Native American and Indigenous Peoples

Guide Notes:
Native American and Indigenous Peoples studies cover all of the indigenous groups originally from the Americas. In the United States alone, there are well over 500 recognized tribes. Many of the resources available focus on particular regions, time periods, or tribes; due to space limitations, this guide provides general research information about the subject as a whole. If you need assistance finding specific information about a particular tribe, practice, or region, please contact the library by emailing us at refdesk@wnc.edu. 

Sub-Fields:

• Paleo-Indian Studies
• Native American Ancestry
• Indigenous Languages
• Indigenous Peoples Studies
• Indigenous Art
• Indigenous Movements

Subject Keywords:
sovereignty, indigeneity, First Peoples, Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB), tradition, performance, indigenous language(s), indigenous religions, colonialism, decolonization, NAGPRA, indigenous epistemology

LoC Classifications:

• E75-99 - Indians of North America
• E81-83 - Indian wars
• E99 - Indian tribes and cultures
• PM231-355 - American languages of British North America
• PM401-501 - American languages of the United States (and Mexico)
• PM549-2711 - Special languages of the United States and Canada (alphabetically)

Related Subject Guides:

• American History
• Government and Politics
• Nevada and Nevada History
• Geography
• Anthropology

Native American and Indigenous Studies Association
The Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA) is an interdisciplinary, international membership-based organization, comprised of scholars working in the fields of Native American and Indigenous Studies, broadly defined.

Association for the Study of American Indian Literatures
ASAIL is a professional academic organization created to promote the study, criticism, and research of American Indian written and oral literary traditions. 

Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas
The Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas (SSILA) was founded in December 1981 as the international scholarly organization representing the linguistic study of the Indigenous languages of the Americas, and was incorporated in 1997. Membership in SSILA is open to all those who are interested in the scientific study of the languages of the Indigenous peoples of North, Central and South America. (About the Society)

National Congress of American Indians
The National Congress of American Indians, founded in 1944, is the oldest, largest and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization serving the broad interests of tribal governments and communities.