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Government Documents on American Indians

The U.S. Government has produced a large body of literature on American Indians chronicling multiple aspects of their history and culture. Most of these publications are in the HSSE Library. Useful subject headings to search for documents on American Indians in the Library Catalog include:

Indians of North America
Indians of North America--Antiquities--Law and Legislation
Indians of North America--Gambling
Federal Aid to Indians--United States
Tribal Government--United States
Cultural property protection

The principal index for locating U.S. Government documents is the Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications HSSE Periodicals 016.353 Un36. An online version of this from 1994-present is here and the GPO Index covers this from 1976-present.

Other useful indexes to governmental sources include the

  • Lexis-Nexis Statistical www.lexis-nexis.com/statuniv)
  • Congressional Information Service (CIS) HSSE REF 328.73005 C76 which indexes current and recent congressional publications
  • Congressional Masterfile 1789-1969 CD-ROM (HSSE REF)
  • CIS U.S. Congressional Serial Set Index 1789-1969 HSSE REF 328.73 C761c
  • U.S. Congressional Committee Hearings Index 1833-1969 HSSE REF 348.731 C76
  • CIS Index to Executive Branch Documents 1789-1909 HSSE REF 351.73 C497 1990
  • CIS Index to Executive Branch Documents 1910-1932 HSSE REF 351.73 C497 1996

    General reference sources dealing with American Indians produced by government agencies include:
Robert Kvasnicka. The Trans-Mississippi West 1804-1912: A Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives HSSE REF 978.02 T687
Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United States HSSE DOC REF AE 1.108:G 94
Guide to U.S. Government Publications HSSE REF Desk 015.73 G943
Handbook of North American Indians HSSE REF 970.1 H1913
Indian Affairs Laws and Treaties (Kappler's) HSSE 970.5 Un32i
Statistical Abstract of the U.S. HSSE REF Desk 317.3 St29, HSSE DOC C 3.134: (also in CD-ROM)
Historical Statistics of the United States (Purdue users only) HSSE REF Desk 317.3 St29sh
Territorial Papers of the United States HSSE 973.082 Un3

 


Executive branch federal agencies producing publications on Americans include the following along with their SuDoc call number stems and library location.

Bureau of Indian Affairs HSSE I 20
National Park Service HSSE & LIFE I 29
Bureau of Land Management HSSE & LIFE I 53
Indian Health Service HSSE HE 20.300
Dept. of Housing & Urban Development HSSE HH 1
Bureau of American Ethnology HSSE & HIKS Repository 572 Un3

Congressional sources of American Indian information include:

Senate Select Comm. on Indian Affairs HSSE DOC Y 4.IN 2/11:

House Natural Resources Comm -Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) is a member of the House Resources Committee; These two committees have jurisdiction over federal Indian policy since the mid-1990s

HSSE DOC Y 4.R 31/3:

House Appropriations Committee - Rep. Peter Visclosky (D-IN) is a member of this committee

HSSE MF Y 4.AP 6/1:IN 8/6/

Senate Appropriations Committee - Appropriations committee publications are excellent sources for department and agency expenditure information

HSSE MF Y 4.AP 6/2:

American Indian Policy Review Commission - Note: This organization existed in the mid-1970's

HSSE DOC Y 4.IN 2/10:

Senate Interior & Insular Affairs Comm. - This committee and the House Interior & Insular Affairs Comm. held jurisdiction over federal Indian policy before the House Resources &  Senate Select Indian Affairs Committees.

HSSE DOC Y 4.IN 8/13:

House Interior & Insular Affairs Comm. - This committee and the Senate Interior & Insular Affiars Comm. held jurisdiction over federal Indian policy before the House Resources &  Senate Select Indian Affairs Committees.

HSSE DOC Y 4.IN 8/14:
Annals of Congress, Register of Debates, Congressional Globe, & Congressional Record   (Online Cong. Record link from 1873-1875) HSSE Repository X/A:
Congressional Bills & Resolutions (Online 1993-present)
HSSE DOC MF Y 1.4/1: to Y 1.4/9:

Congressional Committee Reports - Congressional committee reports are excellent sources for determining Congress' intent for proposed legislation.

HSSE DOC Y 1.1/3: to Y 1.1/8:
(Online 1995-present)
American State Papers (also Microfilm) HSSE DOC Y 1.1/2:
Congressional Serial Set & here (Purdue Users Only) HSSE Repository Y 1.1/2:
Congressional Research Service Reports (Courtesy-University of North Texas Library)

Indexed by the Congressional Serial Set Index listed earlier, these series of publications feature a wealth of government reports on various aspects of federal policymaking. Nineteenth century and early Twentieth century Serial Set publications include executive branch as well as congressional sources. These are an indispensable source for United States historical research.

United States Supreme Court opinions can be found in the following publications:

  • United States Reports HSSE DOC JU 6.8: (1985-Present, 1974-1984 in HIKS Repository)
  • U.S. Supreme Court Reports Lawyers Edition HSSE REF 345.4 Un37r

Internet Resources

Increasing amounts of government information are available on the Internet. An excellent source of legislative and regulatory information is GPO Access featuring the Congressional Record, Federal Register, and other major federal legislative, legal, and regulatory information sources. A locally accessible link to a wide variety of government information resources is at  www.lib.purdue.edu/govdocs/.

Other sources of federal government information on American Indians include:

Census Bureau
National Archives Native American Records
U.S. House of Representatives
U.S. Senate
 
Government Accountability Office
American Indian Environmental Office
Indian Health Service (Features links to various American Indian websites including tribal governments)
Dept. of Energy Indian Nations Program
Dept. of Housing & Urban Development-Office of Public & Indian Housing
U.S. Dept. of the Interior
Interior Dept. Indian Trust Site
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Land Management
Indian Arts & Crafts Board
National Park Service
U.S. Dept. of Justice-Office of Tribal Justice
Smithsonian Institution
Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletins (Selected)
Native American Repatriation Review Committee
National Indian Gaming Commission
National Museum of the American Indian
American Indians of the Pacific Northwest Digital Collection-(Courtesy-University of Washington Library)
Indian Treaties (Courtesy-Oklahoma State University Library)
Southern Oregon Digital Archives First Nations Collection (Courtesy-Southern Oregon University Library)
Middle Ground: Govt. Reports & Documents on U.S. Government Relations With the Navajo (Courtesy-University of Northern Colorado Library (USE FIREFOX)
Indian Land Cessions in the U.S, 1784-1894 Congressional Serial Set #4015  
Internal Revenue Service-Tax Information for Indian Tribal Governments

Indiana State Resources

Indiana Historical Bureau (See Historical Markers Database)
Indiana State Archives (Features numerous documentary collections of state agency records)
Indiana State Library (See Indiana Memory Database)
Indiana Dept. of Natural Resources Division of Historic Preservation & Archaelogy
Indiana Historical Society (See resources & images produced by the Smith Library)

 


   

Last update: September 5, 2008