Contribution to Passamaquoddy Folk-Lore

Contribution to Passamaquoddy
Folk-Lore, by

J. Walter Fewkes
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Title: Contribution to Passamaquoddy Folk-Lore
Author: J. Walter Fewkes

Release Date: March 15, 2006 [eBook #17997]
Language: English
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Transcriber's note:
The symbol [=] followed by a vowel represents a macron. The symbol
[)] followed by a vowel represents a breve.

Hemenway Southwestern Archæological Expedition
CONTRIBUTION TO PASSAMAQUODDY FOLK-LORE
by
J. WALTER FEWKES

Reprinted from the Journal of American Folk-Lore, October-December,
1890

A CONTRIBUTION TO PASSAMAQUODDY FOLK-LORE.
The study of aboriginal folk-lore cannot reach its highest scientific
value until some method is adopted by means of which an accurate
record of the stories can be obtained and preserved. In observations on
the traditions of the Indian tribes, the tendency of the listener to add his
own thoughts or interpretations is very great. Moreover, no two Indians
tell the same story alike. These are sources of error which cannot be
eliminated, but by giving the exact words of the speaker it is possible to
do away with the errors of the translator.

I believe that the memory of Indians for the details of a story is often
better than that of white men. There may be a reason for this, in their
custom of memorizing their rituals, stories, and legends. The K[=a]klan,
a Zuñi ritual, for instance, which is recited by the priest once in four
years, takes several hours to repeat. What white man can repeat from
memory a history of equal length after so long an interval?
Phonetic methods of recording Indian languages are not wholly
satisfactory. It is very unlikely that two persons will adopt the same
spelling of a word never heard before. Many inflections, accents, and
gutturals of Indian languages are difficult to reduce to writing.
Conventional signs and additional letters have been employed for this
purpose, the use of which is open to objections. There is need of some
accurate method by which observations can be recorded. The
difficulties besetting the path of the linguist can be in a measure
obviated by the employment of the phonograph, by the aid of which the
languages of our aborigines can be permanently perpetuated. As a
means of preserving the songs and tales of races which are fast
becoming extinct, it is, I believe, destined to play an important part in
future researches.
In order to make experiments, with a view of employing this means of
record among the less civilized Indians of New Mexico,[1] I visited, in
the month of April, the Passamaquoddies, the purest blooded race of
Indians now living in New England. The results obtained fully satisfied
my expectations. For whatever success I have had, I must express my
obligation to Mrs. W. Wallace Brown, of Calais, Me., whose influence
over the Indians is equalled by her love for the study of their traditions.
[Footnote 1: This work was undertaken as a preparation for similar
observation in connection with the Hemenway Archæological
Expedition. I am indebted to Mrs. Mary Hemenway, of Boston, for
opportunities to make these observations.]
The songs and stories were taken from the Indians themselves, on the
wax cylinders of the phonograph. In most cases a single cylinder
sufficed, although in others one story occupied several cylinders. None
of the songs required more than one cylinder.

I was particularly anxious to secure the songs. The Passamaquoddies
agree in the statement that their stories were formerly sung, and
resembled poems. Many tales still contain songs, and some possess at
this day a rhythmical character. I am not aware that any one has tried to
set the songs to music, and have had nothing to guide me on that head.
In sacred observances it is probable that the music of the songs
preserves its character even after other parts have been greatly modified,
while the song retains its peculiarity as long as it continues to be sung.
The paraphernalia of the sacred dance may be modified, as in the case
of many New Mexican pueblos, into church festivals, but the songs
must remain unchanged until superseded. It is noteworthy in this
connection that in many of the songs archaic words occur.
The following list indicates the variety of records which were made:--
1-3.