Research Guides
ENGL 198 / AIS 102: Interdisciplinary Writing/American Indian Studies: Primary Sources
Laura M. De Vos Autumn 2020 - Expository writing based on material presented in American Indian Studies 102 lecture course
What Are Primary Sources?
Primary sources are the evidence of history. They are the first-hand accounts of an event or period of time created by participants or observers. There are many kinds of primary sources including texts (letters, diaries, government reports, newspaper accounts, novels, autobiographies), images (photographs, paintings, advertisements, posters), artifacts (buildings, clothing, sculpture, coins) and audio/visual (songs, oral history interviews, films).
For information on how to find specific types of primary sources see the sections on:
- Books
- Government Documents
- Images and Video(film, motion pictures, etc.)
- Letters & Diaries
- Newspaper Articles (for articles written during the time period)
- Magazine Articles
- Maps
- Oral Histories (or interviews)
Find primary sources on selected American ethnic groups:
Find primary resources Pacific Northwest:
Databases and Other Tools
- American Indian Experience This link opens in a new window
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Reference content, primary documents, and images illustrating the histories and cultures of North American Native peoples. - American Indian Law Collection [HeinOnline] This link opens in a new window
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Treaties, federal statutes and regulations, federal case law, tribal codes and constitutions. - Bibliography of Indigenous Peoples in North America This link opens in a new window
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Covers all aspects of North America's aboriginal culture, history and life. Includes books, journals and government documents. Includes some links to full-text. - Hein Online This link opens in a new window
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Digitized legal journals, reviews, U.S. government documents, regulations, laws, and treaties. - Indigenous Peoples of North America, Part 1 & 2 This link opens in a new window
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Digitized primary sources covering the cultural, political and social history of Native Peoples from the 17th through the 20th centuries. - North American Indian Thought & Culture This link opens in a new window
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Compilation of biographies, auto-biographies, personal narratives, speeches, diaries, letters, and oral histories. - ProQuest Congressional This link opens in a new window
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Index to Congressional publications, 1789 to present; including full-text hearings from, 1824-1979 and full-text bills & laws, 1789 to the present.
- Native VoicesNative Voices at the University of Washington is a center where students, faculty, and independent producers create documentaries and media research that contributes to the understanding, strengthening, and support of Indigenous people and communities. Native Voices envisions filmmaking from a decolonized, community based, and global perspective.