American Indian Studies

A guide with resources and tips for doing research in American Indian Studies

How to Research This Topic

Welcome, students, researchers, and curious minds! I'm Lux Darkbloom, your librarian for the School of Cultural and Social Transformation, and I'm here to help you find answers to your academic questions. My main priority is to connect you with the knowledge, resources, and services that the library provides, especially for important fields like American Indian Studies.

This guide is your entry point to library resources for American Indian Studies. Whether you're starting a research project, learning about cultural histories, or exploring the impact of race and ethnicity, you'll find the resources you need here. You can find a selection of recommended resources in the menu to the left, as well as the tabs above.

If you have a question, need help with databases, or are looking for a specific resource, please reach out. You can connect with me directly at lux.darkbloom@utah.edu. I'm also available by phone, through Zoom, or for an in-person chat in the library. Let's find what you need together.

To search the library catalog, you can search for keywords that describe your topic. 

Search by Keyword

  • Start with basic terms: Write down the most obvious words related to your topic.
  • Think of synonyms: Use a thesaurus or online synonym finder to find alternative words for your basic terms. Don't just use synonyms; consider related terms as well.
  • Consider broader and narrower terms: Move up and down the hierarchy of terms. If "pollution" is a keyword, also consider "air pollution," "water pollution," or the specific pollutants involved.
  • Think of related concepts: What other ideas are connected to your topic? For example, if your topic is "artificial intelligence," related concepts might be "machine learning," "neural networks," or "robotics."
  • Consider acronyms and abbreviations: If your topic has a common acronym, include it.
  • Think about the type of resource you need: Are you looking for books, articles, videos, or something else? This can influence your keywords (e.g., "documentary" for a film).
  • Consider the time period: If your topic is time-sensitive, include relevant years or eras.
  • Consider the location: If your topic is geographically specific, include place names.

Advanced Searching

  • Use an asterisk to find variants on a word (for example, wom*n will search for both woman and women)
  • Use quotation marks around exact phrases ("Native American history")
  • Combine terms using AND and OR
    • For example, "tribal sovereignty" AND self-determination will narrow to results that have both terms
    • Another example: "treaty rights" OR "land rights" will search for results that have either term

Below is a small selection of texts related to Indigenous Studies.

When starting your research in American Indian studies, start by gathering background information on your topic. Tertiary sources, such as encyclopedias and reference databases, are good places to start. You'll find a selection of reference materials below:

Statistics can be a useful tool when researching populations or groups.

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