INFORMATION FOR USERS
Cite As:Constance Goddard DuBois papers, #9167. Division of Rare and
Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
The papers include her field notes from her summers in California,
notes on her activities with the Connecticut Indian Association, and newspaper
clippings relating to Indian affairs, particularly those in California. Drafts
of manuscripts for her publications on Luiseno religion, Diegueno mythology,
and other subjects relating to the Mission Indians of California are included
in the collection. Letters written to Du Bois from 1897 to 1909 comprise a
significant part of the collection. She corresponded with such notables in the
field of anthropology as Alfred Kroeber, O.T. Mason, Frederick W. Hodge, and
Clark Wissler, as well as with representatives of Indian-aid organizations such
as the Indian Industrial League and the Indian Rights Association.
The Du Bois papers are a window into the lives of the Indians in
southern California at the turn of the century. They are especially useful in
demonstrating the relationship between the Mission Indians and those, like
Constance Du Bois, who served as their intermediaries with the state and
federal governments. Preserving this collection archivally on microfilm ensures
its availability to future scholars, and makes it accessible in libraries
throughout the country via inter-library loan. While much of the collection
warrants individual preservation treatment as well, this microfilm edition is
an important first step.
