This is a selective guide to library and other resources on Native Americans.

Guides

The American Indian in Graduate Studies: A Bibliography of Theses and Dissertations. 3rd. ed. 2005.

“The third edition of The American Indian in Graduate Studies: A Bibliography of Theses and Dissertations provides comprehensive web-based electronic access to the single largest source of scholarship and primary information about American Indians, almost 14,000 theses and dissertations. The database includes all theses and dissertations containing at least one chapter on American Indians accepted between 1890 and 2002 by institutions located in the United States and Canada as well as selected Mexican research universities.”

Guide to Records in the National Archives of the United States Relating to American Indians. 1981.

An annotated guide to federal, pre-federal, and non-federal records on native Americans in the National Archives. Arranged by agency, with a detailed index. Law Annex Z1209.2 U5 H54 1982.

Many Nations: A Library of Congress Resource Guide for the Study of Indian and Alaska Native Peoples of the United States. 1996.

Profusely illustrated guide to the holdings of the Library of Congress relating to native Americans and Alaska natives. Describes books, manuscripts, prints, photographs, broadsides, posters, government documents, laws and legal documents, films, videos, television programs and sound recordings. Mugar E77 M25 1996.

Databases

Abstracts in Anthropology. 2001 – .

A comprehensive abstracting journal, Abstracts in Anthropology “has established itself as an indispensable reference and research tool for the international community of anthropologists.”  It covers Cultural Anthropology, Physical Anthropology, Archaeology, and Linguistics.

Circumpolar Health Bibliographic Database.

“The Circumpolar Health Bibliographic Database contains 5100 records describing publications about all aspects of human health in the circumpolar region. The database is a project of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Team in Circumpolar Chronic Disease Prevention.”

 

Native American Health Database.

“The Native Health Database contains bibliographic information and abstracts of health-related articles, reports, surveys, and other resource documents pertaining to the health and health care of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Canadian First Nations”.

 

Reference Works

American Indian History. 2 vols. 2003.

From “Aboriginal Action Plan” to “Zuni Rebellion,” the 224 entries cover major events and developments in the history of native Americans in Canada and the U.S. Includes battles, institutions, legislation, protest movements, treaties, and more. Appendix material includes a gazetteer of historical places, a list of historic native Americans, a directory of museums, archives, libraries, and organizations, a chronology, a bibliography, and web resources. Mugar E77 A496 2003.

American Indian Religious Traditions: An Encyclopedia. 3 vols. 2005.

Encyclopedia entries arranged A-t0-Z, exploring “the religious practices, movements, institutions, key figures, ceremonial systems, and religious accoutrements indigenous to North America, from the precontact era to the present. ” Mugar Ref. X E98 R3 C755 2005.

Chronology of Native North American History. 1994.

Chronology of historical and cultural events of native North Americans from 50,000 BC to 1994.
Mugar Ref. X E77 C555 1994.

Dictionary of Native American Literature. 1994.

Articles on native American oral literature, early writing, and writing since 1967. Essays are topical and biographical and include lengthy bibliographies.
Mugar PM155 D53 1994.

Dictionary of Native American Mythology. 1992.

Describes themes, motifs, figures, mythologies, and rituals of native North Americans.
Mugar E98 R3 G46 1992.

Encyclopedia of American Indian Contributions to the World: 15,000 Years of Inventions and Innovations. 2002.

From “abacus” to “zoos,” the 450+ entries describe innovations, inventions, place names, and other contributions of native Americans.
Mugar E54.5 K46 2002.

Encyclopedia of American Indian History. 4 vols. 2008.

Arranged thematically in four volumes, the 400+ entries include chronological essays; issues and events in American Indian history; culture and American Indian history; governments and American Indian history; peoples and groups in American Indian history; primary source documents; and Indian nation histories. The work ends with a resource section and detailed index. Coverage includes Canadian Indian history. Mugar Ref. X E77 E48 2008.

Encyclopedia of Native American Healing. 1996.

Contains information on native American and native Canadian rituals, sacred objects, motifs, and healing techniques.
Mugar E98 M4 L96 1996

The Encyclopedia of Native American Religions: An Introduction. 1992.

Covers topics ranging from native medicine and puberty rites to biographies of native American religious practitioners.
Mugar E98 R3 H73 1992.

