Native American Studies Library Resources  Tags: history  

The University of Illinois has an extensive collection of resources for the study of Native Americans, which can be found in many different places. To make those resources more available, this guide acts as a starting point for research. If you have any questions, please contact us.

Information in this guide is compiled from several previous Library guides, including the Guide to Research in Native American Religions, Guide to Sources on Native Americans, and the previous Native American Studies Library Resources page.

This guide is sponsored by the Native American Studies Bibliography Committee of the Library.

Guides for specific courses that may be helpful.

Departments at UIUC that are related to Native American Studies

1. Home
   • Overview of the guide
   • Tips on Getting Started
   • Library Holdings
   • Course Guides
   • Associated Departments
     
2. Books
   • How to find appropriate books in the UIUC collection.
     
3. Databases
   • Online databases that might be helpful in your research.
4. Microform
   • Descriptions of special microform collections. See our microform guide for further help.
5. Newspapers & Periodicals
   
   • How to find newspapers in the UIUC library.
     
6. Reference Collection
   • How to find and use the library's non-circulating collection.
     
7. Videos
   • How to find videos and an incomplete list of videos in the collection.
8. Web Resources
   
   • Links to resources and departments that may be useful.

 Getting started on your search

• Search for Native American, Amerindian, Indian, First Peoples or indigenous as keywords
• Search by the name of a particular tribe or cultural group (e.g. Hopi or Shoshoni)
• Combine a tribal name with a topical word (e.g. Hopi mythology)
• Do a browse call number search in the library catalog using the call numbers listed above
• Browse the subject Indians of North America in the library catalog

Before you start your search, try to compile a list of potential keywords. This is always a good idea, but it is especially useful for conducting searches in a new and interdisciplinary field, such as Native American Studies. A good first place to start is to identify possible culture group names for your search, using an ethnonym index.

Indians of North America Religion

• To limit your search to a specific tribe, replace the phrase "Indians of North America" with the tribe or groups name, plus Indians. For example, Cherokee Indians Religion and Hopi Indians Religion are subject headings in the UIUC library catalog. Use this method under the Guided Search option, and select Words in Subject from the drop down menu

Indians of North America [State or Region] Religion

• To find resources on Native religions in specific areas, replace State or Region with the geographic name (for example, California, or Great Plains). Use this method under the Guided Search option, and select Words in Subject from the drop down menu.
• If you are looking for a specific event or ceremony, use the name of that event. For example, you can search for Native American Church under subject.
• For best results, try an advanced keyword search using the terms Religion or Mythology or Ceremony (as appropriate) combined with any or all of the following keywords, : Native American, Amerindian, Indian, First Peoples, Indigenous.

Since the UIUC Library is split into several departmental libraries, the items you may be looking for could be held in different places. Use the different tabs in this guide for help finding different types of material; if you need further help, please do not hesitate to contact us via email, instant messenger, or in person. Also available is a guide to using the library catalog.

This page shows a few of the libraries that may have the resources you are looking for. A complete list of the departmental libraries is available online.

History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library

• 246 Library, 333-1509; hours
• Primary holdings for religious studies and for Native American history

Education & Social Science Library

• 100 Library, 333-2305; hours
• Strong collections in anthropological and sociological aspects of Native Americans and religion.

Government Documents Library

• 200D Library, 244-6445; hours
• Government Documents Library -- Native American Resources is a great starting place for finding resources provided by various levels of government, including treaties, legislation, census information and more general resources. Links are provided to tribal government home pages and organizations. NOTE: Most government documents holdings are kept in the Main Library Stacks, Government Documents section.

Law Library

• 142 Law Bldg., 333-2914; hours
• Law Reviews, books, and journals relating to United States law and legal issues surrounding indigenous religion and spirituality.

University Archives

• 19 Library, 333-0798; hours
• Useful collections in the Archives include the: Doris Duke Indian Oral History Program Archives, the Julian H. Steward Papers, 1842-1976 and the Joseph B. Casagrande Papers 1938-82.