NAU.MS.245
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Overview of the Collection | |
| Creator: | Hieb, Louis A. |
| Title: | Louis A. Hieb Collection, |
| Inclusive Dates: | 1918-1977 |
| Quantity: | 1 Linear feet textual materials |
| Abstract: | The Louis A. Hieb Collection pertains to Hieb's research and study of Hopi people and Hopi culture. It largely consists of Hieb's journal entries and research notes, but it also includes papers and essays, scheduling calendars, copies of articles, copies of government documents, and correspondence. |
| Identification: | NAU.MS.245 |
| Language: | Material in English. |
| Repository: |
Cline Library. Special Collections and Archives
Northern Arizona University Box 6022 Flagstaff, AZ 86011-6022 Phone: 928 523-5551 Fax: 928 523-3770 Email: special.collections@nau.edu |
Louis Albert Hieb was born on April 11, 1939, in Carlsbad, New Mexico. He attended Grinnell College from 1957 to 1961. Upon receiving his B.A. in sociology, he then proceeded to pursue a Bachelor's degree in religious studies at Yale University, 1961-1965. Subsequently, Hieb attended Rutgers University, earning a Master's degree in library science. Hieb's education culminated in 1968-1972, when he received his Ph.D. in anthropology from Princeton University.
Hieb worked as a Reference and Acquisitions Librarian in his first library at Princeton Theological Seminary from 1965 to 1968. Taking a 10 year break from library involvement, Hieb earned his Ph.D. and then taught as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Washington State University (1972-1978). Following that, his only teaching stint, Hieb returned to the archives as the Head Special Collections Librarian at the University of Arizona, where he worked from 1978-1995. In 1995, Hieb took a position as Director of the Center for Southwest Research at the University of New Mexico library.
Most of Louis Hieb's research and work revolved around the role of the ritual clown and humor in Hopi ceremonies. Hieb's major publications include his dissertation, "The Hopi Ritual Clown: Life As It Should Not Be" (1972), "Rhythms of Significance: towards a Symbolic Analysis of Dance in Ritual' in New Dimensions in Dance Research: Anthropology and Dance-The American Indian (1974), "The Ritual Clown: Humor and Ethics" in Forms to Play of Native North Americans (1979), and "Masks and Meaning: the Americas (1979). Hieb published two books, The doctor danced with us: Jeremiah Sullivan and the Hopi, 1881-1888, and other essays (2018) and Zuni, Hopi, Copan: early anthropology at Harvard, 1890-1893 (2023), the latter with editor Curtis M. Hinsley and Barbara W. Fash.
The Louis A. Hieb Collection pertains to Hieb's research and study of the Hopi Indians of Arizona. Hieb has taken particular interest in the ritual clowns of the Hopis, as well as the Hopi traditionalist movement. The collection largely consists of Hieb's journal entries and research notes, but it also includes papers and essays, scheduling calendars, copies of articles, copies of government documents, and correspondence.
Approximately one-third of the collection is composed of Hieb's journal entries from 1969 to 1972. These entries document Hopi ceremonial procedures, costume, clown behavior, interviews, meetings, and other observations made by Hieb while in what he occasionally refers to as "Hopiland." Supplementing the information found in his journals, Hieb's research notes and essays further elaborate on Hopi traditions and particularly Hopi clowns. Additionally, his documentation on the evolution of the Hopi traditionalist movement provides significant background information critical to understand how and why the movement exists. The remainder of the collection, government documents and correspondence, offer an overview of Hopi land issues and a slight glance into the personal life of Louis Hieb.
The Louis A. Hieb collection may contain information which is culturally sensitive for Indigenous and Native American communities. This material has not been reviewed by appropriate cultural heritage partners as of July 2025. As indicated below, specific files related to the Hopi people and Hopi culture are currently restricted and unavailable for access and use. Special Collections and Archives will consult with the appropriate cultural heritage partners and receive appropriate guidance regarding the stewardship of these materials. This access restriction aligns with and supports the Cline Library's commitment to implementing the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials.
Unless labeled as temporarily restricted, materials in the Louis A. Hieb collection are available for access and use on site in the Miriam Lemont Reading Room.
Researchers are required to obtain permission from the Hopi Cultural Preservation Office for the reproduction of images and sketches of clowns, kachinas, and ceremonies.
It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Arizona Board of Regents for Northern Arizona University, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.
