Ethnic Studies Specialized Databases
Key Journals to Consult
While there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of periodicals that have articles relevant to research on Native Americans, the ones listed here are of great importance to the field, and every student should get to know them.
Alternatives and Augmentations to Wikipedia
Below are the research encyclopedias that all students doing research on Native Americans should know about. You should always begin your research in them.
American Indian Religious Traditions by ISBN: 1576075206Publication Date: 2005Combining the work of Native Americans and non-Native scholars, this reference work explores indigenous North American religions, religious practices, and rituals.
Encyclopedia of American Indian Issues Today by ISBN: 9780313381454Publication Date: 2013... presents 85 essays on American Indian issues in recent decades. The entries are organized thematically into ten sections on peoples and places; economy and work; learning, literacy and languages; health of body and mind in private and public spheres; Indian identity, spirituality, traditional and modern thought; sovereignty and dependence; law, politics and conflict; American Indian art and media; environmental concerns; and a final section on Canadian Indians and other aboriginal peoples. The entries are 5-15 pages long. Topics include kinship structures, women's identity and power, unemployment, deaf Native Americans, racial stereotyping in mascots, controversy over ownership of artifacts, Indian sovereignty, political activism, media made by Indians, tribal land use and preserving habitats, biocolonialism, and worldwide indigenous activism. The contributors come from North America, Europe and New Zealand. They include independent scholars, attorneys, and professors of history, sociology, English, religious studies, and Native American studies. (Publisher)
Encyclopedia of North American Indians by ISBN: 0395669219Publication Date: 1996Written by more than 260 contemporary authorities, the volume features many Native American contributors - including eminent writers, tribal elders, scholars, and activists - with voices as distinct as their subjects, offering a deeper and more informed appreciation of American Indian life, past and present. Illustrated with many rare photographs, the Encyclopedia features articles on subjects such as mound builders, reservations, cigar-store Indians, child rearing, powwows, boarding schools, museums and collectors, dreams, the occupation of Alcatraz, and the impact of American Indian civilizations on Europe and the world. Contemporary topics include gambling, sports mascots, alcoholism, urban Indians, and the status of women...Illustrated with rare photographs...(Publisher)
The Gale Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes by ISBN: 0787610852Publication Date: 1998"Although there have been a number of recent reference titles on the history and culture of Native Americans, Gale's encyclopedia offers exceptional scope, clarity, and content. Covering almost 400 North American tribes, each essay contains information on both the historical and contemporary issues for the tribe. All entries begin with an introduction about the tribal roots, historic and current location, population data, and language family. This is followed by segments covering the history, religious beliefs, language, buildings, means of subsistence, clothing, healing practices, customs, oral literature, and current tribal issues. Several black-and-white illustrations and bibliographies for further research are included. A cumulative index of tribes,relevant nonnative peoples, historic dates and battles, treaties, legislation, associations, and religious groups adds value".--"Outstanding Reference Sources : the 1999 Selection of New Titles"
Handbook of North American Indians by ISBN: 0874741939Publication Date: 1978 ... ongoingThis monumental effort is now at volume 18 of an expected 20-volume work described frequently as a "... tour de force of anthropology and publishing." This is an extraordinary, essential resource for researchers.
Native America: a state-by-state historical encyclopedia by ISBN: 0313381275Publication Date: 2012... 50 chapters offering interpretations of Native American history through the lens of the states in which Indians lived or helped shape. This organizing structure and thematic focus allows readers access to information on specific Indians and the regions they lived in while also providing a collective overview of Native American relationships with the United States as a whole.(Publisher)
Native America in the Twentieth Century by ISBN: 0824048466Publication Date: 1994Declared " ...a unique and much-needed collection of articles on Native American life in the US during this century..." when it was published in 1994, this work is a collection of articles written by representatives of the tribal nations and experts. Biographies are excluded.
Native Americans by ISBN: 1568026838Publication Date: 2002"Its unassuming title does not hint at this book's wealth of scholarship and primary source materials about Native American political history. Grinde has collected 22 multifaceted critical essays (by scholars such as Vine Deloria) that cover three centuries of Native American political history and legal issues, and he offers an invaluable chronological collection of 68 primary source documents." (Choice Reviews Online)
Native Americans by ISBN: 0874368367Publication Date: 1998This landmark two volume source ranks as one of the field's most comprehensive guides to Native American studies, offering historical, cultural, and modern reference, supporting a complete range of research. (Publisher)
Native Americans Today by ISBN: 0313355541Publication Date: 2010The book spotlights Native American lives in the United States and Canada, mainly after 1900, though a few older figures are included because their lives evoke strikingly modern themes. The author, an expert on all things Native American, knows (or knew) several of the people in the entries, adding a special vibrancy to the writing. Among those profiled are former U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, activist Eloise Cobell, and controversial political prisoner Leonard Peltier, as well as writers, artists, and musicians. The compilation also includes non-Native Americans whose lives and careers impacted Indian life. (Publisher)
Which Database Should You Use?
Ethnic Studies is such an interdisciplinary field that you need to really think about the specific topic you are researching carefully to decide the best database to use. Read the descriptions here carefully.
For current issues type information and to search the ethnic PRESS (mostly magazines whose audience is people in a specific ethnic group), Ethnic Newswatch is the way to go!
If you are just beginning to explore your topic, a good database to explore in is Omnifile.
If your research has a historical angle or cultural life of America angle, you should be sure to explore America: History & Life.
Many, many aspects of ethnic studies research are SOCIOLOGICAL ("... the science of society, social institutions, and social relationships..." according to www.merrian-webster.com/dictionary) in nature or perspective. There is a huge sociology database called, suprisingly, Sociological Abstracts.
And, if your topic has to do with women in particular, you need to search Women's Studies International.
If you researching an author or literature, then you will need to tackle the MLA Bibliography.
Does your research have anything to do with Art? Then you will need Art Index and maybe Artbibliographies Modern.