Encyclopedia of North American Indians: Native American History, Culture, and Life from Paleo-Indians to the Present. 1996.

Entries include historical biographies, tribal overviews, and terminology.
Mugar E76.2 E53 1996.

Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico. 2 vols. 1907.

Describes “stocks, confederacies, tribes, tribal divisions and settlements north of Mexico,” with biographies, and data on history, archaeology, and culture.
Mugar E51 E87 no. 30.

Handbook of Middle American Indians. 16 vols. 1964-1976.

Contains essays on the ethnography, archaeology, physical anthropology and social anthropology of the Indians of Middle America. Updated by supplements. Stone Science Library F1434 H3. Also Mugar F1434 H3 Storage: Use Request Form.

Handbook of North American Indians. 20 vols. [in progress] 1978 – .

Standard source of information on the prehistory, history and cultures of the native peoples of North America north of Mexico. Each volume contains essays on specific aspects of native North American life with an extensive bibliography and detailed index.
Mugar E77 H25.

Handbook of South American Indians. 7 vols. 1946-1959.

Survey of tribes of South America, with emphasis on the European contact period.
Mugar E51 E87 no. 143.

Historical Dictionary of Native American Movements. 2008.

“Encyclopedic overview of significant movements, events, people, legislation, and vocabulary in the history of Native North Americans. Entries are cross-referenced, and the appendix contains excerpts of speeches and writings by Native American leaders Pontiac, Tecumseh, Crazy Horse, and Clyde Warrior.” Mugar Ref. X E93 L43 2008.

Indian Tribes of North America. 1979.

Arranged by state and country, this source is useful for quick identification of tribal names and geographic locations. Contains maps, a lengthy bibliography, and a detailed index.
Mugar E51 E87 no. 145

Native America in the Twentieth Century: An Encyclopedia. 1994.

Covers such aspects of twentieth century native American life as reservations, repatriation of human remains and artifacts, land claims, fishing and hunting rights, health, alcohol abuse, and environmental issues, as well as individual tribes.
Mugar E76.2 N36 1994.

Native American Education: A Reference Handbook. 2002.

Handbook outlining the central issues in native American education. Includes an historical overview; a chronology; laws; associations, organizations, and tribal entities; and print/nonprint resources.
Mugar E97 H138 2002.

Native American Issues: A Reference Handbook. 2nd ed. 2005.

Provides an overview of issues facing native Americans and native Canadians, including sovereignty, gambling, and economic development. Contains a chronology, biographical sketches, U.S. and Canadian court cases, legislation, litigation, statistics, a directory of organizations, and an annotated list of print and non-print sources.
Mugar E98 T77 T56 2005.

Native Americans. 2002.

Essays on the political history of native Americans, from colonial times to contemporary Indian gaming. Includes primary source documents such as letters, federal legislation, government reports, and judicial decisions. Mugar E93 N32 2002.

The Native North American Almanac. 2nd ed. 2001.

Contains historical overview and chapters on topics such as employment, government, education, Supreme Court decisions, sports, and the arts.
Mugar E76.2 N37 2001.

Bibliographies and Catalogs

American Indian Women: A Guide to Research. 1991.

Annotated bibliography of 1500+ books, articles, films, and videos on native North American women.
Mugar Z1209.2 N67 B36 1991. Storage: Use Request Form.

Bibliography of Native American Bibliographies. 2004.

Contains annotated entries for more than 800 bibliographies concerning native Americans and native Canadians from the earliest times to the present. Mugar E77 W46 2004.

The Columbia Guide to American Indians of the Northeast. 2001.

Introduction to scholarship on the indigenous peoples of the Eastern Woodlands. Consists of an overview of the cultures and histories of the native peoples of the Northeast; an encyclopedic listing of significant events, people, and places; an annotated chronology; and an annotated bibliography of primary and secondary sources, and selected film, museum, and electronic resources.
Mugar E78 E2 B72 2001.

Ethnographic Bibliography of North America. 4th ed. 1975.

Contains 40,000 citations to literature on the native peoples of North America, up to 1972. A supplement to the fourth edition updates this work through 1987 and contains 28,000 citations.
Mugar Z1209.2 N67 M87 1975. Storage: Use Request Form.

The Indians of New England: A Critical Bibliography. 1982.

Consists of essays and 257 bibliographic citations on the Indians of New England and adjacent areas.
Mugar Z1209.2 U52 N377 1982. Storage: Use Request Form.