[Title or brief description of file or item.] Louis A. Hieb Collection, NAU.MS.245, Box [ ], Folder [ ]. Northern Arizona University. Cline Library. Special Collections and Archives. Flagstaff, Arizona.
Louis A. Hieb donated materials to Cline Library in 1990. Hieb donated additional materials in 2023.
SCA staff, notably Scott S. Wolf, processed materials in the Louis A. Hieb collection in fall 1995. Viviana Cortes created an EAD finding aid in 2001. Sam Meier updated the finding aid to correct errors and to implement temporary access restrictions in July 2025.
| Series 1: Research materials and papers, 1966-1977. | |||||||||||
| Subseries 1: Journals, 1969-1972. | |||||||||||
| Scope and Contents | |||||||||||
| This subseries consists of 15 folders of journal entries written by Louis Hieb. The journal entries are arranged chronologically. For the minority of entries where dates were not present, the original order has been maintained. | |||||||||||
| The journal entries contain descriptions and sketches of various Hopi rituals, ceremonies, and clowns, some as described by interviewed individuals, but the majority as observed by Hieb, as well as descriptions of his meetings, his observations regarding the Hopi worldview, and other topics relevant to Hieb's research. The Snake Dance and the Long Hair Dance are just two of the numerous ceremonies described by Hieb. | |||||||||||
| box | folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Journal (TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED) June-September 1969. | |||||||||
| Access Restrictions | |||||||||||
| This file may contain information which is culturally sensitive for Indigenous and Native American communities. This material has not been reviewed by appropriate cultural heritage partners as of July 2025. It is currently fully restricted and not available for access and use in the Miriam Lemont Reading Room as of July 2025. This access restriction aligns with and supports the Cline Library's commitment to implementing the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Notes (TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED) June 1970 | |||||||||
| Access Restrictions | |||||||||||
| This file may contain information which is culturally sensitive for Indigenous and Native American communities. This material has not been reviewed by appropriate cultural heritage partners as of July 2025. It is currently fully restricted and not available for access and use in the Miriam Lemont Reading Room as of July 2025. This access restriction aligns with and supports the Cline Library's commitment to implementing the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Notes (TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED) July 1970. | |||||||||
| Access Restrictions | |||||||||||
| This file may contain information which is culturally sensitive for Indigenous and Native American communities. This material has not been reviewed by appropriate cultural heritage partners as of July 2025. It is currently fully restricted and not available for access and use in the Miriam Lemont Reading Room as of July 2025. This access restriction aligns with and supports the Cline Library's commitment to implementing the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Notes (TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED) August 1970. | |||||||||
| Access Restrictions | |||||||||||
| This file may contain information which is culturally sensitive for Indigenous and Native American communities. This material has not been reviewed by appropriate cultural heritage partners as of July 2025. It is currently fully restricted and not available for access and use in the Miriam Lemont Reading Room as of July 2025. This access restriction aligns with and supports the Cline Library's commitment to implementing the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 5 | Notes, October 1970. | |||||||||
| 1 | 6 | Notes, November 1970. | |||||||||
| 1 | 7 | Notes (TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED) December 1970. | |||||||||
| Access Restrictions | |||||||||||
| This file may contain information which is culturally sensitive for Indigenous and Native American communities. This material has not been reviewed by appropriate cultural heritage partners as of July 2025. It is currently fully restricted and not available for access and use in the Miriam Lemont Reading Room as of July 2025. This access restriction aligns with and supports the Cline Library's commitment to implementing the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 8 | Notes (TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED) January 1971. | |||||||||
| Access Restrictions | |||||||||||
| This file may contain information which is culturally sensitive for Indigenous and Native American communities. This material has not been reviewed by appropriate cultural heritage partners as of July 2025. It is currently fully restricted and not available for access and use in the Miriam Lemont Reading Room as of July 2025. This access restriction aligns with and supports the Cline Library's commitment to implementing the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 9 | Notes (TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED) February 1971. | |||||||||
| Access Restrictions | |||||||||||
