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Louis A. Hieb Collection1918-1977

NAU.MS.245

Biographical Note

Louis Albert Hieb was born on April 11, 1939, in Carlsbad, New Mexico. He attended Grinnell College from 1957 to 1961. Upon receiving his B.A. in sociology, he then proceeded to pursue a Bachelor's degree in religious studies at Yale University, 1961-1965. Subsequently, Hieb attended Rutgers University, earning a Master's degree in library science. Hieb's education culminated in 1968-1972, when he received his Ph.D. in anthropology from Princeton University.

Hieb worked as a Reference and Acquisitions Librarian in his first library at Princeton Theological Seminary from 1965 to 1968. Taking a 10 year break from library involvement, Hieb earned his Ph.D. and then taught as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Washington State University (1972-1978). Following that, his only teaching stint, Hieb returned to the archives as the Head Special Collections Librarian at the University of Arizona, where he worked from 1978-1995. In 1995, Hieb took a position as Director of the Center for Southwest Research at the University of New Mexico library.

Most of Louis Hieb's research and work revolved around the role of the ritual clown and humor in Hopi ceremonies. Hieb's major publications include his dissertation, "The Hopi Ritual Clown: Life As It Should Not Be" (1972), "Rhythms of Significance: towards a Symbolic Analysis of Dance in Ritual' in New Dimensions in Dance Research: Anthropology and Dance-The American Indian (1974), "The Ritual Clown: Humor and Ethics" in Forms to Play of Native North Americans (1979), and "Masks and Meaning: the Americas (1979). Hieb published two books, The doctor danced with us: Jeremiah Sullivan and the Hopi, 1881-1888, and other essays (2018) and Zuni, Hopi, Copan: early anthropology at Harvard, 1890-1893 (2023), the latter with editor Curtis M. Hinsley and Barbara W. Fash.

Scope and Content

The Louis A. Hieb Collection pertains to Hieb's research and study of the Hopi Indians of Arizona. Hieb has taken particular interest in the ritual clowns of the Hopis, as well as the Hopi traditionalist movement. The collection largely consists of Hieb's journal entries and research notes, but it also includes papers and essays, scheduling calendars, copies of articles, copies of government documents, and correspondence.

Approximately one-third of the collection is composed of Hieb's journal entries from 1969 to 1972. These entries document Hopi ceremonial procedures, costume, clown behavior, interviews, meetings, and other observations made by Hieb while in what he occasionally refers to as "Hopiland." Supplementing the information found in his journals, Hieb's research notes and essays further elaborate on Hopi traditions and particularly Hopi clowns. Additionally, his documentation on the evolution of the Hopi traditionalist movement provides significant background information critical to understand how and why the movement exists. The remainder of the collection, government documents and correspondence, offer an overview of Hopi land issues and a slight glance into the personal life of Louis Hieb.

Arrangement

Restrictions

Conditions Governing Access

The Louis A. Hieb collection may contain information which is culturally sensitive for Indigenous and Native American communities. This material has not been reviewed by appropriate cultural heritage partners as of July 2025. As indicated below, specific files related to the Hopi people and Hopi culture are currently restricted and unavailable for access and use. Special Collections and Archives will consult with the appropriate cultural heritage partners and receive appropriate guidance regarding the stewardship of these materials. This access restriction aligns with and supports the Cline Library's commitment to implementing the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials.

Unless labeled as temporarily restricted, materials in the Louis A. Hieb collection are available for access and use on site in the Miriam Lemont Reading Room.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers are required to obtain permission from the Hopi Cultural Preservation Office for the reproduction of images and sketches of clowns, kachinas, and ceremonies.

It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Arizona Board of Regents for Northern Arizona University, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.

Related Material

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Title or brief description of file or item.] Louis A. Hieb Collection, NAU.MS.245, Box [ ], Folder [ ]. Northern Arizona University. Cline Library. Special Collections and Archives. Flagstaff, Arizona.

Acquisition Information

Louis A. Hieb donated materials to Cline Library in 1990. Hieb donated additional materials in 2023.

Processing Information

SCA staff, notably Scott S. Wolf, processed materials in the Louis A. Hieb collection in fall 1995. Viviana Cortes created an EAD finding aid in 2001. Sam Meier updated the finding aid to correct errors and to implement temporary access restrictions in July 2025.

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