Library Catalogue of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University. 54 vols. 1963. Supplements, 1970-1979.

Photoreproduction of the card catalog of the Peabody Museum Library (now Tozzer Library), the largest collection of anthropological literature in the world. Provides author and subject access to anthropological literature in journals and books from the late nineteenth century to 1977.
Mugar Z5119 F63. Storage: Use Request Form. 2nd supplement on microfilm, call no. Z5119 P42 and P43.

Native American Youth and Alcohol: An Annotated Bibliography. 1989.

Contains introductory review of the literature and an annotated bibliography arranged by subject (e.g., gender, etiology).
Mugar Z1209.2 U5 L6 1989. Storage: Use Request Form.

Native North American Shamanism: An Annotated Bibliography. 1998.

Selective annotated bibliography of books, articles, series contributions, miscellaneous papers, and special collections on shamanism in native North America.
Mugar Z1209.2 N67 O77 1998. Storage: Use Request Form.

Biographical Sources

Biographical Dictionary of American Indian History to 1900. 2001.

Contains biographical information for more than 1000 Indians and non-Indians who had an impact on native American history before the 20th century.
Mugar Ref. X E89 W35 2001.

Distinguished Native American Spiritual Practitioners and Healers. 2002.

Biographical dictionary of the lives of 100 native American healers and spiritual leaders, both historical and contemporary. Includes indexes by date of birth and tribal affiliation.
Mugar E89 J7 2002.

Encyclopedia of Native American Biography: Six Hundred Life Stories of Important People from Powhatan to Wilma Mankiller. 1997.

Approximately 600 biographical sketches of native Americans and some non-Indians important in Indian affairs, from the 17th century to the present.
Mugar E89 J69 1997.

Native American Women: A Biographical Dictionary. 2nd ed. 2001.

Biographical entries for historical and contemporary native American women, with indexes by tribal affiliation, state/province of birth, decade of birth, and primary area of specialization (e.g., activism, medicine-traditional).
Mugar Ref. X E98 W8 B38 2001.

Native Americans Today: A Biographical Dictionary.

Includes 100 biographical profiles of native Americans from the late nineteenth century to the present.
Mugar Ref. X E89 .J695 2010.

Notable Native Americans. 1995.

Biographical essays on 265+ native North American men and women, 70% of whom are twentieth century individuals. Includes occupational and tribal indexes.
Mugar E89 N67 1995.

Statistics

American Indian and Alaska Native Data and Links.

Statistical briefs and data on native Americans from the 2000 U.S. census and earlier, and from other Census sources. Includes the report We the People: American Indians and Alaska Natives in the United States, which provdes population, housing, and socioeconomic data from the 2000 census long form.

Statistical Record of Native North Americans. 1993.

Compendium of statistical data, both historical and contemporary, on native North Americans. The 1007 tables include demographics, education, health, employment, and social and economic conditions.
Mugar E98 P76 S73 1993.

Human Relations Area Files (HRAF)

The Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) are a microfiche collection of books, articles and unpublished papers on more than 300 ethnic, religious, cultural, and national groups worldwide, including native American tribes. Materials are arranged according to a classification system based on manuals cited below. There is a separate research guide on HRAF.

Outline of Cultural Materials. 5th ed. 1982.

Subject index to HRAF. Assigns a numerical designation to more than 700 categories of human culture. Used in conjunction with the Outline of World Cultures to locate information in the HRAF archive.
Mugar Micro X Z5111 M86 1982M.

Outline of World Cultures. 6th ed. 1983.

Classifies all known world cultures by geographic region. Assigns alphanumeric designations to cultural groups.
Mugar Micro X Z5111 M87 1983.

Websites

Aboriginal Canada Portal.

A partnership between the Canadian government and aboriginal organizations, Aboriginal Canada Portal offers links to federal and provincial government departments with aboriginal responsibilities and to aboriginal associations, businesses, and organizations.

American Indian Health.

“This Web resource on American Indian Health, sponsored by the National Library of Medicine, is designed to bring together health and medical resources pertinent to the American Indian population including policies, consumer health information, and research. Links are provided here to an assortment of documents, Web sites, databases, and other resources.”

American Indian History and Culture, Encyclopedia Smithsonian.

