories, narratives, and traditions. phase, the Center will be gathering cur "Patina," a display organized by the Folklife Center staff also was con riculum materials used by different National Council on Aging of visual sulted on the exhibit mounted by the ethnic groups in their schools, by con arts produced by older citizens, were Celebration of American Heritage tacting national ethnic organizations spread throughout the massive conven Committee. It included a display of and publishers ofethnic materials. The tion center. photographs and objects highlighting Center looks forward to receiving both The American Folklife Center as the cultural richness provided by older past and present-day materials which sisted in the development of two con members of ethnic communities. Cer document continuity and change in a ference exhibits and presentations tain portions of each day were pro particular group's curriculum. Once a which demonstrated the role played by grammed to feature musicians and significant collection is assembled, spe the elderly in the traditional life of the artists from different ethnic groups, cialists will be contracted to analyze the country. "What stories are you most and a small booklet ofessays on some of content of the materials. Samples from commonly asked to tell about your the major ethnic communities in the different ethnic groups may provide life?" queried the introductory display United States was distributed. data for much needed cross-cultural panel for the Smithsonian's conference On December 3, coinciding with the studies. project "Tools for the Harvest: Oral final day ofthe conference, the Folklife The Center anticipates that the docu History, Storytelling and Tradition in Center explored the topic of folklore mentation of the schools themselves the Aging Process." The project was and the elderly through a symposium and the collection ofcurricula materials sponsored by the Smithsonian's Office and film presentation, part of its 1981/ will lead to a number of products, in of Folklife Programs and the National 82 Winter Program. The presentation cluding forums, conferences, and pub Institute on Aging, and incorporated began and ended with a showing ofthe lications. But the first step is to collect as photographs .and resource materials 1977 film Number Our Days, produced complete a body ofinformation as po~ from Folklife Center's fieldwork. Arti and directed by Lynne Littman and sible. facts produced by older citizens to based on the fieldwork of anthropolo- record and share their past were dis Continued on overleaf
JANUARY 1982 9 FOLKLIFE AND THE tor Alan Jabbour. Staff member Elena Past1914-1945. These have been made ELDERLY Bradunas coordinated the discussion. available to some 1.400 commun Continued from previous page Mary Hufford opened the sympo ity centers subscribing to the program, sium with comments on the fIlm and church groups, sociaT clubs, and other gist Barbara Myerhoff. The Academy examples of stories from her interview organizations. Award winning documentary fIlm ing for the Smithsonian's "Tools for the Jane Deren went on to say that the examines the role that a community Harvest" project. One point made clear program has elicited a tremendous center in Venice, California plays in the by the film and the interviews is the value response which can be measured both lives of Jewish retirees. Myerhoff ap of personal life narratives for older by the number of groups eager to par pears in the fIlm as an observer, par people as a means ofself-defInition and ticipate in that program and by the ticipant, and student of how to grow old social integration. In recounting their spin-off products that previous study gracefully. As she says on camera near lives, she said, older members ofsociety sessions have inspired. Since the pro the beginning of the fIlm, one thought pull the threads of their experiences gram's inception in 1977, study groups that drew her to spend so much time together into a unifIed whole that be have developed an array of recipe studying the lives of those living in that comes more meaningful for them and books, books of folk remedies and lore, retirement community is that she too for others. and compiled reminiscences. They will inevitably be a "little old Jewish Edmund Worthy next described the have also influenced the modification lady" someday. Her identifIcation and Senior Center Humanities Program of the current anthologies and subject interaction with the elderly men and which also works with memories and matter of those being developed. For women of Venice Beach add immeasur recollections to enhance the lives of the instance, the topic of the forthcoming ably to the nuances of the portrait pre elderly and encourage their continuing anthology TM Heritage ofthe Future was sented. contribution to the cultural fabric. The suggested by the program's constitu A one-hour symposium followed the vehicle used for assisting older adults in ency who thought it would provide a film screening. Participants included the study ofthe humanities is a series of balance to the tendency to focus all University of Pennsylvania folklorist nine anthologies or educational units attention on the past. Mary Hufford, Edmund H. Worthy, compilations of poems, short story ex As the closing speaker, Alan Jabbour Jr. and Jane M. Deren of the National cerpts, and autobiographical sketches developed some ofthe points alluded to Council on Aging's Senior Center on such subjects as Exploring Local His earlier about the essential role played Humanities Program, and Center direc tory, Work and Life, and The Remembered by the elderly-both in relationship to
FOLKLIFE IN MINIATURE
The model pictured on these pages, part of the Smithsonian's "Tools for the Harvest" project display, was made by Vilius Variakojis, who was born in 1903 in a small village near the city of Birzai in northern Lithuania. He left his coun try in 1944, when the Soviet army in vaded, and after staying in displaced peoples' camps in Germany came to America in 1949 as a refugee. He set tled and still lives in a Lithuanian neigh borhood in Chicago, where he makes wood carvings and miniature models of what he remembers about the Lithua Model ofVilius Variakojis'sfamily homestead and a nearby windmill. nian countryside. These are displayed in his basement, which is a self-styled museum, open to anyone who cares to visit. Team members of the Folklif{ Center's Chicago Ethnic Arts Project first visited Variakojis and his museum in 1977. Since then, the· Folklife Center has found that home "folk" museums created by individuals as a testimony to their cultural heritage are phenomena
IO FOLKLIFE CENTER NEWS