Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
R.N. Wilson fonds
General material designation
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on contents of records.
Level of description
Fonds
Repository
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
Physical description area
Physical description
9 cm of textual records. -- 132 photographs
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Robert Nathaniel Wilson, 1863-1944, was born in Ontario. He joined the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) and served in Fort Macleod, Alberta and Fort Pitt and Battleford, Saskatchewan, 1881-1884. He then ran a trading post on the Belly River near Stand Off, Alberta. In 1888 he married Lila Hillier, 1868-1939, who was originally from England. He was the Indian agent at the Peigan Indian Agency, 1898-1903, and on the Blood reserve, 1904-1911. During these years he recorded ethnological information about the Blood, Blackfoot (Siksika) and Peigan. He also purchased native artifacts on behalf of the Field Museum of Chicago and other American museums, ca. 1893-1905. He wrote several scientific articles for the Royal Society of Canada. In 1911 he returned to his trading post at Stand Off.
Custodial history
Most of R. N. Wilson's papers were destroyed shortly after his death by the executor of his estate. A few papers were saved by a Fort Macleod resident and were given to Glenbow. Mounted Police historian J. P. Turner had some of Wilson's papers in Ottawa and he deposited Wilson's diary at the National Archives.
Scope and content
The fonds consists of articles and ethnological notes on Blackfoot legends and customs (1897); two bound volumes of R.N. Wilson's ethnological writings on the Blackfoot and Blood (1890-1897), transcribed and edited by Philip H. Godsell on behalf of the Glenbow in 1958, including information about customs, Red Crow, sun dance, moon dance, Horn Society, Running Wolf, Scalp Roller, sacrificial ceremony, and a Blood winter count; and photographs of the Blood and Peigan reserves, Blood personalities and ceremonies, tipis, Writing-On-Stone and NWMP.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Gift of Philip Godsell, Paull Sharron, Charles Middleton, Barney Reeves, Donough O'Brien and purchased, 1958-1985.
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Also available on microfilm.
Restrictions on access
No restrictions on access.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
Inventory available. Please consult before requesting material. http://www.glenbow.org/collections/search/findingAids/archhtm/wilsonr.cfm
Associated materials
Wilson's diary (1881-1888) is held by Library and Archives Canada; other Wilson records are in the Provincial Archives of Alberta.
Accruals
General note
Record No. M-4421;M-4422;PA-706;NA-668;NA-2075;NA-4461;ND-34;Microfilm-Wilson<br><br>
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number area
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Wilson, R.N. (Subject)