Smithsonian Institution web page listing links to native American resources and selected exhibits at the Smithsonian, and to topical lists of recommended readings.

American Indians of the Pacific Northwest.

Part of the Library of Congress American Memory project, “this digital collection integrates over 2,300 photographs and 7,700 pages of text relating to the American Indians in two cultural areas of the Pacific Northwest, the Northwest Coast and Plateau. These resources illustrate many aspects of life and work, including housing, clothing, crafts, transportation, education, and employment.”

American Native Press Archives.

“Devoted to the preservation and dissemination of the written words of Native peoples. It began in 1983 as a clearinghouse for information on American Indian and Alaska Native newspapers and periodicals…. Its mission has changed to collecting and archiving the products of the Native press and materials related to Native press history, collecting and documenting the works of Native writers, and constructing bibliographic guides to Native writing and publishing. It stands today as one of the world’s largest repositories of Native thought.”

Association for the Study of American Indian Literature (ASAIL).

This association’s home page includes links to American Indian literature course syllabi, handouts and lesson plans, a directory of native American studies programs, access to archived issues of the ASAIL newsletter, and numerous bibliographies.

BIA: Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior.

“Indian Affairs (IA) is the oldest bureau of the United States Department of the Interior. Established in 1824, IA currently provides services (directly or through contracts, grants, or compacts) to approximately 1.9 million American Indians and Alaska Natives. There are 564 federally recognized American Indian tribes and Alaska Natives in the United States. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is responsible for the administration and management of 55 million surface acres and 57 million acres of subsurface minerals estates held in trust by the United States for American Indian, Indian tribes, and Alaska Natives. Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) provides education services to approximately 42,000 Indian students.”

Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 200.

Reproduction of Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 200, the “List of Publications of the Bureau of American Ethnology with Index to Authors and Titles,” listing nearly a century of BAE Annual Reports, Bulletins, Contributions to North American Ethnology, Introductions, Miscellaneous Publications, and Publications of the Institute of Social Anthropology.

C. Szwedzicki: The North American Indian Works.

“C. Szwedzicki: The North American Indian Works is a collection of 364 images and 6 texts. Between 1929 and 1952 C. Szwedzicki, a publisher in Nice, France, produced six portfolios of North American Indian art. The publications were edited by American scholars Oscar Brousse Jacobson, Hartley Burr Alexander and Kenneth Milton Chapman. Many of the images were published as pochoir prints which are similar in appearance to silk screen prints. These works represent original works by 20th Century American Indian artists.”A digital collection of the University of Cincinnati Libraries.

Center for Native American Health, University of New Mexico.

“The UNM Center for Native American Health (CNAH) at the University of New Mexico’s Health Sciences Center (UNMHSC) was established in 2002 to build and strengthen health alliances between Native American communities and the University, for the overall purpose of improving Native American health in New Mexico. CNAH has established strong networks with tribal communities, based on principles of consultation and collaboration in all aspects of public health policy, research and service provision.”

Doris Duke Collection of American Indian Oral History.

“The Duke Collection of American Indian Oral History online provides access to typescripts of interviews (1967 – 1972) conducted with hundreds of Indians in Oklahoma regarding the histories and cultures of their respective nations and tribes. Related are accounts of Indian ceremonies, customs, social conditions, philosophies, and standards of living.”

Edward S. Curtis’s The North American Indian.

“Edward Sheriff Curtis published The North American Indian between 1907 and 1930 with the intent to record traditional Indian cultures. The work comprises twenty volumes of narrative text and photogravure images. Each volume is accompanied by a portfolio of large photogravure plates. The entire work is presented here, supported largely by funds from the Institute for Museum and Library Services.”

George Catlin: The Printed Works.

“George Catlin: The Printed Works is a collection of over 600 images of lithographic, chromolithographic and engraved plates from Catlin’s principal printed works. George Catlin (1792-1872) traveled the North American continent from 1830-1838 to chronicle the people, customs and traditions of Native American tribes. His life’s ambition was to record the disappearing Native American culture in paint and print. Catlin’s adventures resulted in over 600 portraits and scenes of rituals, hunting and daily life of over fifty North American tribes and several important printed works.”A digital collection of the University of Cincinnati Libraries.

Hair Pipes in Plains Indian Adornment.

