LibGuides: Native American & Indigenous Communities: Archives, Libraries, Museums

Collections in Calisphere

Calisphere provides access to digital collections from archives and museums in California. Selected collections from Calisphere are listed below.

California Indian Baskets (Calisphere)
Images of baskets from the 19th and 20th centuries made by California American Indians from six different tribes. Held at UCLA’s Fowler Museum of Cultural History.
Ethnographic Photographs of California Indian and Sonora Indian Subjects by Alfred L. Kroeber, 1901-1930 (Calisphere)
Photographs taken by cultural anthropologist Kroeber. Contributed by UC Berkeley, Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology.
McLean Collection (Calisphere)
This collection includes Miwok Indian baskets. The baskets held at the UC Merced are not displayed online.
Merriam (C. Hart) Collection of Native American Photographs (Calisphere)
Photographs accompanying other materials and described by Robert Heizer in “Catalog of the C. Hart Merriam Collection of Data Concerning California Tribes and Other American Indians.”
Native Americans on the Central Coast (Calisphere)
Focused on Central Coast community members of California Indian heritage. Photos are from the Black Gold Cooperative Library System.
Native American Traditional Cultural Properties Study, Don Pedro Project (FERC No. 2299), April 2015 (Calisphere)
A study prepared as part of the re-licensing of the Don Pedro Project.
Photographs Selected from the Collections of the San Joaquin Valley Library System Member Libraries (Calisphere)
Includes a limited number of photos of Native Americans in the San Joaquin Valley and Sierra Nevada foothills.

Archives

American Indian Records (National Archives)
Information related to American Indians from 1774 through the mid-1990s created by Federal agencies. Most documents are not yet digitized.
American Indians Archives (Oklahoma Historical Society)
Documentation related to the tribes in Indian and Oklahoma Territory including federal Indians records received in 1934. Some of the index is searchable online; materials appear to be on microfilm.
Indians/Native Americans (Archives Library Information Center at the National Archives)
Links to resources and finding aids related to Native Americans.
Native American Religions (Internet Sacred Text Archive)
Scanned texts written in the 19th and 20th centuries including ethnographies, religion texts, mythology, and folklore. The site authors note that more authoritative texts need to be added. Select a Native American or South American group to view available texts.

Online Archive of California This link opens in a new window
A website providing free public access to detailed descriptions of primary source collections (manuscripts, historic photos, etc.) maintained by libraries, archives, and museums throughout California.

Survey of California and other Indian Languages (California Language Archive)
A list of California's indigenous languages and language families. Some information is provided about each language as well as further reading.
Yosemite Archives
Researchers are encouraged to examined findings aids in the Online Archive of California before scheduling a visit. Some photographs are digitized and available via the Digital Archive https://npgallery.nps.gov/yose on NP Gallery. Native Americans are pictured in a number of these photographs.

Libraries

American Indian and Alaskan Native Documents in the Congressional Serial Set: 1817-1899 (The University of Oklahoma, College of Law)
Compiled U.S. Congressional publications from the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. These publications document “political, military, and governmental activities related to indigenous peoples of the continental United States and Alaskan territory during the 19th century”. PDFs include scans of original documents.
American Indian and Indigenous Studies (Newberry Library)
A large collection of American Indian and Indigenous materials from Edward E. Ayer, a founding donor. Written and visual materials span several centuries starting in the late 17th century. Five main subject areas are part of the collection.
An Archive of Endurance (Newberry Library)
Newberry Library archives materials related to the cultures and traditions of indigenous nations from the region now called the Midwest. This exhibit focused on the Alogonquian and Siouan cultural regions of the Great Lakes.

Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) This link opens in a new window
DPLA offers a single point of access to millions of items from digital collections around the United States. Many items come from archival collections.

Indigenous Collection (John Carter Brown Library)
Pre-19th century texts that include one or more Amerindian (native American) languages. Titles may be entirely in a native American language or more just include a single page of vocabulary. Digital Collections of the John Carter Brown Library includes more than 50,000 rare books, maps, and manuscripts spanning three centuries of early American history. Themes include Indigenous History and Indigenous Languages.
Native American Studies Collection, Ethnic Studies Library, UC Berkeley
Provides research guides and points to resources both digital and in print. The collection points to scans extracted from Indian Affairs Annual Reports related to Native Americans of California.
National Indian Law Library (NILL)
A law library focused on federal Indian and tribal law. Includes the Tribal Law Gateway with legal materials from more than 300 tribes including tribal codes and court opinions.
Native American Constitutions and Legal Materials (Library of Congress)
Laws and constitutions from the early 1800s created by the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and, Seminole.
Yosemite Research Library (YRL)
Includes extensive historical collections. Themes include Native American Culture/History. Search its NPS LIBRIS Discovery system.

Museums (U.S.)

The Indigenous Digital Archive (Museum of Indian Arts & Culture)
Archival documents pertaining to U.S. government Indian boarding schools in the 19th and 20th centuries. Browse to view schools and tribes represented in this collection. This archive is a project of the Museum of Indian Arts & Cultures in collaboration with the New Mexico State Library Tribal Libraries Program and the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.
National Museum of the American Indian (Smithsonian)
NMAI collections materials "that reflect the historical and contemporary lives of Native peoples throughout the Western Hemisphere". These materials include papers, photographics, recordings and more. Visit Collections Search to locate thousands of digitized materials.

Museums (Local / California)

Museums, historical societies, and research rooms listed below may host exhibits with Native American collections. A few of these also have documents and physical objects which researchers can view on site. Appointments are usually required for access. These museums represent the San Joaquin, Sierra Nevada, and Foothill regions.

Calaveras Historical Society & Museum
Includes a Miwok exhibit at its downtown museum.
Fresno County Historical Society
Its artifact collection includes American Indian Basketry. See “Archives” and “Research” for more details. Access to materials is by appointment only.
Huntington Lake Big Creek Historical Conservancy, The
The Billy Creek Guard Station Museum has historical displays including Monache or Western Mono Native American people.
Kern Valley Museum
Includes a Native American exhibit with objects from the Tubatalabal.
Madera County, California History & Family Research Room
Madera County historical documents are located at the Madera County Library on the 2nd floor including content from the mid 1800’s to the present day. In their collection focus, they refer to photographs of Native Americans.
Mariposa Museum & History Center
Includes exhibits representing Miwuk heritage and culture There is an archive of historical documents accessible by appointment only. A “Researcher’s Guide to Mariposa” is posted as a PDF and recommended links for additional resources are listed.
McHenry Museum
Exhibits include objects from the Yokuts.
Museum of the Sierra and Education Center
Indoor exhibits include Native American items.
Murphys Old Timers Museum
The museum’s purpose is “to inform and educate the public about the rich history of the Murphys area, especially of the Gold Rush period and of the Native American and other cultures that once prospered here.” The museum includes examples of Miwok basketry and tools.
Porterville Historical Museum
Has included exhibits titled “The Art of Basket Weaving” and “Yokut Mortar & Pestles”.
San Joaquin County Historical Museum at Micke Grove
The official archives of San Joaquin County between 1850 and 1990 as well as other corporate, municipal, and family records. *No explicit mention of Native American Collections. This is a non-circulating collection.
Tehachapi Museum
The Milano Gallery shows the culture and history of the Native American Kawaiisu with materials including baskets and rock art.
Tulare County Historical Society
Under “Research”, the society includes a publication index for its newsletter. Various Native American tribes are listed in this index.

5200 N. Lake Road
Merced, CA 95343
library@ucmerced.edu
(209) 228-4444