Before you can start any research on your topic, you must have some background knowledge of it. This will help you make a list of search terms and possible subtopics. Find a list of recommended websites, encyclopedias, and more below.
Reference sources, such as encyclopedias and dictionaries, are great for gathering general information on a topic. If you need definitions of words or concepts, statistical information, or background information, reference sources are a good place to start.
While most dictionaries and encyclopedias are credible sources of information, reference sources only summarize topics, and should not be used as a substitute for scholarly research. Some professors will not allow you to cite encyclopedias in research papers, so be sure that you understand the expectations of an assignment beforehand. Finally, be sure to choose reference sources wisely! Encyclopedias and dictionaries should be published by a credible source.
Below are just a few of the reference sources in the library collections relating to Native American studies.
Defining Documents in American History - Native Americans by
This title covers important historical documents from influential figures in Native American history. Readers will find in-depth analysis of a broad range of historical documents, including speeches, letters, legislation, court cases, and other sources about Native Americans.
Encyclopedia of North American Indians by
Even as interest in the powerful, often tragic history of Native America grows, many books continue to perpetuate long-standing misconceptions of the past as well as the romantic steretypes often popularized today. Readers can now rely on Encyclopedia of North American Indians for an authentic and often surprising portrait of the complexities of the Native American experience. Written by more than 260 contemporary authorities, the volume features many Native American contributors - including eminent writers, tribal elders, scholars, and activists - with voices as distinct as their subjects, offering a deeper and more informed appreciation of American Indian life, past and present. Illustrated with many rare photographs, the Encyclopedia features articles on subjects such as mound builders, reservations, cigar-store Indians, child rearing, powwows, boarding schools, museums and collectors, dreams, the occupation of Alcatraz, and the impact of American Indian civilizations on Europeand the world. Contemporary topics include gambling, sports mascots, alcoholism, urban Indians, and the status of women. Biographies illuminate not only famous chiefs and warriors but an enormously diverse group of historical figures, such as Pauline Johnson, a Mohawk who becme the first American Indian woman to publish poetry; Charles Curtis, a Kaw Indian who served as vice president under Herbert Hoover; and "Chief" Bender, an Ojibwa who played and coached professional baseball and is laudedin the Baseball hall of Fame. Covering Arctic to southeastern peoples, separate articles on more than one hundred major tribes - from Abenaki to Zuni - discuss community origins, rituals and beliefs, social organizations, and present-day life.
Arts and Crafts of the Native American Tribes by
Arts & Crafts of the Native American Tribes is an authoritative illustrated reference that has been carefully created to be a companion to Encyclopedia of Native Tribes of North America, not a competitive title. It examines in detail how Native American culture evolved and considers the regional similarities and differences of the arts and crafts created by tribes across the continent. Contemporary and modern photographs, fine line illustrations and step-by-step reconstructions (including a Plains Indian warrior dress with headdress, war bonnet, shirt and leggings) show the techniques of manufacture and display the skill and artistry of the crafters. The book opens with concise coverage of the main cultural areas of North America and a survey of styles by region and over time. A major section on the living structures - huts, tipis, igloos, etc. - is followed by an analysis of individual crafts. These include: Baskets - plaiting, twining, coiling; Bone, antler and horn - implements, tools, pins, fishhooks; Decorative arts - beadwork, porcupine quillwork; Featherwork - bonnets and headdresses; Metalwork - copper, silver, iron, gold; Pottery; Shellwork; Skinwork - rawhide, leather, furs; Stonework - arrowheads, pipes, art; Textiles - spinning, weaving; Woodwork - totems, figures, masks, utensils, working with bark. Arts & Crafts of the Native American Tribes is destined to be a primary reference used by ethnographers, historians and collectors for years to come. It is essential for any library serving academic patrons. AUTHOR: Michael G. Johnson has published a number of books, including Encyclopedia of Native Tribes of North America, the second edition of which won the Denali Press Award. He is a former associate editor of Pow-Wow Trails and American Indian Crafts and Culture, a contributing editor to Whispering Winds magazine and an advisor to Indian Artifact magazine. Bill Yenne is the author of over three dozen books on historical topics, including The Encyclopedia of North American Indian Tribes and Sitting Bull, which was number 14 on Amazon's 100 Best Books of 2008. He has appeared on the National Geographic Channel and served as a consultant for the History Channel's Command Decision program covering the Battle of the Little Bighorn. ILLUSTRATIONS: Full colour photos and drawings Maps
Encyclopedia of American Indian Contributions to the World by
Encyclopedia of American Indian Contributions to the World is a unique A-to-Z reference to the vast offerings made by American Indians throughout history. More than 450 entries provide a panorama of little-known information about the rich inventiveness of indigenous peoples of North, Central, and South America. To be included in the book, the item must have originated in one of those three regions, have been used by Indian people, and have been adopted in some way by other cultures. While many of those contributions can clearly be shown to have been first invented or used by Indians, some entries cover inventions that were made independently by others as well. In these cases, the unique features of the American Indian science or technology are covered and compared to the other version of the item or process. Entries include: Trousers (25,000 B.C.); Agriculture (8000-7000 B.C.); Adobe (3000 B.C.); Tax system (2000 B.C.); Urban planning (1700 B.C.); Geometry (1200 B.C.); Scalpels (1000 B.C.); Sports helmets (300 B.C.); Electricity (200 B.C.-A.D. 600); Zoned biodiversity (A.D. 595); Cigars (A.D. 1000); Aroma therapy (A.D. 1100-1519); Hydraulics (A.D. 1300); Thanksgiving (A.D. 1621); A
Encyclopedia of United States Indian Policy and Law by
An essential reference on the reciprocal role that U.S. and Native policy and law have played in American political developmentnbsp;nbsp;Created by a culturally diverse editorial board of major scholars and containing invaluable bibliographic material not found in other publications, this definitive two-volume set examines the history and impact of U.S. relations with Native Americans. Extensive essays trace policies from the Continental Congress to the present day&BAD:mdash;including the role that managing the &BAD:ldquo;Indian question&BAD:rdquo; has played in American political development&BAD:mdash;while A to Z entries cover everything critical to a full understanding of the context to U.S./Native American relations, from history, politics, and sociology to civil rights and culture. The set is also the first reference of its kind to incorporate the expanding scholarship reflecting both the Native American viewpoint on and response to federal policies and initiatives over time.