Episode Title: Native American Recordings, Community Connections, and the Federal Cylinder Project ft Judith Gray

Hosts:

• Jesse Johnston
• Evan Haywood

Guest:

• Judith Gray, Reference Librarian and Archivist at the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Overview:
In this episode, hosts Jesse Johnston and Evan Haywood discuss the Federal Cylinder Project at the American Folklife Center, focusing on its goal to reconnect Native American communities with archival audio recordings, largely recorded onto wax cylinders by various settler ethnographers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century throughout North America. Jesse interviews Judith Gray, coordinator of reference services at the American Folklife Center, about the project's history, its mission, and the ethical considerations in making these culturally significant sound recordings accessible to source communities.

Topics Discussed:

• The origins and goals of the Federal Cylinder Project.
• The American Folklife Center’s efforts in reconnecting sound recordings to Native American communities.
• Ethical considerations and methodologies for preserving and returning audio archives.
• Personal anecdotes and reflections from Judith's career at the Library of Congress.
• Specific case studies, including Frances Densmore’s Native American recordings, and the recordings of Passamaquoddy songs made in 1890 in Calais, Maine.

Highlights:

• Judith Gray’s insights into early challenges and successes in cataloging and making recordings accessible.
• Discussion on the collaboration between federal institutions and tribal communities.
• The role of Frances Densmore’s ethnographic work and recording in audio preservation.
• Community interactions with historic recordings and how they influence contemporary cultural projects.
• Excerpted archival recordings include (all digitized from original recordings preserved at the Library of Congress):
  • “Manabus Tells the Ducks to Shut Their Eyes” by Louis Pigeon of the Menominee tribe, recorded in 1925.
  • “Hethu’shka Song (‘Get Up and Dance’)” by the Host Drum at the Omaha powwow, recorded in 1983.
  • Noel Josephs and Passamaquoddy Tribe, recorded by Jesse Walter Fewkes, in Calais, Maine, 1890, performing "Snake Song."

Relevant Links:

• Federal Cylinder Project information: Library of Congress Federal Cylinder Project
• Passamaquoddy recording: “Passamaquoddy description of the Snake song and dance : Snake song”
• Archival recording in Macy, Nebraska: “Hethu’shka Song (‘Get Up and Dance’)”
• American Folklife Center information: American Folklife Center

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Credits

The podcast is produced and directed by Jesse Johnston. Hosted and written by Jesse Johnston and Evan Haywood. Music, editing, and sound design by Evan Haywood. 

Original music and sound designs by Evan Haywood.

Recorded, edited, and mixed at Black Ram Treehouse in Ann Arbor, Michigan. 

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the University of Michigan School of Information, the Library of Congress, and our generous supporters.

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