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Native American Studies

A guide to resources for students doing research in Native American Studies.

Search Tips

Searching for information on Native American people and cultures can be tricky, because these materials are indexed under a variety of terms. Library catalogs and many databases still index materials under "Indians." These tips will help you locate materials more effectively

Subject searching

Materials in Scout and other databases have subject area tags to help you locate materials. In Scout, go to "Advanced Search," and in the box to the right of your search field, select "Subject." You can also type the code "SU" before your search terms. A title search can also be helpful. Select "Title" from the menu or type "TI" before your search term.

screenshot of a subject search for "Indians of North America" in Scout

 

Search Terms

The following terms are typically used to index materials about Native Americans. Try a subject or title search for one of these terms combined with another keyword related to your research. Put quotation marks around your search phrase to search for the whole phrase.

  • Indians of North America
  • Native Americans
  • Indigenous People
  • American Indians
  • First Nations (especially for Native people of Canada)
  • Aborigines or Aboriginal (for Native people of Australia)
  • Names of tribes or ethnic groups

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