Alfred Pietroforte Collection of California Indigenous Song Recordings
- Collection identifier: 2024-05
- Primary contributor: Alfred Pietroforte (researcher, donor)
- Additional contributors: Harry Alston (consultant); Josie Atwell (consultant, depicted); Eleanor Bethel (consultant); Rosalie Bethel (consultant); Evelyn Chiatovich (consultant); Roy Chiatovich (consultant); Roy Chiatovich (consultant); Mary Garcia Pohot (consultant, depicted); Sam Kinney (consultant, depicted); Leon Manuel (consultant, depicted); Molly Pomona (consultant, depicted); Minnie Williams (consultant); Alfred Pietroforte (author, depicted); Catherine Ware (researcher); Fannie Ade (depicted); Lawona Icho (depicted); Elsie Kinney (depicted); Lucy Pete (depicted); Mary Sampson (depicted)
- Languages: Mono (mnr); Northern Paiute (pao); Tachi; Wukchumni
- Dates: 1959-2006
- Extent: 2 seven-inch reel-to-reel tapes, 2 folders, 2 bound volumes
- Historical information: Beginning in 1959, Alfred Pietroforte (born 1925) recorded 25 songs for a master's project at Fresno State College (now University), receiving the degree of Master of Arts in Education in 1961. He recorded 11 individuals and interviewed others. Catherine Ware (1919-2011) was born Luella Catherine Callis, and was a public school music teacher in California. Rosalie Bethel (1915-2009), who she recorded, was born Rosalie Wenz. Her daughter was a student in Mrs. Ware's class. Ware received the degree of Master of Music the College (now University) of the Pacific in 1959. According to her graduate thesis, she recorded 34 "Mono Indian tunes." Only 21 of those songs, all sung by Mrs. Bethel, survive on the tape that was in Mr. Pietroforte's possession. The remainder were "from Indian students who first learned the songs from their grandmothers, then sang them at school for the recording." For additional biographical information in this collection, see the introductory sections in 2024-05.003 and 2024-05.004.
The original tapes that Pietroforte and Ware recorded on are lost. What survives is a compilation tape that Pietroforte made of his own recordings for the publication of his MA thesis in 2006 (see 2024-05.004). Similarly, the tape featuring Bethel does not include all of the recordings Ware indicated she made. The handwriting on this tape is also not Ware's (compare 2024-05.005). As a consequence, on the Ware tape (2024-05.002), short segments of Western classical music can be heard between some songs.
The published version of Pietroforte's thesis includes an accompanying CD that derived from a first digitization of this tape. The audio files in 2024-05.001 and 2024-05.002 derive from a second digitization, done by the Berkeley Language Center at the University of California, Berkeley in January 2024. - Scope and content: Sound recordings of 46 songs, unpublished MA thesis (including photographic prints of all people Pietroforte recorded or interviewed) with later published version, and associated notes and correspondence.
- Repository: Survey of California and Other Indian Languages
- Suggested citation: Alfred Pietroforte. Alfred Pietroforte Collection of California Indigenous Song Recordings, 2024-05, California Language Archive, Survey of California and Other Indian Languages, University of California, Berkeley, http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.7297/X2WW7GSB.
1 – 6 of 6 Results
- Item identifier: 2024-05.001
- Date: 05 Jul 1959 to 21 Dec 1959
- Contributors: Harry Alston (consultant); Josie Atwell (consultant); Eleanor Bethel (consultant); Evelyn Chiatovich (consultant); Roy Chiatovich (consultant); Roy Chiatovich (consultant); Mary Garcia Pohot (consultant); Sam Kinney (consultant); Leon Manuel (consultant); Molly Pomona (consultant); Minnie Williams (consultant); Alfred Pietroforte (researcher, donor)
- Languages: Mono (mnr); Northern Paiute (pao); Tachi; Wukchumni
- Places: Bishop, CA; Lemoore, CA; Springville, CA
- Description: 1 WAV file. 25 song recordings: 12 in Tachi (July 5, 1959 and other unknown date; Lemoore), 2 in Mono (July 7, 1959), 2 in Wikchamni (July 10, 1959; Springville), 9 in Northern Paiute (December 21, 1959 and other unknown date; Bishop). 1) Song of the Snowflakes, 2) Pow Wow Dance Song (Pomona; Mono); 3) Song of Tulare Lake (Manuel and Atwell; Tachi); 4) Sourdock Song, 5) Morning Song, 6) The Mountain Lion Song, 7) Song of the Fleet-footed Deer, 8) Song of the Fish Crane, 9) Home Sweet Home, 10) Community Ring Dance, 11) Ghost Song, 12) Magpie Song (Manuel; Tachi); 13) Wukchamni Dance Song (Garcia Pohot; Wikchamni); 14) Cry Dance Song, 15) Cry Dance Song, 16) Circle Dance Song, 17) Paiute Hand Game Song, 18) War Dance Song, 19) Song of the Happy Indian (Kinney; Northern Paiute); 20) Song for Grinding Acorns (Atwell; Tachi); 21) Song of the Eagle (Manuel and Atwell; Tachi); 22) Hand Game Song, 23) Hand Game Song (Alston, Bethel, Chiatovich, Chiatovich, Shaw, Williams; Northern Paiute); 24) The Whirlwind Song (Garcia Pohot; Wikchamni); 25) Hand Game Song (R. Chiatovich; Northern Paiute).
- Relations to this item: 2024-05.004 is a version of this Item
- Availability: Online access to Item number 2024-05.001 by request.
- Extent: 1 seven-inch reel-to-reel tape
- Catalog history: Digital file formerly named ap_01.wav.
