Register of the David Akin Audiorecordings MSS.448

Finding aid prepared by Mandeville Special Collections Library

Mandeville Special Collections Library

9500 Gilman Drive

La Jolla, California, 92093-0175

858-534-2533

spcoll@ucsd.edu

2009-05-07

Title: David Akin Audiorecordings

Identifier/Call Number: MSS.448

Contributing Institution: Mandeville Special Collections Library

Language of Material: English

Physical Description: 2.8 lin. ft. 1 archives box and 12 card file boxes

Date (inclusive): 1979-1997

Abstract: The audiorecordings of David Akin, an American anthropologist specializing in Kwaio culture of the Solomon Islands, includes cassette audio recordings, largely in the Kwaio lanuage or Pidgin English, with a typescript index. The collection also includes two annotated photocopies of Roger Keesing's Kwaio Dictionary with notes and additional words supplied by Akin.

creator: Akin, David W.

Biographical/Historical note

David Wallace Akin received his Ph.D. from the University of Hawaii in 1993. His doctoral thesis, Negotiating Culture in East Kwaio, Malaita, Solomon Islands, analyzed the social life and customs in the Solomon Islands, and was based on Akin's extensive research of the Kwaio people. Much of Akin's knowledge about the Solomon Islands came from his time spent with the Kwaio, where he spent 5 years volunteering at the Kwaio Cultural Center, as well as from his correspondence with anthropologist Roger Keesing.

Akin has published numerous articles about the society and culture of the Solomon Islands, including: Local and foreign spirits in Kwaio, Solomon Islands (1996); Cash and shell money in Kwaio (1999); and Concealment, confession and innovation in Kwaio women's taboos (2003).

Scope and Contents note

The David Akin Audiorecordings reflect Akin's extensive research of the Solomon Islands. The collection includes 207 audio recordings containing information about the Kwaio people; two photocopies of Roger Keesing's Kwaio Dictionary with annotations from Akin; two papers written by Akin about the Kwaio culture; and transcripts of selected cassettes from the collection.

The collection is arranged in four series: 1) WRITINGS BY AKIN; 2) KWAIO DICTIONARY; 3) TRANSCRIPTIONS OF SELECTED RECORDINGS; and 4) AUDIORECORDINGS.

SERIES 1: WRITINGS BY AKIN:

The first series in the collection, WRITINGS BY AKIN, contains two articles written by Akin in the early-1980s about cultural aspects of the Solomon Islands. This series also contains a videotape index written by Akin that was filmed in 1982 and 1983 in the Kwaio language. This videotape index contains information about scenes from the Kwaio culture, including musical performances and a ceremony. This series is arranged in alphabetical order.

SERIES 2: KWAIO DICTIONARY

The KWAIO DICTIONARY series includes two photocopies of the Kwaio Dictionary, written by Roger M. Keesing. The two copies contain notes, dated 1979 through 1983 and 1988 through 1997, written by Akin regarding Kwaio vocabulary and grammar.

SERIES 3: TRANSCRIPTIONS OF SELECTED RECORDINGS

The third series, TRANSCRIPTIONS OF SELECTED RECORDINGS, contains notes and transcriptions made by Akin from selected cassettes in the collection. The majority of these transcriptions are in the Kwaio language and contain interviews with people from the Kwaio community. The series is arranged in numerical order according to tape number.

SERIES 4: AUDIORECORDINGS

The final series of the collection, AUDIORECORDINGS, is made up of 207 audio recordings made by Akin in the 1980s and 1990s. Even though the audio recordings are numbered 1 through 308, Akin only included 207 cassette tapes with the collection. The majority of the audio recordings are in the Kwaio language.

This series also contains a cassette index, which lists the titles and dates for each cassette in the collection.

This series is arranged in numerical order according to tape number.

Use restrictions

Audiorecordings may not be copied without written permission from David Akin.

Restrictions

Audiorecordings may not be used without written permission from David Akin.

Preferred Citation note

David Akin Audiorecordings. MSS 448. Mandeville Special Collections library, UCSD.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Akin, David W. -- Archives

Ethnology--Solomon Islands

Kwaio (Melanesian people)--Social life and customs

Kwaio language--Texts

Pidgin English--Solomon Islands--Texts

Solomon Islands

WRITINGS BY AKIN

Box 1, Folder 1

Akin, D. Kwaio Fou'atoleeleo (1982)

Box 1, Folder 2

Akin, D. Statement of Interest of ASAO Conference Working Session - Emerging Legal Systems in Pacific Societies 1984

Box 1, Folder 3

Videotape Index - Kwaio 1982-1983

KWAIO DICTIONARY

Box 1, Folder 4

Kwaio Dictionary: (A - L) By R. M. Keesing. Photocopy of the dictionary annotated by David Akin ca. 1979-1983

Box 1, Folder 5

Kwaio Dictionary: (M - Z) By R. M. Keesing. Photocopy of the dictionary annotated by David Akin ca. 1979-1983

Box 1, Folder 6

Kwaio Dictionary: (A - L) By R. M. Keesing. Photocopy of dictionary annotated by David Akin 1988-1989, 1995-1997

Box 1, Folder 7

Kwaio Dictionary: (M - Z) By R. M. Keesing. Photocopy of dictionary annotated by David Akin 1988-1989, 1995-1997

Box 1, Folder 8

Kwaio Dictionary - Photocopy of words added by Akin

TRANSCRIPTIONS OF SELECTED RECORDINGS

Box 1, Folder 9

Tape 35, Saetana, Bita - The origins of shell money in Kwaio 1982

Box 1, Folder 10

Tape 46, Ma'aanamae - Mae Suria Ogo 1982

Box 1, Folder 11

Tape 47-48, Ma'aanamae - Mae Suria Waawane 1982

Box 1, Folder 12

Tape 49, Basiberi - Mae Suria Surunga 1982-1983

Box 1, Folder 13

Tape 49, Basiberi - Mae Ta'a i Asi Agea 1982-1983

Box 1, Folder 14

Tape 49, Basiberi - Siisifonga i Suna Gasusu ma Wane 1982

Box 1, Folder 15

Tapes 111, 113, 115-116, List of Characters in Ai'imbe told by Maenaa'adi 1982

Box 1, Folder 16

Tape 137, Suufiomea - Ancestress La'aka 1983

Box 1, Folder 17

Tape 137, Suufiomea - Notofanabata killing 1983

Box 1, Folder 18

Tape 137, Suufiomea - Osibiru 1983

Box 1, Folder 19

Tape 137, Suufiomea - Ri'omalakwa 1983

Box 1, Folder 20

Tape 137, Suufiomea - Siisifonga i suria adalo dalafa ma fee'ota

Box 1, Folder 21

Tape 137, Suumete on Noto'i 1983

Box 1, Folder 22

Tapes 137-281, Suufiomea - Siisfonga I suria Adalo Foulo ma Banibani 1983

Box 1, Folder 23

Tape 206, Fifi'i, Jonathan - Norman Deck and 1931 Earthquake (1988) 1988

AUDIORECORDINGS

Conditions Governing Access note

Restrictions

Cassettes 38, 60, 70B, 148, 160, 257, 271, and 289 are restricted by the donor.

Box 1, Folder 24

Cassette Index - Tapes 1-213

Box 1, Folder 25

Cassette Index - Tapes 214-231 1992

Box 1, Folder 26

Cassette Index - Tapes 233-308 1995-1997

Box 2, Folder 1

Cassette tapes #2 - 23