Folk-Tales of the Coast Salish

By Thelma Adamson and Thelma Ed. Adamson

Book Overview

First published in 1934, this collection of tales was recorded and edited by Thelma Adamson (1901-83), a student of Franz Boas and one of the first women to conduct ethnographic fieldwork in the Pacific Northwest. A major contribution to our knowledge of western Washington Salish oral traditions, Folk-Tales of the Coast Salishcontains 190 texts from nineteen consultants--most collected in English or in English translation.

The 155 stories represent Upper Chehalis and Cowlitz Salish narrative traditions, primarily myths and tales, and constitute the largest published body of oral literature for either of these groups. Adamson included as many as four variants of the same tale-type, and Adele Froehlich prepared a useful forty-three-page section of abstracts with comparative notes from eight regional text collections.

Folk-Tales of the Coast Salish provides a rich data source for those interested in the content and comparative analysis of Native texts told in English. With few exceptions, the tales refer to the time "when all the animals were people." This new edition enhances Adamson's seminal work with the inclusion of a biographical sketch of Adamson and of her friend and noted ethnomusicologist George Herzog, who produced the appended music transcriptions.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0803226683
• ISBN13: 9780803226685
• Release Date: November 2009
• Publisher: Bison Books
• Length: 472 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Proud of Aunt Thelma

Thelma Adamson was my great-aunt, that is, my grandmother's sister on my mother's side. I was privileged to have met her a couple of times, including once shortly before she passed away. She was quite elderly and living in a group home at the time -- not the most pleasant of circumstances. But what I remember is how, when we arrived, she was reading intently (while puffing away on an unfiltered Camel! :-) and ignoring the drivel on television that seemed to have the attention of most of the other residents. And when she looked at me, the deep intelligence that shone from her eyes almost startled me. We had a copy of "Aunt Thelma's book" at home and I read Folk-Tales of the Coast Salish many times when I was a young boy. In Middle School, we once had to do reports on creation stories and I think I startled my teacher by having such a rare and interesting source to work from -- complete with songs no less! Many thanks to Professor Seaburg and the others who have given this work a new lease on life. I know that Thelma is smiling at you now with those intelligent eyes.