- Collection: Alfred Pietroforte Collection of California Indigenous Song Recordings
- Repository: Survey of California and Other Indian Languages
- Suggested citation: [Recordings of Indigenous California songs], 2024-05.001, in "Alfred Pietroforte Collection of California Indigenous Song Recordings", California Language Archive, Survey of California and Other Indian Languages, University of California, Berkeley, http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.7297/X2S46R3S.
Digital assets in this Item (available by request):
2024-05.001.wav (645246732 bytes)- Item identifier: 2024-05.002
- Date: 03 Sep 1959
- Contributors: Rosalie Bethel (consultant); Catherine Ware (researcher); Alfred Pietroforte (donor)
- Language: Mono (mnr)
- Description: 1 WAV file. 21 song recordings.
- Availability: Online access to Item number 2024-05.002 by request.
- Extent: 1 seven-inch reel-to-reel tape
- Catalog history: Digital file formerly named ap_02.wav.
- Collection: Alfred Pietroforte Collection of California Indigenous Song Recordings
- Repository: Survey of California and Other Indian Languages
- Suggested citation: Recording of Mono burial songs, 2024-05.002, in "Alfred Pietroforte Collection of California Indigenous Song Recordings", California Language Archive, Survey of California and Other Indian Languages, University of California, Berkeley, http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.7297/X2NG4PRX.
Digital assets in this Item (available by request):
2024-05.002.wav (339455454 bytes)- Item identifier: 2024-05.003
- Date: Jun 1961
- Contributors: Alfred Pietroforte (author, depicted, donor); Fannie Ade (depicted); Josie Atwell (depicted); Mary Garcia Pohot (depicted); Lawona Icho (depicted); Elsie Kinney (depicted); Sam Kinney (depicted); Leon Manuel (depicted); Lucy Pete (depicted); Molly Pomona (depicted); Mary Sampson (depicted)
- Languages: Northern Paiute (pao); Tachi; Wukchumni
- Description: Original MA thesis submitted for signatures in the Division of Education, Fresno State College (now University). Appendix A includes photographic prints of singers listed as depicted here. Appendices B and C concern a survey of government offices done by the author in search of sound recordings of California Indigenous songs. Appendix D includes miscellaneous thesis-related correspondence.
- Relations to this item: 2024-05.004 is a version of this Item
- Availability: Materials for Item number 2024-05.003 are not digitized. Please email us at scoil-ling@berkeley.edu to schedule a visit, or to see if we can digitize them for you.
- Extent: 1 bound volume (93 pages plus appendices)
- Collection: Alfred Pietroforte Collection of California Indigenous Song Recordings
- Repository: Survey of California and Other Indian Languages
- Suggested citation: Yokuts and Paiute Songs, 2024-05.003, in "Alfred Pietroforte Collection of California Indigenous Song Recordings", California Language Archive, Survey of California and Other Indian Languages, University of California, Berkeley, http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.7297/X2HQ3Z22.
- Item identifier: 2024-05.004
- Date: 2006
- Contributor: Alfred Pietroforte (author, donor)
- Languages: Mono (mnr); Northern Paiute (pao); Tachi; Wukchumni
- Description: Published by Naturegraph Publishers, Inc. Includes accompanying CD of sound recordings of songs. CD is version of 2024-05.001 based on earlier digitization; CD MP3 files not transferred.
- Relations to this item: 2024-05.001 and 2024-05.003 have this Item as an alternative version
- Availability: Materials for Item number 2024-05.004 are not digitized. Please email us at scoil-ling@berkeley.edu to schedule a visit, or to see if we can digitize them for you.
- Extent: 1 bound volume (63 pages)
- Collection: Alfred Pietroforte Collection of California Indigenous Song Recordings
- Repository: Survey of California and Other Indian Languages
- Suggested citation: Yokuts and Paiute Songs and Culture, 2024-05.004, in "Alfred Pietroforte Collection of California Indigenous Song Recordings", California Language Archive, Survey of California and Other Indian Languages, University of California, Berkeley, http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.7297/X2CZ3698.
- Item identifier: 2024-05.005
- Date: 12 Sep 1959 to 19 Feb 1971
- Contributor: Alfred Pietroforte (donor)
- Languages: Mono (mnr); Northern Paiute (pao)
- Description: Letters from Catherine Ware, Elsie Kinney, Eleanor Bethel, and I. Ace Griffiths (Fresno State).
- Availability: Materials for Item number 2024-05.005 are not digitized. Please email us at scoil-ling@berkeley.edu to schedule a visit, or to see if we can digitize them for you.
- Extent: 1 folder (5 pages, 2 index cards)
- Collection: Alfred Pietroforte Collection of California Indigenous Song Recordings
- Repository: Survey of California and Other Indian Languages
- Suggested citation: [Miscellaneous research correspondence], 2024-05.005, in "Alfred Pietroforte Collection of California Indigenous Song Recordings", California Language Archive, Survey of California and Other Indian Languages, University of California, Berkeley, http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.7297/X2862FKV.
- Item identifier: 2024-05.006
- Date: circa 1959
- Contributor: Alfred Pietroforte (researcher, donor)
- Languages: Mono (mnr); Northern Paiute (pao); Tachi; Wukchumni
- Availability: Materials for Item number 2024-05.006 are not digitized. Please email us at scoil-ling@berkeley.edu to schedule a visit, or to see if we can digitize them for you.
- Extent: 1 folder (1 inch of index cards)
- Collection: Alfred Pietroforte Collection of California Indigenous Song Recordings
- Repository: Survey of California and Other Indian Languages
- Suggested citation: [Notes on recording contents, bibliography, and contacts], 2024-05.006, in "Alfred Pietroforte Collection of California Indigenous Song Recordings", California Language Archive, Survey of California and Other Indian Languages, University of California, Berkeley, http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.7297/X24F1PV4.