The 1870 Ghost Dance

Appendix: Informants

323 Approximately one hundred and forty informants were interviewed from the fall of 1932 through the summer of 1934. Only those quoted in the body of the text are listed here. Where interpreters were used, they are listed under the names of the informants for whom they translated. The evaluations are obviously superficial, but they may serve to reflect the degree of rapport I established with informants and my estimates of the worth of quoted material. Paviotso blind bob. Wellington, Nevada. Late 80s. English almost incomprehensible . Willing, garrulous, incoherent, probably senile. henry williams. Schurz, Walker Lake Reservation. Ca. 50s. Prefers to use native language. Willing, careful, not very intelligent. His wife, Jennie , probably more alert. Their son a willing and able interpreter. gilbert natchez. Nixon, Pyramid Lake Reservation. Ca. 50s. English good. Dull, uninformed, moderately cooperative. jackson overton. Nixon, Pyramid Lake Reservation. Ca. 60s. Needs interpreter. Taciturn, well informed, needs prodding. Gilbert Natchez, interpreter (see above). rawhide henry. Pyramid Lake Reservation. Ca. 80. English very poor. Willing, thoroughly unreliable, but probably well informed. doctor sam. Beatty, Klamath Reservation. Ca. 80s. Needs interpreter. Coherent, well informed, interested, clear mind. David Chocktoot, interpreter ; willing, interested, conscientious. pete polina. Beatty, Klamath Reservation. Ca. 70. Needs interpreter. Meager in presentation; needs questioning. David Chocktoot, interpreter (see above). appendix ° Informants appendix 324 Washo minnie jo. Carson City. Early 80s. No English. Fluent, informed, talks without questioning, probably accurate. Frances Brown, grand-niece, good interpreter. dick bender. Carson City, Steward Indian school. Ca. 72. English fair. Willing, garrulous, informed but not careful as to accuracy. Modoc harrison brown. Beatty, Klamath Reservation. Early 70s. Needs interpreter . Bedridden; much information he is eager to have recorded, needs questioning for detail, otherwise is fluent and coherent. Interpreter , Winnie Schiffbauer, interested, willing, intelligent, but does not possess a perfect command of Modoc. peter schonchin. Sprague River, Klamath Reservation. Over 80. English poor, but insists upon using it. Willing, self-important, careless . Wife has real bulk of information, which she skillfully inserts. Took part in Modoc War; son of old Schonchin, who was hanged after war. jennie clinton. Williamson River store, Klamath Reservation. Late 60s, early 70s; claims greater age. English good. Bumptious, given to religious harangues, most of life spent in Oklahoma after Modoc War. Shasta sargent sambo. Near Hamburg on Klamath River. Ca. 69. English excellent; intelligent, coherent, well informed, friendly. Trained as informant by R. B. Dixon. rosie empter. Hornbrook, California. Ca. 67. English good. Well informed, clear mind and presentation, good detail, hostile until confidence is gained. jake smith. Hornbrook, California. Mid-80s. Needs interpreter. Friendly but uninterested; incoherent but probably well informed. Blind. Good singer and myth narrator. Rosie Empter, interpreter (see above). emma snelling. Yreka. Late 60s. English good. Fluent, effervescent, friendly but only moderately well informed, probably not reliable. 325 informants Karok henry joseph. Happy Camp. Ca. 86. English adequate. Willing, well informed, friendly. ira stevens. Crescent City. Ca. 66. English excellent. Sophisticated, talkative, not very well informed. Tolowa emma vilastra. Crescent City. Mid-50s. English good. Friendly. Presentation confused; moderately informed. jenny scott. Smith River. Ca. 70. Friendly, talkative, assured. Well informed but incoherent and confused in presentation, perhaps due to poor English. henry johnson. Smith River. Ca. 70. English poor. Reticent; needs constant questioning; shy and withdrawn. Probably well informed. Resentful attitudes on several subjects. Yurok robert spott. Requa. Mid-40s. English excellent. Cooperative, unusually well informed, exceptionally retentive memory for detail, coherent . Hupa sam brown. Hupa Valley. Ca. 55. English excellent. Intelligent, well informed , fluent, cooperative. james marshall. Hupa Valley. Ca. 71. English excellent. Cooperative but only moderately well informed, lacks fluency. Trained by Goddard as informant. Siletz coquille thompson. Lower Coquille; born at Myrtle Point; taken to Siletz as an infant. Ca. 84. English fair. Clear mind, willing, well informed, accurate. Does not need questioning. Circumstantial and detailed data. Blind. louis fuller. Tillamook. Ca. 71. Catholic schooling on Grand Ronde Reservation. Willing but reticent. Either not well informed or too shy to talk freely after brief contact. Needs constant questioning. appendix 326 billy metcalf. Tututni; born among Tolowa; moved to Siletz. In mid-60s (?). English good. Only moderately interested and informed. Skeptical, indolent, amiable. abe logan. Tututni; born at Siletz. Ca. 74. English excellent. Clear mind, well informed in certain fields, willing, self-respecting. Strong Shaker. hoskie simmons. Half-breed; born on Siletz; has always lived there. English excellent. Sophisticated, self-respecting, intelligent. Inclined to...