The Odd S. Halseth Collection of Native American Social Songs and Interviews consists of 278 field recordings made in 1950 and 1965. The recordings consist of social songs, dances, violin and vocal presentations, and oral history interviews and commentaries about Native American customs, social life, ceremonies and rituals. In some cases Halseth discussed the songs and dances within the recordings, interviewed the people, or taped commentaries on their meaning made by the presenters. Native groups included in the recordings are: Acoma, Apache, Caddo, Cochiti, Comanche, Hopi, Jemez, Kiowa, Mohawk, Navajo, Omaha, Pima (Akimel O'odham), San Juan (Ohkay Owingeh), Seneca, Seri, Shoshone, Taos, Tarahumara, and Zuni. Recordings include a Gahan ceremony of the Apache Mountain Spirits, Matachines dances, a song of traveling to California for trading, a Taos clown dance, a song from Cochiti composed in 1944 for those in World War II, Koshare and Christmas Buffalo songs. Also included are lullabies, war, death, and burial songs, as well as songs relating to riding, hunting, tracking, animals, harvest, pin̋̃on, and peyote. There is also a recording of the building, corn meal, and fire blessing songs performed at the Navajo Edsido hogan at Pueblo Grande in 1950. The artist was Pop Chalf and the Medicine Man was Chee Carol, both of Chinlee. Interviews in the collection include Juan Gachupin at Jemez Pueblo in 1965, translated by Joe R. Gachupin. Juan Gachupin tells of his family, schooling, trips to Bernalillo and Albuquerque, early warfare, dances, matachines, festivals at Pecos and Santo Domingo, kiva bosses, hunting, and running. In addition, he discusses witches, the use of sewing machines, diet, plants and food, work and enjoyment, farming and grazing, ditch digging, use of manure in pottery making, early trade items, and trading at the Musselman Store. Halseth also interviewed Segomi, a Navajo, at Bosque Redondo, in 1950. The translator was Robert Tall Salt. These recording include songs by Alice Carroll and children. Several are about the Navajos' experiences in the Long Walk and at Bosque Redondo and Fort Sumner. Other interviews and song recordings were done in Arizona with Sam and Ed Lee of Chinlee, the Chinle Team, Deerwater of Lukachukai, and Luke, from Navajo Mountain. Other performers named include David Lightning, a Hopi vocalist; Jose Juan Morena, a Seri violinist; and Elenterio Suina and Ofraso Sueena, both vocalists from Cochiti.
