Today's post is by Rose Buchanan, Archivist and Subject Matter Expert for Native American Related Records On July 20, 1964, Ida Ellen Stansbury Robinson of Merced, California, wrote to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) headquarters in Washington, DC, to request information about her family history. “For a number of years I have been aware … Continue reading “I Trust You Will Be Able to Assist Me”: Genealogy Researchers Contact the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Category: American Indian History
Getting Out the Vote: Indian Reorganization Act Elections on the Rez
Today’s post is by Cody White, Archivist at the National Archives at Denver and Subject Matter Expert for Native American Related Records It was the day of the election. Debates had gone back and forth over the past year, voting dates had moved around, a parade of folks had stumped the country drumming up support … Continue reading Getting Out the Vote: Indian Reorganization Act Elections on the Rez
Norman Rockwell and his Dam Painting
Today’s post is written by Cody White, Archivist at the National Archives at Denver. “That’s a mechanical drawing . . . where’s some human interest?” posed the famous artist as he took in the vista of Arizona’s 710-foot-tall, 1,560-foot-wide Glen Canyon Dam. The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) staffers accompanying the artist—who at that point in … Continue reading Norman Rockwell and his Dam Painting
Dear Diary; the Official Diaries of Office of Indian Affairs Superintendents, 1907-1917
Superintendent Albert Reagan of the Nett Lake Agency in Northern Minnesota was fed up with Tom Fisher. Fisher, a reservation policeman, was already on thin ice with Reagan when Fisher dropped into the agency office on November 16th and complained that he worked too hard. The superintendent vented to his office diary, listing exactly how … Continue reading Dear Diary; the Official Diaries of Office of Indian Affairs Superintendents, 1907-1917
The Boys of Summer – Records Relating to Baseball and the World Series in the Records of the National Register of Historic Places
Take me out to the Ballgame!
Public Outcry, a Broken Treaty, and the Controversial Construction of the Kinzua Dam
Today’s post was written by Grace Schultz, archivist at the National Archives at Philadelphia. On September 16, 1966, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) drowned over 10,000 acres of Seneca land in northwestern Pennsylvania and southwestern New York. The 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua, signed by George Washington as well as Native and federal delegates, … Continue reading Public Outcry, a Broken Treaty, and the Controversial Construction of the Kinzua Dam
Join the National Archives for the 2023 Genealogy Series!
The National Archives and Records Administration is pleased to present our annual Genealogy Series on YouTube. This educational series of lectures will teach you how to use federal resources at the National Archives for genealogical research. Our program this year celebrates public service, with presentations on military and civilian records. You will also learn how … Continue reading Join the National Archives for the 2023 Genealogy Series!
Not “the last Chilkat blanket weaver”: The Story of Annie Klaney and the Indian Arts and Crafts Board
By Rose Buchanan, Archivist and Subject Matter Expert for Native American Related Records “Chilkat Blanket.” This terse subject line is easy to miss in a nearly 100-page file of administrative correspondence from the Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACB). It headlines a May 17, 1962, letter from Carl W. Heinmiller, director of Alaska Indian Arts, … Continue reading Not “the last Chilkat blanket weaver”: The Story of Annie Klaney and the Indian Arts and Crafts Board
Meet Sgt. Eva Mirabal/Eah Ha Wa (Taos Pueblo); Women’s Army Corps Artist
Today’s post is written by Cody White, Archivist and Subject Matter Expert for Native American Related Records. In honor of both National Native American Heritage Month and Veterans Day, today I want to highlight through our Bureau of Indian Affairs records one of the many Natives who answered our nation’s call in times of war. … Continue reading Meet Sgt. Eva Mirabal/Eah Ha Wa (Taos Pueblo); Women’s Army Corps Artist
“How about a little football game?” The Albuquerque Indian School’s Dominating Football Run, 1926-1931
Today’s post is written by Cody White, Archivist and Subject Matter Expert for Native American Related Records. A new exhibit showcasing the impact sports have had on America has opened at the National Archives Museum. All American: The Power of Sports spans centuries of United States history and features more than 75 original items from … Continue reading “How about a little football game?” The Albuquerque Indian School’s Dominating Football Run, 1926-1931