Native and Indigenous American Studies

The Stetson University Library Archives maintains documents and artifacts relating to the history of Stetson. The department also manages several special collections that are not necessarily related to Stetson University, such as the Treasure Collection and Photographs Collection. Please note that all images and content in this Digital Archives are the property of Stetson University and may not be used, reproduced, sold, or displayed without permission.

The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is an open source compilation of digitized library, museum, and cultural heritage collections in the U.S.

Landing page for the National Archives' Native American Heritage sources. "Researchers can find information relating to American Indians and Alaska Natives from as early as 1774 through the mid-1990s." Use the left-hand navigation column to find documents on specific topics, such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), tribal rolls, census data, and employment/school/military records.

The Smithsonian Institute's Online Virtual Archives houses multiple digitized collections from several Smithsonian repositories. Filter search results to collections held by the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) or the National Anthropological Archives to find documents, artifacts, visual art, photographs, and more relating to Native and Indigenous American history and culture.

This LibGuide highlights several open access collections for viewing both archival and contemporary images, including "drawings, engravings, lithographs, posters, and architectural drawings," relating to Native American history, culture, people, and more.

A repository of digitized archival documents, photographs, and more relating to the history of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. This ongoing and evolving project involves the coordination of students from Dickinson College, members of the Cumberland Historical Society, the cooperation of the U.S. National Archives, and several more contributors. This resource is freely accessible to the public and seeks to "increase knowledge and understanding of the school and its complex legacy, while also facilitating efforts to tell the stories of the many thousands of students who were sent there."

An open access collection of digitized government records that shed light on the history of the Genoa U.S. Indian Industrial School. This digitization project is described as an "archival reconciliation" that "aims to bring greater awareness of the schools and their legacies at the same time as it hopes to return the histories of Indian children from government repositories back to their families and tribes."

Created and managed by the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS). The NIBSDA database is "a national digital platform and digital repository for boarding school archival collections throughout the United States." Primary documents include boarding school records and other primary source material.

The NABS Resource Database Center provides access to a collection "bibliographic entries, media resources, academic studies, and educational content" meant to "facilitate a deeper understanding of the boarding school era's impact and to support the healing process for affected communities." This resource differs from the NABS Digital Archive in that it primarily contains secondary and tertiary source material "such as analyses, commentaries, and educational tools."

The AIFG is an online collection of over 450 films by or about Native American peoples. Open access is provided by the University of Arizona. Films date from 1925 to 2010.

This website provides open access to the Doris Duke Native American Oral History Collections. It is managed by the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums and funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The purpose of the project is "to connect Native American oral history collections from around the world, to enable Native communities to collaboratively co-curate collections, and to make materials widely available in a culturally respectful manner." Note: "Some records contain racist language, descriptions of violence, or other information that may be disturbing to view or hear. Efforts have been made to identify this content."

Films on Demand is a video and film database provided by Infobase. Their Native American Heritage Month collection features documentaries, lectures, and other educational films by and about Native American people, places, history, and current issues.

This page houses "a collection of TED Talks (and more) on the topic of Indigenous peoples." Videos are free and accessible without Stetson credentials.

Kanopy is a video and film database whose mission is "to democratize meaningful film and television." This is a link to Kanopy's collection of films by and/or about Native American "history and heritage."

The National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) is a part of the Smithsonian Institution. The museum represents "one of the world's most expansive collections of Native artifacts, including objects, photographs, archives, and media covering the entire Western Hemisphere."

"An international non-profit organization that maintains a network of support for Indigenous programs, provides culturally relevant programming and services, encourages collaboration among tribal and non-tribal cultural institutions, and articulates contemporary issues related to developing and sustaining the cultural sovereignty of Native Nations."

"A web-based directory of Tribal libraries, archives, and museums (TLAM)" created in collaboration with the American Indian Library Association (AILA) and the 2018 American Library Association (ALA) Emerging Leaders cohort. Includes an interactive map and additional resources for further research.