Vrooman's collection consists primarily of his recorded interviews on cassette tapes with accompanying transcripts with members of the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation in North Dakota.  Automated versions of the transcripts were also donated and are on file.  The interviews deal mostly with Metchif music, but some of the other topics discussed in the interviews are Chippewa music and baskets, dance, woodcarving, storytelling, medicine, and the history of the Metis in the upper midwest and Canada.  Vrooman conducted the interviews over several years (see folder 2 for specific dates).  The collection also includes documents related to other projects/proposals dealing with the Metis in North Dakota.  The collection is divided into fifteen series which follow Vrooman's original order:  Administrative, Cree Family, Fred Allery, Fred Parisien, Delia LaFloe, Page Family, Frank Poitra, Raymond Houle, King and Alvina Davis, Tom Parisien Family, Smithsonian Fieldwork, NDCA Fieldwork, Turtle Mt. Music Recording Session,  Brian Johnson and Higher Ground Festival International de Louisiane, and Metis Images.

The Administrative Series includes information related to Vrooman's project on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation and other related projects/proposals.  The series contains published information on the film Medicine Fiddle, which features many of the same people Vrooman interviewed for his study, and a copy of "Buffalo Voices," written by Vrooman, which was published in North Dakota Quarterly, Fall 1991.  The series also documents Vrooman's correspondence with Smithsonian Institution regarding the distribution of the Turtle Mountain CD and Vrooman's participation in the Smithsonian French Culture Program.  The files also include his applications for NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) grants and a nomination for Alex Morin for a National Heritage Award.

The Cree Family Series includes audio tapes and transcripts of Nicholas Vrooman interviewing Francis and Rose Cree about the following:  Chippewa baskets, Chippewa song, storytelling, Chippewa music, Round Hall Singers, and Francis Cree's life narrative.

The Fred Allery Series consists of audio tapes and transcripts of Allery playing his fiddle and talking about the music.

The Fred Parisien Series includes tapes and transcripts of Parisien singing, translating the songs, and explaining the origins of songs.

The Delia LaFloe Series contains tapes and transcripts of LaFloe singing and translating the lyrics.

The Page Family Series has tapes and transcripts of Mike and Dorothy Page discussing Metchif fiddling and its origins, and Mike playing the violin.

The Frank Poitra Series includes tapes and transcripts of Poitra playing his violin and talking about Metchif music.

The Raymond Houle Series consists of tapes and transcripts of Houle playing the harmonica and talking about the music.

The King and Alvina Davis Series includes tapes and transcripts of King, Alvina, and Francis Davis talking about music and telling stories.

The Tom Parisien Family New Years Series mainly consists of audio tapes made on new Year's Day, 1984, at the Parisien home.  The documents in the file are summaries of the conversations rather than transcripts.

The Smithsonian Fieldwork Series includes tapes and transcripts of Vrooman's interviews about Metchif music with the following people:  Raymond Wilkie, Mary (Lawrence/Lavadure) Bruce, Rose Azure, Dorothy and Mike Page, Martin Belgarde, Alex and Christine Boyer, Jenny Jeanotte Schindler, Lawrence Keplin and Lawrence Allard, and Matilda Poitra.

The North Dakota Council on the Arts Fieldwork Series includes tapes and transcribed interviews with Alex Morin, Leo Wilkie, Mary Lavadure, Leona Patnaude, Mary and Patrick Gourneau, Agnes Peltier, and Emily Gourneau regarding Metchif fiddling and jigging, music and dance, woodcarving, storytelling, and medicine.

The Turtle Mt. Music Recording Session Series includes audio tapes taken from the master tapes of music from the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation.

The Brian Johnson & Higher Ground Festival International de Louisiane Series contains audio tapes of the fiddle workshop and performance at LaFayette, Louisiana in 1992.

The Metis Images Series contains a finding aid, acknowledgements, and slides related to the Metis.  The slides are both historical and contemporary.  Most of the slides were taken from published sources, but a few of the slides were taken by Vrooman.  Pictures of many of the people interviewed for the project are included in this collection. 
 

Nicholas Vrooman Archive  |  Literary, Music and Theater