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

A Snapshot of Poor Records Storage at the Albuquerque Indian School

Today’s post is written by Cody White, Archivist and Subject Matter Expert for Native American Related Records On September 29, 1936, Carmen Gurnoe of Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, wrote the Albuquerque Indian School in New Mexico. Her request was simple, and one that Native elders still make today—she needed proof of her birth date, in … Continue reading A Snapshot of Poor Records Storage at the Albuquerque Indian School

“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

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

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

form for Indian reservation schedule for census data

The Story of the 1950 Census P8 Indian Reservation Schedule

Special thanks to Claire Kluskens, Archivist and Subject Matter Expert for Census Records, and Rose Buchanan, Archivist at the National Archives in Washington, DC. “Now Mrs. Begay, I want to ask you about the names of the people in your family. Is your husband known by any other name than Richard Begay? Sometimes he is … Continue reading The Story of the 1950 Census P8 Indian Reservation Schedule

Black Bull posing with his granddaughter outdoors

Meet Black Bull: A Story of Blackfeet Genealogy

Today’s post is by Cody White, Archivist at the National Archives at Denver and Subject Matter Expert for Native American Related Records. The Blackfeet Agency superintendent arrived at the well-maintained spread in the Heart Butte District—“probably the nicest home on Little Badger,” as another official traveling with him noted—to make the rounds of the reservation … Continue reading Meet Black Bull: A Story of Blackfeet Genealogy

Still image from the Covered Wagon.

There’s No Business Like Show Business: Hollywood Comes to the Wind River Indian Reservation, 1922–1925

Today’s post is by Cody White, Archivist at the National Archives at Denver and Subject Matter Expert for Native American Related Records. It is the early 1870s, on the expansive western plains. Starvation is gripping an unspecified tribe. The once plentiful bison, those that their elders assured them could never be wiped out, were in … Continue reading There’s No Business Like Show Business: Hollywood Comes to the Wind River Indian Reservation, 1922–1925

Timber! Picking the Perfect Christmas Tree

Today’s post is written by Cody White, Archivist at the National Archives at Denver and Subject Matter Expert for Native American Related Records. On November 14th, 1962, the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad (DRGRR) pulled two 53 foot flat cars, numbers 21025 and 2106, into Salida, Colorado. On hand were several U.S. Forest Service … Continue reading Timber! Picking the Perfect Christmas Tree

Considerable Talent and Great Promise: the Early Years of Navajo Artist Beatien Yazz

Today’s post is written by Cody White, National Archives at Denver, with special thanks to Gwen Granados; National Archives at Riverside, John Seamans; National Archives at San Francisco, and Theresa Fitzgerald; National Archives at St. Louis “…I had the pleasure of seeing some of the paintings of Beatin [sic] Yazz. He is a young Navajo … Continue reading Considerable Talent and Great Promise: the Early Years of Navajo Artist Beatien Yazz