Please note that links and resources on this guide may include names, images, and voices of deceased persons.
These selected sources offer primary documents, images, news, and other information related to First Nations.
This collection of digitized primary source materials from Adam Matthew Digital documents relationships and interactions between new arrivals and indigenous peoples. Coverage includes sources from North America, Africa and Australasia, including documents from the Glenbow Museum and Hudson Bay’s Archive. The collection deals with themes that include: settlement development, law and order, violence, expeditions and exploration, relations with Indigenous peoples, trade and commerce, death and disease, missionaries and religion, women’s history, military matters, mining, religion, gold rushes, settler governance, contested boundaries, agriculture and livestock.
* A note on the database title. VIU Library facilitates access to this database by listing it under B for Borderlands, not by the vendor title which begins with the word “Frontier”. Frontier is a term that is sufficiently problematic that certain progressive historians have called it the “F-word”. It is emblematic of a colonial worldview, carrying notions of inevitable advancement of progress and civilization, of adventure and exceptionalism. We have advised the provider of our concerns, and have taken this action while they consider theirs.
Collections include:
The Alaska Indian Language Collection (Gonzaga University)
The Association on American Indian Archives (AAIA and Princeton University)
Citizenship Case Files of the U.S. Court in Indian Territory, 1896‐1897 (U.S. National Archives)
Great Nemaha Agency Collection, 1866‐1873 (Wichita State University)
The Indian School Journal (Chilocco Indian School)
The Javitch Collection (University of Alberta)
Letters Sent by the Indian Division of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior, 1849‐1903 (U.S. National Archives)
Moravian Mission among the Indians of North America (Moravian Archives)
The Pacific Northwest Tribes Missions Collection of the Oregon Province Archives of the Society of Jesus, 1853‐1960 (Gonzaga University)
Papers of Henry Rowe Schoolcraft (Library of Congress)
The Papers of the Society of American Indians, 1906‐1946 (Private Collection of John Larner)
Records of the Creek Factory of the Office of Indian Trade of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1795‐1821 (U.S. National Archives)
W. S. Prettyman Photograph Collection (Wichita State University)
The RG 10 microfilm reels in the Library collection have been selected for their relevance to First Nations research & study particularly, but not exclusively, for the West Coast region.
This full text resource provides examples of primary material.
RG 10 constitutes the historical records created by the Department of Indian Affairs and includes letters, correspondence, and files on various aspects of Indian administration.
The Library's holdings only represent part of the entire collection held at the National Archives of Canada in Ottawa.
To access these records, search LibrarySearch, or the library catalogue, using the keyword: "RG 10"
There are a total of 45 records which should result, with the call number range E 78 C2 B5 C-xxxx ( x = various numbers).
There is a print guide (located in the Reference collection) that corresponds to each microfilm reel.
The microfilm collection is located in the microfilm cabinets on the main (3rd floor) of the library. (Note: Each record has the title of the information for which the reel was obtained; however, each reel also contains other information not related to the title.)
Examples of RG 10 Archival Microfilms:
RG 10 constitutes the historical records created by the Department of Indian Affairs and includes letters, correspondence, and files on various aspects of Indian administration.
From RG 10, the School Files Series 1879-1953 are available online.
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