Words and Place collection
Through a unique blend of imagery and sound, Words & Place captures the complex oral traditions of Native American communities in the American Southwest.
Collection dates: 1974 to 1979
Each program in Words and Place presents one American Indian singer, storyteller or author performing from their repertoire in a natural setting in the community. The speakers also discuss the relation of their oral tradition to their native communities. Five programs are recorded in native Indian languages with English captions so viewers have an opportunity to experience the beauty and complexity of these languages: Origins of the Crown Dance (Apache), Seyewailo (Yaqui/Yoeme), Natwaniwa (Hopi), By This Song I Walk (Navajo), and Iisaw (Hopi). The tribal communities represented in the eight recordings are: Standing Rock Sioux, Apache, Navajo (Diné), Pasqua Yaqui, Laguna and Santo Domingo Pueblos, and Hopi.
The collection is organized into 9 series and comprises eight Words and Place master recordings produced between 1976 and 1977 on 2” quad videotape, production elements on U-Matic videocassettes, and access copies on U-Matic videocassettes and DV-Cam, and ¼” open reel audio soundtrack recordings all arranged by name of primary contributor/artist and production. Each production comprises a single series. The body of the collection spans the years 1974-1977 and is arranged within the series by date; some dates are that of the approximate recording.
Series IX comprises general production elements and documentation, including ½” videotapes, 35mm slides, floppy diskettes, production notes and logs, translations, subtitling documents, and a bound production log that includes song lyric cards for
There is an additional subseries of one non-Words and Place 2” quad videotape recording with Theodore (Ted) Rios, likely recorded in 1974 for
Through a unique blend of imagery and sound, Words and Place captures the complex oral traditions of Native American communities in the American Southwest. Songs are sung and stories told within the landscapes that inspired them. The recordings explore a world in which words and place possess symbolic and time-honored significance. Native oral tradition generates a history separate and distinct from the written history of the West.
In the late 1970s, these eight video recordings were produced at the University of Arizona in cooperation with KUAT-TV and funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Intended for instructional use, the programs were tested successfully in college courses across the country. The programs were produced with the permission, cooperation, and support of the Indian communities they record.
A collection guide explains what's in a collection. New to using our collections? Learn how to use a collection guide.
Collection guideThe collection has materials you can access online.
Access this collection
Visit us in person to access materials from this collection. Our materials are one-of-a-kind and require special care, so they can’t be checked out or taken home.
How to cite
Learn how to cite and use materials from Special Collections in your research.