Research Guides: Native American &amp; Indigenous Studies: Books & Articles

Search Strategies

Books and other media in the FSU Libraries are organized using categories and terminology that privilege a Western, European worldview. As a result, scholars often use multiple search strategies to find relevant materials, using a combination of Western and Indigenous names and keywords.

The Library of Congress system, which we use at FSU Libraries, has a system of subject headings, or standardized tags that we apply to materials to describe their contents. These, too, often use terminology that may not be used by the Indigenous peoples they describe. For example, library catalogs will use the term "Creek Indians" in most places instead of Muscogee Nation. Authors, however, may use other terminology or variant spellings, so it's a good idea to try multiple search terms.

Ask a librarian for help developing search terms if you need assistance.

Selected Subject Headings

It's often a good idea to start with search terms that are more specific to your subject and only move to these broader terms as needed.

Indians of North America
This very broad term can be combined with a location, most often a U.S. state, as in Indians of North America -- Florida.
Note that Indigenous people of Hawaii are not included under this heading, but are described as Hawaiians.
Indian authors
For general works about Indigenous literature, the catalog uses the phrase "Indian authors" along with the genre, often connected to a nation of origin (e.g. American literature, Canadian poetry).
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"Indian authors" is also confusing because it could refer to authors from India. The catalog tries to solve this problem by using "East Indian authors" to refer to writers from India, though this seems to double down on a European perspective.
Indigenous art
This broad term connects to works about Native art in general. Works that are specific to one group will have a more precise subject heading, like Navajo art.
Aboriginal Australians
While Indigenous peoples of the Americas are referred to as "Indians" in library catalogs, different terminology--often "people" paired with either an ethnic or geographic name--is used for other regions. "Aboriginal Australians" is a unique term for the broad category of Indigenous peoples of Australia.
- Koori (Australian people)
- Maori (New Zealand people)
- Ifugao (Philippine people)

How to Find Books using OneSearch

OneSearch
OneSearch is the main search box on the FSU Libraries website.

Finding Journal Articles

Journal articles are often organized into databases by discipline, like Psychology or History. Depending on your research topic, you may want to add one of these discipline-specific databases to your search strategy, and use keywords to discover the articles about Native topics. You can also use OneSearch to search across discipline, again using a combination of keywords to identify works relevant to your research topic.

Need help? Don't hesitate to contact a librarian for expert guidance on search strategies and relevant databases.

Select journals in the field of Native American & Indigenous Studies

Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS)
As the journal of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association, Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) is based in North America but seeks to bridge the distances across the Indigenous world. The editors of NAIS are committed to creating a dynamic intellectual space for the communication and dissemination of excellent scholarship related to Indigenous Studies.
AlterNative
AlterNative was launched by Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, New Zealand’s Māori Centre of Research Excellence, to provide an innovative new forum for Indigenous scholars to set their own agendas, content and arguments and establish a unique new standard of excellence in Indigenous scholarship. The intention was not only to showcase themes of Indigenous knowledge and epistemologies, but also to document the emergence of different Indigenous methodologies and value systems within an academic environment.

Additionally, here are a few more specialized journals that are either discipline specific or more focused on Native American and Indigenous topics in the United States.

American Indian Culture and Research Journal
A multi-disciplinary journal designed for scholars and the general public. Published by the American Indian Studies Center at the University of California, Los Angeles, the journal includes book reviews, literature, and original scholarly papers on a wide range of issues in the fields of history, anthropology, geography, sociology, political science, health, literature, law, education, and the arts.
American Indian Quarterly
A forum for diverse voices and perspectives spanning a variety of academic disciplines. The common thread is the journal’s commitment to publishing work that contributes to the development of American Indian studies as a field and to the sovereignty and continuance of American Indian nations and cultures. In addition to peer-reviewed articles, AIQ features reviews of books, films, and exhibits.
Ethnohistory
Ethnohistory emphasizes the joint use of documentary materials and ethnographic or archaeological data, as well as the combination of historical and anthropological approaches, in the study of social and cultural processes and history. The journal has established a strong reputation for its studies of the history of native peoples in the Americas and in recent years has expanded its focus to cultures and societies throughout the world.
NARF Law Review
Published semi-annually and provides updates on the Native American Rights Fund’s cases and information on other timely Indian law topics. Since 1970, NARF has provided legal assistance to Native American tribes, organizations, and individuals in the United States who might otherwise have gone without adequate representation.