book chapter

Navaho witchcraft

The MuseumCambridge, Mass.Published In 1944 • Pages: x, 140

By: Kluckhohn, Clyde.

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This is the most lengthy and thorough study in existence devoted exclusively to witchcraft among the Navajos. (In fact, there is only one other, and that is by a psychologist.) The author, an outstanding authority on the tribe, has lived among Navajos over a period of many years, during which he collected the incidents and stories on which his witchcraft observations are based. This is a detailed account not only of the different types of witchcraft, but also of the function they play in the development of Navajo personality and their relation to other aspects of the society. A careful analysis is made of the reasons for the recent increase in the belief in witchcraft. In the text, all references to Arabic numbers within parentheses or preceded by a dash refer always to the numbered interview excerpts in the appendices. When the excerpts themselves are preceded by this sign #, they are paraphrases (written down later) or rough translations from the Navajo. Interviews marked with an asterisk come from the field notes of W. W. Hill. All other excerpts were written down at the time of the interview in the exact words of the informant or interpreter.
SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
Theoretical orientation in research and its results
Organization and analysis of results of research
Adjustment processes
Comparative evidence
Acculturation and culture contact
Functional and adaptational interpretations
Hunting and trapping
Recreational and non-therapeutic drugs
Representative art
Ingroup antagonisms
Behavior toward non-relatives
Social control
Preventive medicine
Sorcery
Magical and mental therapy
Mythology
Eschatology
Organized ceremonial
Ethnobotany
Ethnozoology
Status and treatment of the aged
cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
Navajo
HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
2004
RegionThe area the document pertains to
North America
Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
Southwest and Basin
Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
book chapter
Evaluation
Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
Ethnologist
Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
5: Excellent Primary Data
AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
Katchen S. Coley ; 1951
Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
1936-1943
Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
not specified
Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
Navajo Reservation, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, United States
NotesAdditional notes
Clyde Kluckhohn
This document consists of excerpts
Includes bibliographical references (p. 145-149)
LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
44007396
LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
Navajo Indians