Key Federal Agencies

• Department of Health and Human Services Indian Health Service.
• Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
• Department of the Interior (DOI).
• Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).
• Department of Justice (DOJ).
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
• National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC).

Washington State Agencies

• Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs.

Portals and Search Engines

General portals to federal publications.

USA.Gov http://usa.gov/.

Official multi-topic portal to U.S. government information, linking to various federal government agencies and commissions.

“Indian Tribes and Resources for Native Americans | USAGov https://www.usa.gov/tribes.

A gateway to resources about Federally Recognized Indian Tribes; Cultural Resources for Native Americans including historic preservation, and archeology; Housing help; Legal resources including laws, crime prevention, and money and laws.

GobiernoUSA.Gov in Spanish http://gobierno.usa.gov/.

FDsys https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/ Now GovInfo https://www.govinfo.gov/.

FDsys is GPO’s Federal Digital System. Provides free online access to official federal government publications.

Catalog of U.S. Government Publications http://catalog.gpo.gov/.

CGP is GPO’s finding tool for federal publications.

MetaLib http://metalib.gpo.gov/.

Retrieve reports, articles, and citations by simultaneously searching across multiple federal government databases.

Kids.gov  https://kids.usa.gov/.

Government Information for Kids, Parents and Teachers. This information can also be found through USA.gov. Kids.gov has a fun interface that will appeal to kids.

Ben’s Guide to the U.S. Government. http://bensguide.gpo.gov/.

Teaches kids from kindergarten through 12th grade about the federal government.

Catalogs and Databases

WorldCat.org: The World’s Largest Library Catalog. http://www.worldcat.org/.

Find publications (all formats) in libraries all over the world.

“Search the Library Catalog – Washington State Library – WA Secretary of State https://www.sos.wa.gov/library/catalog.aspx.

Note: Don’t assume that because a publication is not listed in WSL’s catalog or listed as one of our holdings in WorldCat that WSL does not own it. Like most federal depository libraries WSL does not have every item cataloged or inventoried. Regional libraries should have “everything.” So, call and ask if we have the publication even though it is not listed in the catalog.

Resource Guides

Many academic and research libraries publish “libguides.” These “library guides” are created using the Libguides software from Springshare. To find libguides I do a simple search such as libguides “American Indians” or libguides “American Indians” health care.

If you can locate a libguide or other resource guide on a given topic it may help you identify major resources, related topics, and other search terms. Libguides are great springboards to finding resources.

Here are examples of resource guides:

Government Documents – Native American Studies Research Guide – LibGuides at Michigan State University Libraries. http://libguides.lib.msu.edu/c.php?g=95603&p=624350.

Indian & Tribal Law Research — Gallagher Law Library.Gallagher Law Library, Univ. of Wash. School of Law.https://lib.law.washington.edu/content/guides/indian.

Indian Law Research Guide, National Indian Law Library, Native American Rights Fund (NARF).Native American Rights Fund (NARF): Nonprofit Indian Law Firm: Native American Rights Fund. http://www.narf.org/nill/resources/index.html.)

Native American Law – Research Guides at Washington State Law Library. Research Guides at Washington State Law Library. http://courts.wa.libguides.com/nativeamericanlaw.

This guide points to online and print library materials covering many areas of Native American law. Treaties, constitutions, codes and topical resources are included, as well as database help. Note: the beginning page includes ways to reach a librarian for assistance: phone, Ask a Librarian, live chat, email.

Native Americans – Government Sources by Subject – Library Guides at University of Washington Libraries. http://guides.lib.uw.edu/research/govpubs-quick-links?p=2304215.

Tribal Codes – American Indian Law – LibGuides at Gonzaga University School of Law. http://libguides.law.gonzaga.edu/c.php?g=302056&p=2014506.

Selected Resources and Information Locators

General Information

Federal Websites For/About Native Americans – OK Dept. of Libraries.  http://libraries.ok.gov/us-gov/native-fed
eral-links/.

