Alfred L. Kroeber and the Arapaho

Alfred Louis Kroeber (June 11, 1876 - October 5, 1960) was an American anthropologist. Born in Hoboken, New Jersey, Kroeber attended Columbia College where he earned an A.B. in English and an M.A. in Romantic drama. In 1901 he received his Ph.D. under Franz Boas at Columbia University. Shortly after, he was the first professor appointed to the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley, and played an integral role in the early days of its Museum of Anthropology, where he served as director from 1909 through 1947.

Although he is known primarily as a cultural anthropologist, he did significant work in archaeology and anthropological linguistics, and he contributed to anthropology by making connections between archaeology and culture. He is credited with developing the concepts of culture area, cultural configuration, and cultural fatigue.

This book contains the complete Decorative Symbolism of the Arapaho (1901), The Arapaho (1902), and Arapaho Dialects (1916), three important primary sources on the Arapaho people. As Julian H. Steward wrote in his obituary, "It is impossible ... to do justice to a great scientist whose works are still a very living part of anthropology and related disciplines. Kroeber's place in history will be determined by the scholars who continue to be influenced by his writings in the future...".

Primary Sources In Native North America

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Bauu Institute's Primary Sources in Native North America Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting important sources on Native North America.