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Electronic Resources for American Indian, First Nations & Indigenous Studies

The purpose of this research guide is to focus on key Electronic Resources for American Indian, First Nations & Indigenous Studies, with an emphasis on the Native American experience in the United States.

Databases

Archives Unbound 

Topic-focused digital collections of historical documents.

Alternative Press Index (1991 - Present) 

Useful for researching cultural, economic, political & social change. Indexes alternative, radical and left periodicals, newspapers and magazines.

Ethnologue - Languages of the World 

A comprehensive reference work cataloging all of the world’s known living languages. Includes alternate names, dialects, number of speakers, multilingualism, demographic and sociolinguistic information when known. Includes country index with maps, language names index, language codes and language families index.

Hathi Trust Digital Library 

A collaborative project of several major research libraries in the U.S. to create a comprehensive library of digital library materials. Login and choose Reed College from the partner institution drop down menu to access more full text content. Includes much material of interest for the study of Native American communities, including Territorial Papers of the United States and nearly complete runs of Annual Reports of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs.

Independent Voices

Digitized alternative press publications, including small literary magazines, underground newspapers, LGBT periodicals, the minority press (Latino, Black and Native American) and the extreme right-wing press.

Project MUSE (1958 - Present) 

Full text access to over 400 scholarly journals in the humanities and social sciences. All parts of the journals are scanned, including any images. A good source for current articles on a variety of subjects. Use filters to narrow your results. Search keywords: First Nations, Native American, Indigenous, Aboriginal, Inuit.

America: History and Life (1964 - Present) 

Indexes over 2,000 scholarly journals to find citations for appropriate articles on your topic in American or Canadian history, from prehistory to the present. Allows you to search by historical period. For other parts of the world, use Historical Abstracts.

America's Historical Imprints (1639 - 1819)

Full digital access to the Early American Imprints Series I, II, and supplements. 36,000 titles on 17th and 18th century American life. Includes most books printed anywhere during that time period about America.

American Race Relations: Global Perspectives, 1940-1996 

Translated news broadcasts, reports, and publications from around the world offer coverage of America’s fight for racial justice.

Anthropological Fieldwork Online 

Anthropological Fieldwork Online is a primary-source database that unfolds the historical development of anthropology from a global perspective—with archival collections from North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific — including key field notebooks, images, and recordings from major scholars in anthropology from the early- to mid-20th century.

Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) 

The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) offers a single point of access to millions of items - photographs, manuscripts, books, sounds, moving images, and more - from libraries, archives, and museums around the United States. Relevant DPLA Primary Source Collections: Reservations, Resistance, and the Indian Reorganization Act, 1900-1940Cherokee Removal and the Trail of TearsPowhatan People and the English at JamestownThe Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman AlexiePowhatan People and the English at JamestownThe American Indian Movement, 1968-1978The Wounded Knee MassacrePerspectives on the French and Indian War,  American Indian Boarding SchoolsCross-Cultural Colonial ConflictsManifest Destiny  Links for search results: First NationsLakotaNative Americans

Gale OneFile: Diversity Studies 

Access a range of periodical content to explore cultural differences, contributions, and influences in the global community. Links for search results: First Nations PeoplesLakotas (Native Americans)

HeinOnline 

HeinOnline is a database for law journals, legal history, treaties, and government documents including the entire Congressional Record, Federal Register, and Code of Federal Regulations, complete coverage of the U.S. Treaties and indexes available through HeinOnline.

Sabin Americana, (1500 - 1926) 

Primary sources about the Americas published throughout the world. Includes books, pamphlets, serials, and other documents and provides original accounts of exploration, trade, colonialism, slavery and abolition, the western movement, Native Americans, military actions and more.

ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center)

Over 980 education journals. Covers 1969 to the present; most post-1993 articles have full text available. First Nations titles include Winds of Change, American Indian Higher Education, Tribal College, Cultural Survival Quarterly, and Wicazo Sa. Search terms: Canada Natives, Métis (People), Eskimos, Alaska Natives, American Indians, Indigenous populations. Use the Thesaurus for more terms and more precise terms.

LearnTechLib (The Learning and Technology Library)

Includes peer-reviewed articles and papers on research related to all aspects of Educational Technology and E-Learning. Try search terms like "First Nations", Aboriginal, and Indigenous.

Bibliography of Native North Americans (16th Century - Present)

Books and journal literature on all aspects of native North American culture, history, and life.

MLA Bibliography

Indexes over 4,000 journals and series (1926 - present) with some First Nations language and literature coverage. Includes journals such as, Studies in American Indian Literature; North Dakota Quarterly; American Indian Culture & Research; Canadian Journal of Native Studies. Search terms: folk-literature, folk narrative, oral history or search by author name: Sherman Alexie, Joy Harjo, Gerald Vizenor, Lee Maracle, Thomas King, etc.