Frances Densmore

Frances Densmore

Frances Densmore was an American anthropologist and ethnographer. She devoted a significant part of her career to studying Native American music and culture. With funding and encouragement from the Smithsonian Institution's Bureau of American Ethnography (BAE), Densmore studied and preserved thousands of recordings of Native American music, including the Ojibwe in Minnesota. To obtain the recordings, Densmore traveled with bulky supplies such as a phonograph, typewriter, and camera gear. 

In the following videos, Larry Aitken speaks about the impact of Densmore's recordings within the Ojibwe community today.