Reproduction of John C. Ewers’ “Hair Pipes in Plains Indian Adornment: A Study in Indian and White Ingenuity,” originally published in Bulletin of American Ethnology Bulletin 164 (1957): 29-85.

Images of Native Americans, Bancroft Library, UC Berkeley.

“The Bancroft Library presents “Images of Native Americans,” a digital companion to an exhibit of rare books, photographs, illustrations, and other archival and manuscript materials that debuted in the Fall of 2000, to celebrate the acquisition of the University of California, Berkeley Library’s nine millionth volume.”

Index of Native American Resources on the Internet.

Links to numerous other native American-related Internet sites. Arranged by subject categories, including government (U.S. and Canada), electronic texts, legal, education, languages, health, history, etc.

Indian Affairs: Laws and Treaties.

“Indian Affairs: Laws and Treaties, compiled and edited by Charles J. Kappler, is an historically significant, seven volume compilation of U.S. treaties, laws and executive orders pertaining to Native American Indian tribes. The volumes cover U.S. Government treaties with Native Americans from 1778-1883 (Volume II) and U.S. laws and executive orders concerning Native Americans from 1871-1970 (Volumes I, III-VII). The work was first published in 1903-04 by the U.S. Government Printing Office.”

Indian Land Cessions in the United States, 1784 – 1894.

“United States Serial Set Number 4015 contains the second part of the two-part Eighteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1896-1897 . (Part one is printed in United States Serial Set Number 4014 .) Part two, which was also printed as House Document No. 736 of the U.S. Serial Set , 56th Congress, 1st Session, features sixty-seven maps and two tables compiled by Charles C. Royce, with an introductory essay by Cyrus Thomas.”

McKenney & Hall: History of the Indian Tribes of North America.

“McKenney & Hall: History of the Indian Tribes of North America is a collection of 125 images of lithographic and chromolithographic plates. Thomas Loraine McKenney (1785-1859) served as Commissioner of Indian Affairs from 1824 to 1830. In that capacity he commissioned and collected portraits of Native Americans for his Gallery in the War Department. McKenney’s goal was to publish a record of vanishing peoples: portraits, biographical sketches and a history of North American Indians. He accomplished this in the first issue of the History of the Indian Tribes of North America, published in three volumes between 1838 and 1844. James Hall (1793-1868) provided the text.” A digital collection of the University of Cincinnati Libraries.

National NAGPRA.

Contains documents relating to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (1990).

Native American Authors: Internet Public Library.

“Provides information on Native North American authors with bibliographies of their published works, biographical information, and links to online resources including interviews, online texts and tribal websites. Currently the website primarily contains information on contemporary Native American authors, although some historical authors are represented.”

Native American Constitution and Law Digitization Project.

“A cooperative effort among the University of Oklahoma Law Center and the National Indian Law Library (NILL), and Native American tribes providing access to the Constitutions, Tribal Codes, and other legal documents. ”

Native American Documents Project.

Includes narrative reports of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs for 1871, 1872, 1875, and 1876; Allotment data, Rogue River War and Siletz Reservation documents, and data on California tribes.

Native American Ethnobotany.

Maintained by an ethnobotany expert at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, this database covers 45,000 plants used by native North Americans as drugs, dyes, fibers, foods, and medicine.

Native American Health.

National Library of Medicine/MedlinePlus web page on Native American Health, with links to information on prevention, screening, research, specific conditions, directories, law and policy, lists of print publications, organivations, statistics, children, women, and Spanish-language sources.

Native American Images, American Philosophical Society.

” The APS holds a substantial number of collections containing Native American images. These collections include candid observations as well as formal portraits. These images may be viewed in their entirety or by the collection from which they are drawn.” The American Philosophical Society also has native American manuscript and sound recording holdings.

Native Americans and the Environment.

Contains 2200+ bibliographic entries and Internet sites on native American environmental issues, including land and water rights, hunting, fishing, forestry, and energy. Searchable by tribe/native nation, subject, or cultural region.

Repatriation Office, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

“The National Museum of Natural History established its Repatriation Office in the Department of Anthropology in the fall of 1991 to carry out the repatriation provisions of the National Museum of the American Indian Act (NMAI Act). One of the main tasks of the Repatriation Office (RO) is to inventory and assess the cultural origins of human remains and funerary objects in the Department of Anthropology at NMNH which are potentially affiliated with contemporary Native American peoples and report these findings to the groups affected.”