Useful guide to federal resources with information on Native Americans.

Internet Archive: Wayback Machine Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free Books, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine. http://archive.org/web/.

Under Construction A Directory of Data on American Indians and Alaska Natives Available for Research Internet Archive: Wayback Machine. http://bit.ly/2bigH4r.

List of Federally Recognized Tribes Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_federally_recognized_tribes.

List of Unrecognized Tribes in the United States” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unrecognized_tribes_in_the_United_States.

Sturtevant, William C. Handbook of North American Indians. Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1978. Print. WSL has most volumes (missing v.1 and v.16 of the 17 volumes). SuDoc: SI 1.20/2: vol.no.

An encyclopedia summarizing knowledge about all Native peoples north of Mesoamerica, including cultures, languages, history, prehistory, and human biology, is a standard reference work for anthropologists, historians, students, and the general reader. (Smithsonian) Many of the volumes are available through the Government Publishing Office although some are out of print. See http://anthropology.si.edu/handbook.htm.

TOP 50 QUESTIONS ABOUT AMERICAN INDIAN TRIBES Frequently Asked Questions Native Americans California Indian Education Calie Educational Tribal Website of Calif Native American Indians Families Reservation and Urban Communities of North America USA Southern CA. http://www.californiaindianeducation.org/tribes/faq/.

Tribal Genealogy Research for Native American Indians How to Trace Indian Ancestry and Get Enrolled in Indian Tribes Kumeyaay Information Village Website Educational & Cultural Resources about Native American Indian Southern California Tribes. http://www.kumeyaay.info/california_indian_peoples/native_american_genealogy.html.

Washington State Tribal Directory Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs.http://goia.wa.gov/Tribal-Directory/TribalDirectory.pdf.

Culture

American Indians of the Pacific Northwest Collection University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections. http://content.lib.washington.edu/aipnw/index.html.

Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. Washington: G.P.O, 1895-1964. At WSL: SI 2.1 check the catalog.

Some volumes are cataloged separately. Some volumes are on microfiche.

Anthropological Papers. Washington: U.S. G.P.O, 1938-1966. Print. Some volumes available at WSL, SuDoc Number is SI 2.3:.

Bulletins. Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletins. Washington: Gov. Print. Office, 1907. Print. Available at WSL, SuDoc Number is SI 2.3:. Volumes are cataloged individually. Examples:

The native brotherhoods: modern intertribal organizations of the Northwest coast. SI 2.3: no.168.

Index to Schoolcraft’s “Indian tribes of the United States” SI 2.3:152.

Nootka and Quileute music. SI 2.3:no124 in print and microfiche.

Chinook: an illustrative sketch. Rare SI 2.3:40/ pt.1.

Kathlamet texts. SI 2.3: no.26 in print and microfiche; also online at https://archive.org/details/kathlamettexts01boas.

Note: Some series will publish lists or indexes that will help identify individual publications such as: Bulletin 200: List of Publications of the American Bureau of Ethnology, with Index to Authors and Titles. , 1971. Print. Available at WSL: SI 2.3:200; also online at http://bit.ly/2gkWj8C.

Dobkins, Rebecca J., author. Cultural Plant Harvests on Federal Lands: Perspectives from Members of the Northwest Native American Basketweavers Association. United States Department of Agriculture, 2016. Print. Available at WSL! SuDoc No. A 13.78:PNW-RP-608.

Demographics

American FactFinder. American FactFinder. http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml.

Population, housing, economic and geographic data.

Indian Country in Judicial Districts. https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/indian-country-in-judicial-districts.pdf/view.

FBI — Uniform Crime Reporting http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/ucr.

FBI Uniform crime statistics for the nation.

 FedStats – Your Window Into U.S. Federal Statistics. https://fedstats.sites.usa.gov/.

Portal to federal statistics by state, agency, and topic area.

Health Check Tools: MedlinePlus National Library of Medicine – National Institutes of Health. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthchecktools.html.

