Collection ID: LCP2011/05
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Collection context

Summary

Creator:
Kandakai, Christopher K.
Abstract:
A student of Cuttington College, Fr. Christopher K. Kandakai became an ordained Epsicopal priest in 1951. He was Liberia's longest serving Episocpal priest and served as rector and priest-in-charge of many Episcopal churches in Liberia and trained many Episcopal theologians. Additionally, Kandakai was an avid linguist who translated the New Testament into both Gola and Vai languages. This collections contains materials pertaining to the Episcopal Church as well as to adult education and linguistics. A large selection of his materials are written in Vai, only one of two African languages with an original script, unrelated to Latin or Arabic.
Extent:
10 cubic feet; (10 records cartons)
Language:
Materials are primarily in English and Vai .
Preferred citation:

[item], Fr. Christopher Kandakai Collection, Bloomington, IN: Liberian Collections, Indiana University Libraries, 2012

Background

Biographical / Historical:

Pending

Scope and Content:

The Fr. Christopher K. Kandakai Collection spans the period from 1928-2011 and is organized into six series: Education, Episcopal Church, Government and Politics, Language and Linguistics, Programs and Announcements, and Subject Files.

The Education series contains materials from various schools and missions thoughout Liberia, including the University of Liberia and Cuttington College. Also within this series is the Adult Education subseries which contains reports and correspondence from a number of Liberian adult education associations.

The Episcopal Church series has correspondence, financial information and reports pertaining to the Episcopal Church. Also included in this collection are many religious newsletters, magazines, and newspapers. A major subseries is the Diocesan Conventions which span the years from 1954-2003.

Government and Politics includes materials from the three branches of the Liberian government as well as materials on the Constitutional Advisory Assembly.

Language and Linguistics contains reports, correspondence and other materials from different language programs in Liberia. It is within this series that all of the Vai materials are housed; this includes teaching materials, booklets and extensive manuscripts from Kandakai's bible translations.

The Programs and Announcements series is a lengthly series that includes funeral and wedding programs, Liberia Official Gazette death announcements, life sketches and other religious and non-religious programs. A complete list of individuals who have a funeral program in this collection can be obtained by contacting the staff at the Liberian Collections at Indiana University.

The Subject Files series contains miscellaneous materials that couldn't easily be housed in other series. These include non-religious newsletters and magazines, invitations, personal materials, conference materials, reports and correspondence. Fr. Kandakai was an elaborate notetaker who documented his daily musings, sermon ideas, thoughts and feelings in notebooks, on scrap paper and on any other surface he could find. All of these notes have been kept together and put into a subseries within this series. They are arranged chronologically when possible but most of the notes are undated.

Custodial history:

Copyright interests for this collection have been transferred to the Trustees of Indiana University. For more information, contact the Indiana University Liberian Collections

Processing information:

Processed by Megan MacDonald

Completed in 2012.

Arrangement:

The Fr. Christopher K. Kandakai Collection is organized into six series:

  1. Education
  2. Episcopal Church
  3. Government and Politics
  4. Language and Linguistics
  5. Programs and Announcements
  6. Subject Files

.

Access

RESTRICTIONS:

Closed for research.

TERMS OF ACCESS:

All research at the Liberian Collections Project is by appointment only.

PREFERRED CITATION:

[item], Fr. Christopher Kandakai Collection, Bloomington, IN: Liberian Collections, Indiana University Libraries, 2012

CAMPUS:
Indiana University Bloomington
LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
Herman B Wells Library
1320 East Tenth Street
Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
BEFORE YOU VISIT:
Attention Visiting Researchers: The African Studies Collection is currently closed for research.
CAMPUS:
Indiana University Bloomington
CONTACT:
afstlib@indiana.edu