On the Internet
There is a lot of information on the internet about Native Americans. Not all of it is reliable so be very careful about what you choose to use in your report. The TCPS Library has complied some recommended places to start that are reliable, and I do think that you can trust these sources. Here is my catch, most of these sites are directory style sites, that is, they are lists of lots and lots of links to other places. That’s mostly because there are so many Native American tribes and just so much information about all of them it would be hard to put it all in one place. That said, I was very choosy in terms of which directory sites I elected to include here, and I do think these are the best and the links here are good. Always look them over with a parent to evaluate whether you both think the information is accurate and reliable enough to be included in your report.
TCPS Library Native American Recommended Internet Resources
TCPS Library General Recommended Internet Resources (These are general resources that will have information on a wide variety of topics, including Native Americans)
Databases are also great online resources and a great way to practice a research skill you will use throughout your eduational career. And the bonus here is the information is definitely good enough to include in your report. Public libraries offer access to many databases that may have good information for this report and you can access them from home with your library card. If you live in the City of San Diego, the public library offers access to the American Indian Experience database, which would be a great resource for this project. Other local libraries offer access to online encyclopedias which will provide useful, citable information for your report.
San Diego Public Library American Indian Experience***
***You may have to scroll on the page to find the link to the American Indian Experience Database, and you must be a library card holder and have your card available so you can login to use the database from home. If your home library is not listed above be sure to check their website, they may also subscribe to this database or another database that may be useful to your research! (Or you can go to a branch of the SDPL to access this database in person if you like)
Need help? Ask a Librarian! Most public libraries now provide 24/7 chat reference service. Which means if you have a question, you can ask a librarian, anytime! Just go to your public library’s website. (With your parent’s permission).
At the Library
When you begin your research on your tribe, it is important to keep the topic in mind from the specific to the general as in:
Your Tribe -> Regional Tribes -> North American Native Americans
So when you are in a library or on the internet trying to find information, if you are have trouble, make your search more general. For example, perhaps you are having trouble finding a book that is about your tribe, try finding a book that is about Native Americans in the region your tribe lives (for example the great plains region, or the pacific northwest), it may have a chapter about your tribe. If you can’t find a book about your region, try a more general resource about Native Americans in North America. This page will provide some good tips and online places to start your research so you’ve come to the right place!
For the library online catalog, some search terms to start out with will be:
- Your tribe name – watch the spelling! use the correct spelling, but also try any other forms of the spelling you have seen in books as those misspellings may appear as search terms
- Native American, Native Americans
- American Indian, American Indians – yep it’s still a valid subject term!
- Your tribe’s region followed by “native people” or “indian”, for example: Great Plains native people or Great Plains indian
Make sure when you are searching your library catalog to try a “subject” search first. The online catalog will want you to do a “keyword” search, but that will not give you the most specific results. If you are having trouble with the above tips in a subject search, go ahead and do a keyword and see if that helps, but I think you will find you get better results with the subject search.