Find a variety of calculators, quizzes, and assessment tools presented in an A to Z list of topics.

Healthfinder.gov Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion http://healthfinder.gov/.

Find health information from government and nonprofit sources, including calculators to help with assessing and tracking health and fitness.

 Statistical Abstracts Series http://bit.ly/2aN9qJ4 .

National database of social and economic conditions in U.S. Published from 1878 to 2012.

United States Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov/.

U.S. Census Bureau information on population and the economy.

VitalStats Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/VitalStats.htm.

Find national birth and mortality statistics from the Centers for Disease Control.

Environment

Environmental Protection in Indian Country | US EPA US Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/tribal.

Federal Caucus – Ten Federal Agencies Working for Endangered Salmon and Steelhead in the Columbia River Basin. http://www.salmonrecovery.gov/.

Columbia River Basin Federal Caucus information about what the federal agencies and their partners are doing to restore habitat, improve hatcheries, manage predators and improve dam passage for Columbia Basin fish.

National Weather Service – Western Region Headquarters.  http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/.

Weather forecasts for the Western United States.

Window to My Environment Environmental Health Risk Assessment. http://serc.carleton.edu/research_education/healthrisk/window.html.

Environmental Protection Agency’s federal, state, and local information about environmental conditions and features in an area of your choice.

Federal Government

C-SPAN.org | National Politics | History | Nonfiction Books C-SPAN.org http://www.c-spanvideo.org/videoLibrary/.

Find all C-SPAN footage of Congressional and Presidential events from 1987 forward — television, radio and video.

Federal Register. http://www.federalregister.gov/.

Provides access to the official text of federal regulatory material, federal laws, and presidential documents.

Code of Federal Regulations., 1938.

Check with a depository library if you want to use the CFR in print. Go to this link to see which volumes are online: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collectionCfr.action?collectionCode=CFR.

Govpulse. http://www.govpulse.us/.

Search and browse Federal Register entries with this user-friendly interface.

Native One Stop Welcome to Native One Stop | Native One Stop. http://www.nativeonestop.gov/content/overview.

NativeOneStop.gov was launched in an effort to provide American Indians and Alaska Natives with easy, online access to Federal resources and programs. It is a partnership of many Federal agencies and organizations with a shared vision – to provide improved, personalized access to Federal resources and programs.

Executive

“Presidents of the United States (POTUS) Ipl2: Information You Can Trust. http://www.ipl.org/div/potus/.

Presidents USA. http://www.presidentsusa.net/. Resource guide to U.S. Presidents.

Whitehouse.gov. http://www.whitehouse.gov/. President, news, history and tours.

Legislative

Congress.gov | Library of Congress. https://www.congress.gov/.

Replaced Thomas on July 5, 2016.

“Federal Legislative History Research: A Practitioner’s Guide to Compiling … Legislative Intent LLSDC Home. http://www.llsdc.org/federal-legislative-history-guide.

Use this comprehensive guide from the Law Librarians’ Society of Washington, D.C. to conduct legislative history research.

“Serial Set Links: U.S. Congressional Documents American Memory from the Library of Congress. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwsslink.html.

Serial Set. Selected documents and reports.

“Statutes at Large Home Page: U.S. Congressional Documents American Memory from the Library of Congress. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwsl.html.

U.S. Laws and Resolutions, online 1789-1875.  The official compilation of the laws of each session of Congress (Library of Congress). Contact your federal depository library for assistance in finding other years.

“United States Code U.S. Government Publishing Office. https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collectionUScode.action?collectionCode=USCODE.

“The Code is a consolidation and codification by subject matter of the general and permanent laws of the United States” (Office of the Law Revision Counsel). It provides access to the U.S. Code. Code is available in PDF and Text. If you wish to use the Code at the State Library please call ahead so that we can have the volumes reading when you arrive.

The United States House of Representatives · House.gov. http://www.house.gov/.

House news, committee and floor schedules, legislative information.

The United States Senate – Senate.gov. http://www.senate.gov/.

