Librarian
LibKey Nomad
As you get started
Much of what is available as primary source material for Indigenous Studies is held in private collections or websites or in small archives or repositories, which may or may not be feasible to access for your work. The majority of materials have not been digitized. And unfortunately, the materials gathered in larger online repositories may be problematic in various ways. With these challenges in mind, this guide provides a starting place for your research but is in no way exhaustive. Please consult with your professor and with me as you branch out beyond this guide.
Also, because you will be finding such a variety of resources in such an array of places, I recommend using Zotero as a sort of scholarly bookmarking tool.
Indigenous scholars and activists
These websites, blogs, and podcasts are not only good for the information they provide, but also because they give you access to whole networks of voices. Look at the people they interact with or refer to as you begin to navigate the rich landscapes of these conversations.
Centers, Associations, Movements, and Funds
- National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) - Policy Research CenterExtensive research and reports by the National Congress of American Indians. Their stated mission is to lead, conduct, and translate high quality policy research and data to improve outcomes for Indian Country.
- National Indian Education AssociationThe National Indian Education Association advances comprehensive, culture-based educational opportunities for American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. Includes information about programs, advocacy work, and resources.
- Native American Rights Fund (NARF)NARF fights to protect Native American rights, resources, and lifeways through litigation, legal advocacy, and legal expertise.
- The American Indian Movement, 1968-1978 [DPLA Primary Source Set]A small curated collection of primary sources about AIM (the American Indian Movement), founded in Minneapolis, with links to other related sources.
Blogs and Forums
- Turtle TalkA blog dedicated to indigenous legal issues.
- Native AppropriationsAdrienne Keene's forum for discussing representations of Native peoples.
Food and cooking
- Decolonizing Diet Project BlogAn academic research initiative of the Northern Michigan University Center for Native American Studies that studies the relationships between humans and indigenous foods.
- IndigiKitchenAn online cooking show dedicated to re-indigenizing our diets.
- NāTIFS (North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems)Working to re-establishing Native foodways and reclaiming ancestral education around food.
Podcasts
- IllumiNative On-Air PodcastIllumiNative On-Air podcast uplifts stories and news from across Indian Country to support and illuminate contemporary Native voices, stories, and issues. The podcast was created to increase the visibility of Native people and ensure accurate and authentic portrayals of Native communities are present in pop culture and media.
- The Red Nation PodcastThe Red Nation is dedicated to the liberation of Indigenous peoples from colonialism. We do this through centering Indigenous agendas and struggles in direct action, advocacy, mobilization, and education.
- All My Relations PodcastA podcast that explores what it means to be a Native person in the present. To be an Indigenous person is to be engaged in relationships—relationships to land and place, to a people, to non-human relatives, and to one another. All My Relations is a place to explore those relationships, and to think through Indigeneity in all its complexities.
- Books are Good Medicine PodcastExplores books and other K-12 teaching resources on the Native American experience. Join hosts Allison Waukau and Odia Wood-Krueger as they provide guidance to educators and engaging discussion on a wide variety of Native books and teaching resources which can be useful in K-12 classroom teaching. Sponsored by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
Books and Images
- American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL)Provides critical perspectives and analysis of indigenous peoples in children's and young adult books, the school curriculum, popular culture, and society.
- Project 562 BlogProject 562 is a multi-year national photography project dedicated to photographing over 562 federally recognized tribes in The United States.
- Indigenous Representations collection (Ebooks Minnesota)Contains 100+ popular books written by Native authors. Most are aimed at K12 students (children's books, YA lit).
Repositories of Indigenous primary sources
There are hundreds of small collections, usually centered around a particular region or nation. These are a few of the broadest and most topical collections, but don't feel limited to them!
There are hundreds of small collections, usually centered around a particular region or nation. These are a few of the broadest and most topical collections, but don't feel limited to them!
Connecticut Indian Deed, 1727, from the Edward E. Ayer Digital Collection
- Indigenous Histories and Cultures in North America This link opens in a new window
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Manuscripts, artwork, rare printed books, photographs, Indigenous newspapers, treaties, speeches, diaries, maps, travel journals, and more. Material from and about Native American Indians and Europeans from their earliest contact, continuing through the American Civil War, the on-going repercussions of government legislation, to the civil rights movement of the 20th century. - Native American Indians, 1645-1819 This link opens in a new window
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Every major book printed in North America about Native Peoples (1645-1819), including more than 1,600 publications about the relationship between Native Americans and European settlers, featuring text exploration tools, author biographies, and suggested search paths for easy browsing and discovery. - Indigenous Peoples of North America This link opens in a new window
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Collections from Canadian and American institutions, providing insight into the cultural, political and social history of Native Peoples from the seventeenth into the twentieth century. Including diverse manuscripts; book collections; newspapers from various tribe and Indian-related organizations; materials such as Bibles, dictionaries and primers in Indigenous languages - Native American Tribal Histories, Series 1-4, 1813-1880 This link opens in a new window
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19th-century primary source documents on dozens of Native tribes about the encounters between Indigenous people and American Territorial officials. - Indian Claims Insight This link opens in a new window
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(Searches through citations and the full text)
Includes historical claims presented to Congress or brought before the Court of Claims. Also includes records of the Indian Claims Commission including briefs, docket books, decisions, expert testimony, oral transcripts, and more. - Territorial Papers of the United States, 1764-1953 This link opens in a new window
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Digital collection of pre-statehood documents including Native American negotiations and treaties, official correspondence with the federal government, military records, judicial proceedings, population data, financial statistics, land records, and more.
- Edward E. Ayer Digital Collection
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Digitized images from the Newberry's Edward E. Ayer collection, one of the world's premiere sources of primary documents on American Indians - Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition archive
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An archive and index of documents related to Native American boarding schools. Not all materials are available online. Requires you to make a free account. - Native Peoples of the Americas Oral History Collections
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An extensive oral history project, including sub-collections for different nations. - National Museum of the American Indian - Online Collections
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The Smithsonian makes some of their collections available online through this digital exhibit. - Native American Literature Collection (Amherst College)This digital collection contains over 100 books written by Native American authors ranging in date from 1772 to the 1920s. The collection includes fiction, poetry, history, philosophy, sermons, anthropological works, photography, activist manifestos, books for children, and much more.
- National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (University of Manitoba)The NCTR was created as part of the mandate of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC). The NCTR Archives and Collections is the foundation for ongoing learning and research. Here, Survivors, their families, educators, researchers, and the public can examine the residential school system more deeply with the goal of fostering reconciliation and healing.