| This file may contain information which is culturally sensitive for Indigenous and Native American communities. This material has not been reviewed by appropriate cultural heritage partners as of July 2025. It is currently fully restricted and not available for access and use in the Miriam Lemont Reading Room as of July 2025. This access restriction aligns with and supports the Cline Library's commitment to implementing the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 10 | Notes (TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED) March 1971. | |||||||||
| Access Restrictions | |||||||||||
| This file may contain information which is culturally sensitive for Indigenous and Native American communities. This material has not been reviewed by appropriate cultural heritage partners as of July 2025. It is currently fully restricted and not available for access and use in the Miriam Lemont Reading Room as of July 2025. This access restriction aligns with and supports the Cline Library's commitment to implementing the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 11 | Notes (TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED) April 1971. | |||||||||
| Access Restrictions | |||||||||||
| This file may contain information which is culturally sensitive for Indigenous and Native American communities. This material has not been reviewed by appropriate cultural heritage partners as of July 2025. It is currently fully restricted and not available for access and use in the Miriam Lemont Reading Room as of July 2025. This access restriction aligns with and supports the Cline Library's commitment to implementing the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 12 | Notes(TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED) May 1971. | |||||||||
| Access Restrictions | |||||||||||
| This file may contain information which is culturally sensitive for Indigenous and Native American communities. This material has not been reviewed by appropriate cultural heritage partners as of July 2025. It is currently fully restricted and not available for access and use in the Miriam Lemont Reading Room as of July 2025. This access restriction aligns with and supports the Cline Library's commitment to implementing the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 13 | Notes and drawings (TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED) June 1971. | |||||||||
| Access Restrictions | |||||||||||
| This file may contain information which is culturally sensitive for Indigenous and Native American communities. This material has not been reviewed by appropriate cultural heritage partners as of July 2025. It is currently fully restricted and not available for access and use in the Miriam Lemont Reading Room as of July 2025. This access restriction aligns with and supports the Cline Library's commitment to implementing the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 14 | Notes and drawings (TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED) July 1971. | |||||||||
| Access Restrictions | |||||||||||
| This file may contain information which is culturally sensitive for Indigenous and Native American communities. This material has not been reviewed by appropriate cultural heritage partners as of July 2025. It is currently fully restricted and not available for access and use in the Miriam Lemont Reading Room as of July 2025. This access restriction aligns with and supports the Cline Library's commitment to implementing the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 15 | Notes and drawings, February 1972. | |||||||||
| Subseries 2: Research notes, 1969-1972. | |||||||||||
| Scope and Contents | |||||||||||
| This subseries consists of three folders arranged broadly by topic. One folder consists of notes about Hopi clown behavior and sketches of clowns. A second folder contains more general information about such things as Hopi words, Hopi Tribal Council member, and Hopi village statistics, such as which villages had electricity, running water, and so on. The third folder in this subseries is composed of Hieb's notes on books and articles by other authors, in addition to several bibliographies. | |||||||||||
| box | folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 16 | Hopi Clowns (TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED) 1918-1977 | |||||||||
| Access Restrictions | |||||||||||
| This file may contain information which is culturally sensitive for Indigenous and Native American communities. This material has not been reviewed by appropriate cultural heritage partners as of July 2025. It is currently fully restricted and not available for access and use in the Miriam Lemont Reading Room as of July 2025. This access restriction aligns with and supports the Cline Library's commitment to implementing the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 17 | General reservation information (TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED) 1966-72. | |||||||||
| Access Restrictions | |||||||||||
| This file may contain information which is culturally sensitive for Indigenous and Native American communities. This material has not been reviewed by appropriate cultural heritage partners as of July 2025. It is currently fully restricted and not available for access and use in the Miriam Lemont Reading Room as of July 2025. This access restriction aligns with and supports the Cline Library's commitment to implementing the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 18 | Bibliographies and notes on sources. 1918-1977 | |||||||||
| Subseries 3: Scheduling calendars, 1969-1970. | |||||||||||
| Scope and Contents | |||||||||||
| This subseries consists of one folder within which the calendars are arranged chronologically. They list meetings and ceremonies Hieb was scheduled to attend. | |||||||||||
| box | folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 19 | Calendars, 1969-1970. | |||||||||
| Subseries 4: Papers and essays, 1972-1977. | |||||||||||
| Scope and Contents | |||||||||||
| This subseries consists of nine folders arranged chronologically where possible. Most of the papers and essays, however, do not have dates; therefore, these have been placed after those that do. Three of the eight works on this subseries are complete. "The Hopi Traditionalist Movement: A Documentary History, 1948-1971" (folders 21-22), "Meaning and Mismeaning; towards and Understanding of the ritual Clown" (folder 23), and an untitled presentation (folder 26). | |||||||||||
| "The Hopi Traditionalist Movement" is a particularly important work because of Hieb's skillful use of documentation to trace the movement's origins and evolution. The oldest document in the collection, a reprint of an 1880 letter, is contained here. Although incomplete, part of Hieb's doctoral dissertation, "The Hopi ritual Clown: Life As It Should Not Be," is found in this subseries. A complete copy of this work may be found in Cline Library, Special Collections and Archives, under the call number E99.H7H5 1972a. | |||||||||||
| Series four is a significant part of the Louis A. Hieb Collection simply because the essays contained therein represent a partial culmination of Hieb's years of study and research among the Hopis. | |||||||||||
| box | folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 20 | "The Hopi Ritual Clown: Life As It Should Not Be," incomplete (TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED) 1972. | |||||||||
| Access Restrictions | |||||||||||
| This file may contain information which is culturally sensitive for Indigenous and Native American communities. This material has not been reviewed by appropriate cultural heritage partners as of July 2025. It is currently fully restricted and not available for access and use in the Miriam Lemont Reading Room as of July 2025. This access restriction aligns with and supports the Cline Library's commitment to implementing the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials. | |||||||||||
| 1 | 21-1 | "The Hopi Traditionalist Movement: A Documentary History, 1948-1971," 1977. | |||||||||
| 1 | 23 | "Meaning and Mismeaning: Towards an Understanding of the Ritual Clown." 1918-1977 | |||||||||
| 1 | 24 | "The Hopi: A Synchronic Overview," incomplete. 1918-1977 | |||||||||
| box | folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 25 | "The Ruling Place of the Clouds," incomplete. 1918-1977 | |||||||||
| 2 | 26 | Untitled presentation. 1918-1977 | |||||||||
| 2 | 27-2 | Untitled presentation, incomplete. 1918-1977 | |||||||||
| Subseries 5: Articles by others, 1966-1970. | |||||||||||
| Scope and Contents | |||||||||||
| Subseries five consists of two folders arranged chronologically. The fist of the folders contains an article entitled "The Decline of Oraibi" and is relevant to the Hopi traditionalist movement. The second folder contains various articles connecting UFO sightings around Prescott, Arizona, and Hopi prophecies. Some of Hieb's notes are present in the second folder. | |||||||||||
| box | folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 29 | "The Decline of Oraibi," ca. 1966. | |||||||||
| 2 | 30 | Prescott UFO Sightings and Hopi Prophecy, 1970. | |||||||||
| Subseries 6: Photos, circa 1970 2 Photographic negatives | |||||||||||
| Scope and Contents | |||||||||||
| Subseries six consists of one folder that contains two photographs negatives. The negatives are of a carving of a Hopi clown made by Wilfred Tewawina. Both negatives are of the same carving but from two different perspectives. These photos were included in Hieb's dissertation. | |||||||||||
| box | folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 31 | Photos of Carvings of Hopi Clowns, ca. 1970. | |||||||||
| Series 2: Hopi and Navajo land issues, 1918-1973. | |||||||||||
| Scope and Contents | |||||||||||
| This series consists of seven folders arranged chronologically. The first folder contains a report made to the Indian Office regarding the Hopi-Navajo range problem (1918). In the second folder, the minutes of a Washington, D.C., conference on the extension of Hopi lands is found (1939). The third folder is composed of a variety of documents (correspondence, a congressional bill, grazing forms) concerning the uses of Hopi lands (1969-1972). The final four folders consist of a hearing on H.R. 1193, regarding the partition of the surface rights of Hopi-Navajo lands (1973). | |||||||||||
| box | folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 32 | Hopi-Navajo Range Problem report, 1918. | |||||||||
| 2 | 33 | Minutes of Washington, D.C., Conference on Hopi Extension Area, 1939. | |||||||||
| 2 | 34 | Documents concerning the uses of Hopi lands, 1969-1972. | |||||||||
| 2 | 35-2 | Congressional hearing on H.R. 1193. 1918-1977 | |||||||||
| Series 3: Correspondence, 1969-1971. | |||||||||||
| Scope and Contents | |||||||||||
| This series consists of two folders, the first for outgoing mail, and the second for incoming, with the items arranged chronologically within each folder. | |||||||||||
| Approximately one-half of the correspondence is personal; the other half concerns academic matters. Possible letters include a letter with criticism of a draft of Hieb's dissertation and an invitation to write an article for the Handbook of North American Indians. | |||||||||||
| box | folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 39 | Outgoing correspondence, 1971. | |||||||||
| 2 | 40 | Incoming correspondence, 1969-1971. | |||||||||