November is Native American Heritage Month, also known as American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. The Northwest Room at Tacoma Library’s Main Branch has a wealth of materials to help you research and celebrate the Pacific Northwest’s rich Native history. You’ll find:
- Books and encyclopedias, as well as primary source materials such as Territorial newspapers, diaries, treaties, government reports and statistics
- Historical maps of Tacoma, Pierce County, and the greater Northwest
- An online Image Archive featuring the library’s historical photo collection
- Unique local history indexes, including topics relevant to regional Native American research
- A vast clipping files collection, including many folders on Northwest tribes
Interested in researching your Native American ancestry? The Northwest Room’s genealogy collection has books and guides to help you get started, as well as free access to genealogy subscription databases.
Be sure to also check out these free internet resources:
- Tips for Tribal Genealogical Research, opens a new window from the US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs
- American Indian Genealogy, opens a new window, a wiki page by FamilySearch.org with tips and links to records online
- American Indian Records at the National Archives, opens a new window with information on finding US federal records
- Cyndi’s List Native American Resources, opens a new window provides links to online resources by type and category
