Southwestern Africa Research
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Gibson, Gordon D. (Gordon Davis), 1915-2007
setName: label: See more items in
content: Gordon Davis Gibson papers
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 23.3 Linear feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1951-2004
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: National Anthropological Archives
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NAA.1984-13, Series 2
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: This series contains materials relating to Gibson's research on the ethnic groups in the southwestern region of Africa, particularly the Herero and the Himba. This includes materials relating to his fieldwork, research notes, writings, maps, and source materials. His work as a doctoral student at the University of Chicago is also in the series, including drafts of his dissertation. (A complete copy of his dissertation, "The Social Organization of the Southwestern Bantu," is in Series 11. Writings.) 

Gibson conducted fieldwork among the Herero and Himba in Botswana (1953, 1960-61), Namibia (1960-61), and Angola (1971-73). His field notebooks are present along with typed versions of his notes, formatted and classified according to the Outline of World Cultures, developed by HRAF (Human Relations Area Files). The typed notes were made in preparation of creating his own set of HRAF cards, which can be found in Series 15. Card Files. (Although there is correspondence indicating that he did send in some of his cards to HRAF, his files are not currently in their database.) Film scripts and other materials relating to his films on the Himba, Herero, Zimba, and Kuvale are also in this series.  Among the topics represented in this series are demography and fertility, kinship systems, and the calendar system. Some of his writings based on his research are in the series including drafts of articles and papers he presented at conferences. 

While most of the series deals with his research on the Herero and Himba, there is also a great deal of his research on the Ovambo and Okavango ethnic groups. Among his 1953 field notes are his notes from his work among the Gciriku, Bayei, and Makqereku. His field notes on the Gciriku served as a major source for his chapter on this ethnic group in The Kavango Peoples. Drafts and other materials relating to The Kavango Peoples are in this series.

In addition to Gibson's research notes and writings, the series contains a significant amount of photocopies of early ethnographic literature on the Herero and Himba and other southwestern African ethnic groups. (Microfilm reels of sources can be found in Series 17. Microfilm.) Many of these sources are in German or Portuguese, which he had translated and portions classified according to the HRAF system. (The card files are in Series 15. Card Files.) The series also contains copies of Alfred Martin Duggan Cronin's photographs.

The series is organized with the Herero and Himba files at the beginning and the Ovambo and Okavango files in the latter part of the series. The Herero and Himba files are loosely organized in chronological order. The rest of the series is organized by subject or ethnic group. 

Other series containing materials relating to his research on ethnic groups from southwestern Africa are Series 1. Correspondence; Series 5. General Subject Files; Series 11. Writings; Series 15. Card Files; Series 16. Photographs; Series 17. Microfilm; Series 18. Maps; and Series 19. Sound Recordings.