Brief Guide to the Collection

The “Brief Guide to the Norman Miller Collection: An East African Archive” documents the lifetime works of Norman Miller housed at Michigan State University.

Download the PDF: Guide to the Norman Miller Collection

The Norman Miller papers contain extensive materials in the academic fields of East African studies, African development, local government and politics, political history, political and visual anthropology, environment and wildlife, and HIV/AIDS. In addition, witchcraft and human rights material make up nearly forty percent of the collection.

The form of the materials is equally diverse. They include the author’s publications, field notes, databases, data search systems, maps, reprints, district-level reports, government publications, photos, moving image material, bibliographical essays, teaching outlines, course outlines, and course materials particularly on African environment and natural resources, traditional medicine, wildlife, and HIV/AIDS.

The scope of the Miller Collection is broad, including academic sub-disciplines: African studies, local government and politics, political anthropology, field methodologies, visual anthropology and pedagogy, ethnographic film, environmental studies, wildlife conservation, land-use policy, traditional healing, and cross-cultural medicine, HIV/AIDS education and prevention, comparative religion, and witchcraft and human rights. Miller’s books, publications, and films reflect these themes, as do his writing as a correspondent in East Africa (1969-1985).