LibGuides: Native American Indian & Alaskan Heritage Month: Primary Sources

Primary sources are documents and artifacts that were collected, recorded or, written down at the time an event occurred. Primary sources can include artifacts, diaries, letters, speeches, photographs, newspaper articles, government documents, and much more. Here are some Native American primary sources sites where you can find these documents.

Primary Sources

American Indian Experience: The American Mosaic
Reference content, primary documents, and images that illuminate the histories and contemporary cultures of the Native peoples of North America.

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Illuminates the historical and contemporary practices and tribulations of more than 150 Native American tribes from all regions of North America. Featuring articles and essays from Native American authors and contributors, it gives voice to the American Indian experience with respect to colonial conflict, trade economies, decisive wars, parsing of Native American land enabled by American policy, assimilation, and native claims to land, among other topics.
ArtStor - Native American
See results for "Native American" from ARTSTOR.
JSTOR - Native American/American Indian
See JSTOR results for "Native American/American Indian AND Native American/American Indian " from all collections.
Library of Congress - Digital Collections - American Indians
Check out various digital collections on American Indians in the United States.
Library of Congress - Digital Collections - Native American
Check out various digital collections on Native Americans in the United States.
Library of Congress Digital Collections Curtis (Edward S.) Collection
Images from each of the geo-cultural regions documented in The North American Indian are represented in the collection: the Pacific Northwest, New Southwest, Great Basin, Great Plains, Plateau Region, California, and Alaska. Included are both studio and field photographs. A large number are individual or group portraits, and many subjects are identified by name. Other subjects include traditional and ceremonial dress, dwellings and other structures, agriculture, arts and crafts, rites and ceremonies, dances, games, food preparation, transportation, and scenery.

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Acquired by the Library of Congress through copyright deposit from about 1900 through 1930, the dates on the images reflect date of registration, not when the photograph was actually taken. About two-thirds (1,608) of these images were not published in the North American Indian volumes and therefore offer a different and unique glimpse into Curtis's work with indigenous cultures.
Native American Archives (Fold3® by Ancestry)
Whether tracing your heritage or learning about Native American history, original records shed new light on the people and events of the past.