Contents and Arrangement
Online

Robert Sundance Working Files, 1910-1998

21 boxes
SOME ONLINE CONTENT
Restrictions may apply. See Access Note.

Collection Overview

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

Consists of comprehensive working files for a biography of Robert Sundance, which was published by Chaco Press as Sundance: The Robert Sundance Story in 1994. Marc Gaede and Robert Sundance first met in 1986 after Sundance spoke out in defense of Gaede's controversial book Bordertowns, which depicted alcoholism in Native American communities. In 1990, Sundance and the Gaedes agreed to collaborate on Sundance's biography, which they worked on from 1990 to 1993, with Marc Gaede composing the text of the biography from recordings of Sundance telling his story and Marnie Gaede providing editorial guidance. Fifty-four audiocassette tapes containing recordings of Sundance's oral history are present, as well as transcriptions, drafts of the biography in both paper and digital form, and administrative correspondence regarding publishing and editorial matters. There is also a significant group of legal research files compiled and annotated by Sundance during the 1970s and 1980s, which include court documents, clippings, and publicity materials regarding his case, as well as other American Indian rights issues. A smaller group of personal and family papers of Robert Sundance includes other writings by him, correspondence, personal documents, and family and childhood photographs.

Arrangement

Arranged into four primary file groups.

Collection History

Appraisal

No materials were separated during 2016-2018 processing.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Kelly Bolding in November-December 2016. Finding aid written by Kelly Bolding in December 2016-January 2017. Finding aid updated with new additions by Kelly Bolding in May 2018. Audiovisual materials in this collection were digitized in 2022.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research. Several folders (housed in Box B-000856) are closed due to the presence of personally identifiable information.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

This collection contains digital files, which may require specific software or hardware for access. Refer to our Tips on Accessing Born-Digital Content for information on how to render these file formats.

Credit this material:

Robert Sundance Working Files; Marc Gaede Papers, C1436, Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Location:
Firestone Library
One Washington Road
Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
(609) 258-3184
Storage Note:
  • This is stored in multiple locations.
  • ReCAP (rcpxm): Box 32-35
  • Firestone Library (mss): Boxes B-000840 to B-000856