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

An Indigenous Woman’s Legal Fight After Forced Sterilization

Today’s post was written by Grace Schultz, archivist at the National Archives at Philadelphia. Special thanks to Rose Buchanan and Cody White, Subject Matter Experts for Native American Related Records, for their feedback and expertise during the process of writing this post. The following piece along with associated archival records discuss forced sterilization, racist slurs … Continue reading An Indigenous Woman’s Legal Fight After Forced Sterilization

Notated layout plan for Heart Mountain Relocation Camp. Atlas on bottom right corner acts as key to map.

Japanese American Internment and Resistance at Heart Mountain

Today’s post is written by Lucas Blackwood, an intern at the National Archives at Denver. When World War II began the United States chose to remain neutral and did not join the war right away. Then, on December 7, 1941, Japan, part of the axis powers and allied with Germany, attacked the U.S. military base … Continue reading Japanese American Internment and Resistance at Heart Mountain

Cemeteries in the Records of the National Register of Historic Places

Why are there fences around cemeteries? Because people are dying to get in. Bad dad joke Shell Road in Mortaire Cemetery (National Archives Identifier 169153267) There are more than ninety-four thousand properties in the National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records, 2013 – 2017 (National Archives Identifier 20812721), of which there … Continue reading Cemeteries in the Records of the National Register of Historic Places

“An Act of Displeasure:” Reaction to the Possibility of a Woman Ambassador, 1951

In April 1950, the United States and Ireland elevated the diplomatic presence in their respective national capitals from a legation (headed by an Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary) to an embassy (headed by an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary).  The last American minister and first American ambassador to Ireland was George A. Garrett, whose tenure covered … Continue reading “An Act of Displeasure:” Reaction to the Possibility of a Woman Ambassador, 1951

photo of man w/short hair and mustache, bare torso, right side turned toward camera to show amputated right arm at the shoulder, w/exposed bone

BENEATH HIS SHIRT SLEEVES: Evidence of Injury

Tintype Images of Wounded Civil War Union Soldiers from Pension Application Files in the U.S. National Archives **Please note that the following post contains graphic images that may be disturbing to some readers.** This is the first of two posts about personal tintype images of wounded soldiers in the Civil War Pension Application Files from … Continue reading BENEATH HIS SHIRT SLEEVES: Evidence of Injury

Sepia tone photograph of buildings in the desert

The Stories Behind the Names: Death at the Santa Fe Indian School, 1891–1909

Today’s post is by Cody White and Rose Buchanan, Subject Matter Experts for Native American Related Records. Warning: the following piece along with associated archival records discuss the death of minors. The names of students who died at Native American boarding schools should not be buried in government files; they should be known. For accountability, … Continue reading The Stories Behind the Names: Death at the Santa Fe Indian School, 1891–1909

Equalization and its Role in Dismantling Racial Segregation in Virginia Public Schools

Today’s post was written by Grace Schultz, archivist at the National Archives at Philadelphia. A companion lesson plan can be viewed here on DocsTeach. The fight to desegregate schools started long before the Supreme Court’s decision in Oliver Brown, et al. v. Board of Education of Topeka, et al., and it continues today. As can … Continue reading Equalization and its Role in Dismantling Racial Segregation in Virginia Public Schools

The Grisly Tale of the “Colorado Cannibal” Alfred Packer, as Seen in the Records of the Office of Indian Affairs

Today’s post is written by Cody White, Archivist and Subject Matter Expert for Native American Related Records. What exactly happened in the brutal winter conditions of Colorado's San Juan Mountains nearly 150 years ago, when Alfred Packer survived by eating the bodies of his five companions, will never be known—only Packer lived to tell the … Continue reading The Grisly Tale of the “Colorado Cannibal” Alfred Packer, as Seen in the Records of the Office of Indian Affairs