Research Guides
HSTRY 498: Indigenous Pacific Northwest: Quick Background Info
Encyclopedias
Encyclopedias help you figure out the who, what & where of a topic. Knowing the who, what & where of a topic is the first step in researching a topic and discovering the "how" and "why". Encyclopedias and dictionaries can provide background information and can be used to identify key people, events and dates which can then be used as search terms for finding additional information. Many also provide a jumpstart on your research by listing related readings. Both print and online encyclopedias are listed below.
Two online encyclopedia collections: Gale Virtual Reference 
& Oxford Reference Online
General History
- Canadian EncyclopediaMajor encyclopedia for all things Canadian
- Dictionary of American History
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Major encyclopedia covering all periods of American history - Encyclopedia of British ColumbiaMore than 4,000 entries on significant BC people, places & things
- HistoryLinkEncyclopedia of Washington State history
- Oxford encyclopedia of American military and diplomatic history
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More than 450 entries covering all aspects of military & diplomatic history - Oxford Encyclopedia of American Business, Labor, and Economic History
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More than 500 "essays about notable business topics span colonial times to the present" - Oxford Encyclopedia of American Political and Legal History
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"Comprehensive coverage of political and legal history in the United States" - Oxford Encyclopedia of American Social History
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More than 400 entries that provide a "framework for understanding the social experience of Americans throughout history"
Indigenous Peoples History
- American Indian Culture
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"Entries cover the range of culture from lifeways, religious rituals, and material culture to art forms and modern social phenomena"
- American Indian Experience This link opens in a new window
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Collection of encyclopedias and other background information illustrating the histories & cultures of Native Peoples
- Cambridge history of the native peoples of the Americas
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Not an encyclopedia but a scholarly multi-volume history of Native Americans - Encyclopedia of American Indian history
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More than 400 entries on all aspects of Native American history - Encyclopedia of Native American History
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Covers the "most important individuals, events, and topics in American Indian history" - Encyclopedia of North American Indian wars, 1607-1890 a political, social, and military history
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Entries cover all aspects of the North American Indian Wars with a focus on campaigns, people, tribes and legislation - Encyclopedia of North American Indians
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More than 1,200 entries on individuals, tribes, and many aspects of Native American history - Encyclopedia of United States Indian policy and lawPrinted two-volume set examines the history and impact of U.S. relations with Native Americans; includes extensive essays and shorter A to Z entries; Suzzallo Reference KF8205 .E525 2009
- Guide to the Indian tribes of the Pacific Northwest
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Guide to 150 Pacific Northwest tribes of Native Americans; current edition in print Suzzallo Reference E78.N77 R79 2010 - Handbook of North American IndiansMajor printed encyclopedia covering all aspects of Native American history and culture; vol. 7 covers the Northwest coast & vol. 12 the Plateau tribal nations; Suzzallo Reference E77 .H25
- Treaties with American Indians: an encyclopedia of rights, conflicts, and sovereigntyPrinted multi-volume encyclopedia provides a comprehensive introduction to more than 400 treaties that date from 1684 to 1999; Suzzallo Reference KF8203.6 .T74 2008