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Roger M. Keesing Collection

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Roger M. Keesing Collection

About this collection

Access
  • Some items restricted
Collection
Extent

4192 digital objects.

Description

Photographs and sound recordings created by American anthropologist Roger M. Keesing, in the context of field research with the Kwaio people of Malaita, Solomon Islands from 1962–1992. The photographs document village life, and cultural topics such as rituals, bridewealth and other exchanges, material culture, and dance. The sound recordings include interviews with men and women on Kwaio culture and history, as well as speeches, meetings, and group discussions. Of particular interest are the recordings relating to the 1927 assassination of District Officer William Bell and most of his party, since Keesing captured interviews with some of the last living Kwaio participants and witnesses. There are also recordings from Keesing's field research in Himalayan villages in India in 1978 and 1980-1981.

Materials in the collection were annotated by anthropologist David Akin, and by Kwaio people working with him. Digitized materials from the Keesing collection form an important part of the community-run Kwaio Archive, formally opened in 2016 at Kwainaa`isi in central Kwaio.

The sound recordings were digitized through support by a Recordings at Risk grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR). The grant program is made possible by funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Sound recordings are available upon request and registration.

Creation Date
  • 1963-1989
Creator
Location Of Originals

From the Roger M. Keesing Papers. MSS 427. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.

Note

Some content in this collection may be moderated due to cultural sensitivity. Please refer to the UC San Diego Library’s Historical Context and Cultural Sensitivity Statement for more information.

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