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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
    • discussions of Palestine in our Indigenous primary source databases
    • discussions of Palestine and Palestinians in Indigenous publications
    • newspaper coverage of activism and protests
  • Ira Hayes and the Marine Corps Memorial campaign
    • "ira hayes" in newspapers, 
    • look also in  Indigenous primary source databases 
    • search in proquest congressional
    • speeches and newspaper coverage of leaders in this campaign 
  • Native veterans and activism since World War II
    • coverage of "native american veterans" in newspapers
    • discussions in Proquest congressional
    • once leaders identified, look for their speeches, personal papers, writings
    • if there are activist groups that were central, search for their records in our databases and online.
      • search them as author in worldcat
  • Indigenous activism in the Pacific Northwest
    • narrow to specific group
      • look them up in newspapers
      • if there are specific groups, look up their papers and publications
      • search groups as author in worldcat
      • look at universities where groups are located -- Portland State, UW, et may have archival holdings.
  • Makah whaling and treaty rights
    • Makah writings
    • nexis uni for legal cases
    • newspaper coverage
    • publications
  • Indigenous language revitalization (Northeast)
    • will need to narrow to specific language
    • dictionaries
    • newspaper coverage
    • grammar books
  • Native Hawaiian activism during WW II
    • "personal narratives" of leaders
    • newspaper coverage
    • state legislation if there were laws passed
  • Indigenous activism in Civil War era
    • newspaper coverage
    • progress congressional
    •  
  • American Indian Movement 
    • "American Indian Movement" database
    • newspaper coverage

  • Indigenous-Palestinian solidarity movements (transnational activism)

    • newspaper coverage

    • speeches

    • search Palestinian in our indigenous peoples primary source databases

  • Dine/Ute activism and the LDS Church
    • Dine OR Ute publications and statements about the LDS church
    • search "Latter-day saints" in our Indigenous History database to see what other groups are saying.
  • NAGPRA, museums and decolonization
    • search for "Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act" in Indigenous history databases
    • look at discussion of NAGPRA in Indigenous publications
    • look at discussion of NAGPRA in museum and archival sceicen publciations 
  • Native Hawaiian activism and resistance movements after US annexation
    • newspaper records of "Resistance" 
    • proquest congressional for the same
  • NMAI and decolonization
    •  National Museum of the American Indian publications
    • professional archival and library science magazines
    • newspaper coverage
    • publications by activist groups covering the process
  • MMIWG
    • newspaper coverage
    • look it up in lexis uni for news wire coverage
    • interviews
    • writings by individuals active in the organization (Search as author, or search their names in newsapers
  • Indian citizenship in Civil War/Reconstruction era
    • look at proquest congressional congress discussions
    • possibly look at state legislature discussions (approach will vary with state)
    • newspaper coverage of "indian citizenship"
  • Red Power movement
    • newspaper coverage
    • search phrase in our indigenous materials primary source collections
  • Indigenous identity issues
    • will need to narrow down focus
      • indigenous newspapers and publications
      • art produced by indigenous artists
      • primary sources will depend upon focus