Senate news, committee and floor schedules, tours.

“Washington State Legislature District finder. http://app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/.

Set district type to congressional and find your U.S. senators and representatives. Provides links to congressional member websites.

Judicial

“Court Websites Links United State Courts. http://bit.ly/2bmh4wt.

Listed by U.S. Region.

“Constitution Annotated Congress.gov | Library of Congress. https://www.congress.gov/constitution-annotated/.

Annotated Analysis and Interpretation.

Literal Prints – Constitution of the United States http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-CONAN-REV-2014/pdf/GPO-CONAN-REV-2014-6.pdf.

Amendments to the Constitution http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-CONAN-REV-2014/pdf/GPO-CONAN-REV-2014-6.pdf.

Supreme Court of the United States. https://www.supremecourt.gov/.

United States Courts. http://www.uscourts.gov/.

Federal Courts.

United States Reports: Cases Adjudged in the Supreme Court. Washington: Govt. Print. Off, 1754. Print.

Print volumes at the Washington State Law Library. For online, full-text volumes see
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/boundvolumes.aspx.

“National Indian Law Library (NILL) of the Native American Rights Fund Native American Rights Fund (NARF): Nonprofit Indian Law Firm: Native American Rights Fund. http://www.narf.org/nill/.

Public law library devoted to federal Indian and tribal law. Also blog at nilllibrary.blogspot.com.

Health and Human Services

“Benefits and Service U.S. Department of the Interior.  https://www.doi.gov/tribes/benefits.

“Division of Diabetes – Programs – Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) Indian Health Service (IHS). https://www.ihs.gov/MedicalPrograms/Diabetes/index.cfm?module=programsSDPI.

“Health Topics – Eating Healthy and Nutrition American Indian Health. https://americanindianhealth.nlm.nih.gov/eating.html.

National Library of Medicine. An information portal to issues affecting the health and well being of American Indians.

MedlinePlus – Health Information from the National Library of Medicine. http://medlineplus.gov/.

Health information from the National Library of Medicine.

“PubMed – NCBI National Center for Biotechnology Information. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed.

Access to over 12 million medical citations. Some full text.

History

Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, for the Year. Washington, D.C: G.P.O, 1868- . Print. At WSL: I 20.1: vol. 872-898.

Annual Reports of the Secretary of War. Washington, D.C.: G.P.O, 18uu- . At WSL: W 1.1:.

Housing

“Public and Indian Housing / Equal Opportunity/U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) HUD/U.S. http://bit.ly/2bgGXkq .

“Northwest ONAP (NWONAP) – HUD HUD/U.S. http://bit.ly/2bdvodc.

Legal and Justice

“A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1873 American Memory from the Library of Congress.

Links to Statutes at Large, 1789-1875, volumes 1 to 18. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwsllink.html. Volumes 7, 9-16 include treaties. Click on the appropriate treaty link within a volume to find page numbers.

“American Indian Publication – Department of Justice Search Results U.S. Department of Justice. http://bit.ly/2bgNQAq.

American Indian Treaties Portal. http://treatiesportal.unl.edu/.

“FDsys – Browse USCODE U.S. Government Publishing Office. https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collectionUScode.action?collectionCode=USCODE.

Provides access to the U.S. Code. Code is available in PDF and Text.

“Indigenous Law Portal | Law Library of Congress Home | Library of Congress. http://bit.ly/2aTtZD4.

“Indigenous Law Portal: Pacific Northwest | Law Library of Congress Home | Library of Congress. http://bit.ly/2b9YKop.

“Tribal Court Clearinghouse Tribal Court Clearinghouse. http://www.tribal-institute.org/index.htm.

Tribal law, Federal law, State law, topics, program resources, native resources.

If you have comments on this list of resources or wish to add a resource please contact Rand Simmons, [email protected].

Need assistance finding state or federal publications? Contact our Ask a Librarian service.

Tags: Washington State Library; FDLP; Tribal librarians

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