American Indian Studies  

American Indian Studies has no standard citation style. Ask your instructor which to use; if you can choose, pick the one you know best.

When searching for articles and books, use different combinations of these terms to find the most sources:

• American Indian
• Native American
• Native People
  
• Indians of North America (the official term used in CLICnet)
• First Nations (term for the indigenous peoples of Canada)

For example, searching in Academic Search Premier, in the first box put the phrase:

"American Indian" or "Native American"

The quote marks hold the concept together (so you don't get Indian Americans instead), while using "or" will find any articles that mention "American Indian" or "Native American."

In the next boxes put your topic keywords: culture, identity, treaties, education, etc. Also consider adding locations of interest, such as Great Plains or Minnesota.

Searching by tribe is also important, especially if your topic is tribe specific. As tribes often have variant spellings or use entirely different terms, account for this in your search:

• Ojibwa or Chippewa or Anishinabe

Using an asterisk * will truncate, or stem, your keyword, including everything after it:

• Ojibw* captures Ojibway, Ojibwe, and Ojibwah
• Chippewa* captures Chippewa and Chippeway

Want more tips or need help? Ask a librarian!

The books below are useful for starting your research, whether getting topic ideas or finding general overviews.

Tiller's Guide to Indian Country: Economic Profiles of American Indian Reservations - Verlarde Tiller, Veronica E.

Call Number: Reference E93 .T55 2005

Find profiles for over 500 reservations in the U.S., including location and land status, government, infrastructure, culture, history, economic activity, population and education statistics, and more.

Encyclopedia of Native Tribes of North America - Johnson, Michael

Call Number: Reference E76.2 .J64 2007

Covering the tribes of twelve distinct regions, this book contains several color illustrations depicting notable American Indians, maps, art, clothing, ceremonies, and more.

Encyclopedia of the Great Plains Indians - Wishart, David J.

Call Number: Reference E78.G73 E53 2007

Find important people, places, and events related to the American Indians of the Great Plains — from wars, treaties, and traditions to tribal colleges, casinos, and legal battles.

Handbook of North American Indians - Sturtevant, William C.

Call Number: Reference E77 .H25 v. 2–15; 17

This set covers a wide range of American Indian topics, regionally and thematically. Volumes range from the 1980s to the 2000s; volume 2, Indians in Contemporary Society (2008), may be particularly useful.

Created by Meg Holle, Fall 2009.