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HIST 490C: Indigenous Activism (Fall 2025)

Getting Started

 

  1. Start by writing out your question or topic.
  2. identify key terms
  3. identify potential synonyms
  4. Use AND OR NOT to create search phrases. 
  5. Conduct several searches, revising keywords backed on subject terms & commonly used language in the articles/books.

Examples

  • Nativistic religious movements
  • American Indian Federation and right-wing criticism of the New Deal
  • Land Back and national parks
    • ("Land Back" AND ("national parks" OR "national park services")) OR "land back movement"
  • Water rights activism
    • "Water rights" AND activis*
    • "Water rights" AND ("native american" OR indigenous OR tribal)
  • Aboriginal Australian and Māori activism (possibly comparative angle)
  • Black-Indigenous solidarity movements
    • (black OR "African american") AND (indigenous OR "native american" OR "native americans") AND solidarity
  • Palestinian activism
    • Palestin* AND ((indigenous AND america*) OR "native american" OR "native americans" OR "indians of North america")
  • Ira Hayes and the Marine Corps Memorial campaign
  • Native veterans and activism since World War II
    • veteran* AND ((indigenous AND america*) OR "native american" OR "native americans" OR "indians of North america") AND (protest* OR activi*)
      • bipna
      • ahl
      • Catalog -- long list  but skim for good works, like Reinventing the warrior : masculinity in the American Indian Movement, 1968-1973
      • Worldcat another long list but skim the first few pages for some good results.
  • Indigenous activism in the Pacific Northwest
    • "pacific northwest" AND ((indigenous AND america*) OR "native american" OR "native americans" OR "indians of North america") AND (protest* OR activi*)
  • Makah whaling and treaty rights
    • Makah* AND whaling  
      • note: not that much scholarly work, would suggest not adding more terms -- skim the small list of results for best materials for your topic
      • bipna 
      • ahl 
      • catalog 
      • worldcat
  • Indigenous language revitalization (Northeast)
    • may need to narrow to specific language
    • ((indigenous AND america*) OR "native american" OR "native americans" OR "indians of North america") AND ((language AND revitaliz*) OR "language revival")
  • Native Hawaiian activism during WW II
  • Indigenous activism in Civil War era
    • ((indigenous AND america*) OR "native american" OR "native americans" OR "indians of North america") AND "civil war" AND (protest* OR activis* OR resist*)
  • American Indian Movement 

  • Indigenous-Palestinian solidarity movements (transnational activism)

    • Palestin* AND ((indigenous AND america*) OR "native american" OR "native americans" OR "indians of North america")

    • ("global activism" OR "transnational activism" OR "international activism") AND ((indigenous AND america*) OR "native american" OR "native americans" OR "indians of North america")
  • Dine/Ute activism and the LDS Church
    • (Dine OR Ute) AND ("latter day saints" OR "latter-day saints")
    • ((indigenous AND america*) OR "native american" OR "native americans" OR "indians of North america") AND ("latter day saints" OR "latter-day saints")
  • NAGPRA, museums and decolonization
    • ("Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act" OR nagpra) AND museum*
  • Native Hawaiian activism and resistance movements after US annexation
    • ((hawai* AND native*) OR "Kānaka Maoli") AND annexation
      • ahl
      • bipna
      • catalog (revised search - many results, suggest skimming)
      • worldcat look at The island edge of America : a political history
        • ((hawai* AND native*) OR "Kānaka Maoli") AND (activism OR activist*)
  • NMAI and decolonization
  • MMIWG
  • Indian citizenship in Civil War/Reconstruction era
    • ((indigenous AND america*) OR "native american" OR "native americans" OR "indians of North america") AND citizenship AND ("civil war" OR reconstruction)
  • Red Power movement
  • Indigenous identity issues
    • Search as Subject:
      • ((indigenous AND america*) OR "native american" OR "native americans" OR "indians of North america") AND identity
        • ahl
        • bipna
          • both broad. Add another aspect (gender, race, religion, material culture, etc. Focus on specific group. Use Subject filter to narrow search further
        • catalog
        • worldcat
          • needs to narrow further
    • Search as Subject:
       "Indigenous ethnic identity"
    • suggest narrowing (Ex music) (pop culture) (ethnic identity)
    • Try: ((indigenous AND america*) OR "native american" OR "native americans" OR "indians of North america") AND identity AND (activism OR activist*)