Scope and arrangement
The bulk of this collection consists of stories, tales, and various drafts of the manuscript about the Chiga people entitled "The Bachiga of East Africa". Also included are drafts of individual chapters and page proofs of her book, The Chiga of Western Uganda (1957), based on the manuscript. Additionally included are letters from several Africans to Edel, probably in Bantu; letters from Ruth Benedict concerning the manuscript, "The Bachiga of East Africa"; and reviews written by Edel. Lastly included are Edel's field notes of the Chiga (1933-1934), which consist of vocabulary lists and information about kinship and religion.
The May M. Edel papers are arranged in four series: