American Indian Resources: Special Collections & Special Libraries

This is an introductory guide to resources for Native American Studies. Some, but not all, of these are available through the Edmon Low Library, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater.

OSU Special Collections

OSU Library, Special Collections and University Archives

SCUA is the library's "Rare Book" department. It houses many kinds of materials on Oklahoma and OSU history, including photographs, as well as books on Indian tribes during their history in Oklahoma. (Copies of many of these books are also in the general collection or "stacks".) These books and materials cannot be checked out, but they may be used in the SCUA reading room.

One SCUA collection of special interest is the papers of Angie Debo, a pioneering Oklahoma woman historian who specialized in American Indian history. You can also find "Miss Angie's" books by searching her name in the Library Catalog. The Library also has the papers of David Pendleton Oakerhater, Oak-uh-hat-uh or Making Medicine. Oak-uh-hat-uh was a Cheyenne who was imprisoned at Ft. Marion, Florida. He later became a deacon in the Episcopal Church, and was the first Oklahoman named to that Church's Calendar of Saints.

Oklahoma Oral History Research Program

The OOHRP is our special project to record the voices of Oklahomans from all walks of life in sound and video. Staff members conduct interviews around the state and in other places, and transcribes those interviews, often with video, of the life experiences of women, women legislators, circus people from the Heavener area, and many others. One project of interest is the Oklahoma Native Artists interview series,

Tribal Libraries in Oklahoma

Note: Most of these libraries are very small, often staffed by only one or two people. They are often part of another tribal office. They may not be able to give extensive reference service, or lend materials to non-tribal members.

American Indian Library Association

Caddo Nation Library and Resource Center For some reason the text on this page is white on beige, so it is difficult to read. but you can select the text and copy and paste to a word document to read it.

Cherokee Nation Resource Lending Library

Chickasaw Nation Tribal Library

Citizen Potawatomi Tribal Archives and Library

Delaware Nation Library (Part of the Cultural Preservation Office)

Iowa Tribe Library

Muscogee (Creek) Nation Library and Archives (Part of the Cultural Preservation Office)

Otoe-Missouria Tribal Library (As of November 2011, the building housing the library is closed for renovation.)

Osage Nation Annette Gore Library (At the Osage Cultural Center)

Ottawa History Archives Library

Peoria Library

Sac and Fox Nation Public Library

Thlopthlocco Library Services