Center for the Documentation of Endangered Languages
Sound Laboratory

About CDEL

The Center for the Documentation of Endangered Languages supports the American Indian Studies Research Institute through the preservation of unique anthropological material, archiving a broad range of Native American material including field recordings, videos and photos, educating Institute Associates in contemporary digital recording techniques and recording events including powwows, vocabulary, interviews and story-telling. We assist the broader academic community by providing access to the Center's extensive collection of Native American material, aural/video editing and recording education. The CDEL collection includes more than 2000 hours of audio and video field recordings digitally archived in accordance with Harvard/IU Sound Directions Initiative and AES standards and disseminated in accordance with tribal protocol. Interested parties should contact AISRI for information regarding access to the collection.

Current projects include:

• Digitizing and archiving approximately 600 hours of tapes from the
  Alfred W. Bowers Collection. (Mandan and Hidatsa).
• Preparing approximately 40,000 tokens for the Online Pawnee Dictionary.
• Digitizing and archiving 28 videotapes of various Nakoda, Hidatsa and Mandan speakers.
• Transcribing Alfred Morsette's songs into Western Notation.

A partial list of CD releases includes: