Frances Densmore facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frances Densmore
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Frances Densmore
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| Born | May 21, 1867 Red Wing, Minnesota, U.S.
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| Died | June 5, 1957 (aged 90) |
| Known for | Preservation of Native American culture |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Anthropologist, specializing as a Comparative musicologist ethnographer and ethnomusicologist |
| Institutions | Bureau of American Ethnology |
Frances Theresa Densmore (born May 21, 1867 – died June 5, 1957) was an American expert who studied people and their cultures. She was born in Red Wing, Minnesota, in the United States. Densmore is famous for her work on Native American music and culture. Today, we would call her an ethnomusicologist, which means someone who studies the music of different cultures.
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About Frances Densmore
Frances Densmore loved music from a young age. She grew up listening to the Dakota Indians who lived near her home. She later studied music at Oberlin College for three years.
In the early 1900s, Densmore worked as a music teacher. She traveled across the United States, working with Native Americans. She learned, recorded, and wrote down their music. She also wrote about how music was used in their cultures. This was very important because, at that time, the government wanted Native Americans to adopt Western ways of life. Densmore helped keep their cultural traditions alive.
Recording Native American Music
In 1907, Densmore officially started recording music for the Smithsonian Institution. She worked for a group called the Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE). Over 50 years, she collected thousands of recordings of American Indian music.
Many of her original recordings were made on wax cylinders. These were early types of phonograph records. Today, many of these recordings are kept at the Library of Congress. They have been copied onto newer types of media. Researchers and tribal groups can listen to these recordings.
Tribes She Worked With
Densmore worked with many different Native American tribes. Some of these included:
- the Chippewa
- the Mandan
- the Hidatsa
- the Sioux
- the northern Pawnee of Oklahoma
- the Papago of Arizona
- tribes from Washington and British Columbia
- the Winnebago and Menominee of Wisconsin
- Pueblo Indians of the southwest
- the Seminoles of Florida
- even the Kuna Indians of Panama
Her Writings
Frances Densmore often wrote articles for a journal called American Anthropologist. She wrote many articles throughout her career. In 1949, she wrote a book called A Study of Some Michigan Indians. This was the first book in a special series by the University of Michigan Press.
In 1926, she wrote another book called The Indians and Their Music. From 1910 to 1957, she published 14 long reports for the Smithsonian. Each report described the music and musical practices of a different Native American group. These reports were later reprinted as a series of books in 1972.
Awards and Recognition
Frances Densmore received several important awards for her work.
- In 1924, Oberlin College gave her an honorary Master of Arts degree.
- In 1950, Macalester College gave her an honorary Doctor of Letters degree.
- In 1954, the Minnesota Historical Society gave her their first "Citation for Distinguished Service in the Field of Minnesota History." This award recognized her important work in Minnesota history.
- In 1940-1941, the National Association for American Composers and Conductors honored her. They recognized her for her studies of music.
See also
In Spanish: Frances Densmore para niños
