Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Native American Material in the Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University

Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University.

"The Clarke Library has the most complete collection in the state regarding Michigan's first people. Within the Clarke a wealth of secondary studies are complimented by the work of Native American authors as well as very complete sets of microfilmed records from the federal government. There is also an extensive body of material created by religious missionaries 
and a large number of volumes printed in Ojibway."

Anishinabe Art: The Olga Denison Collection
Lidded Basket with Tray, 1976  by Alice Bennett (Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan),  Black ash splints, 14" x 12". Image Courtesy of the Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University.
Lidded Basket with Tray, 1976
by Alice Bennett (Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan),
Black ash splints, 14" x 12".
Image Courtesy of the Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University.

"The artistic traditions of the Anishinabe, the Native peoples of Michigan and the surrounding region, reach back in prehistory and embrace a multitude of materials. Art continues to be an important aspect in the contemporary life of these communities. The Olga Denison Collection of Anishinabe art largely represents the contemporary expression of many traditional native crafts."
  • Beadwork
  • Black Ash Baskets
  • Pottery
  • Quill Work on Birch Bark
  • Sculpture
  • Sweetgrass Baskets
  • Works on Paper and Canvas

Bibliography of Clarke Material

"The Clarke Historical Library holdings are particularly rich in materials on the Native Americans of Michigan. Included in this bibliography are books, periodicals, manuscripts, maps and graphics on the subject. Because traditional tribal boundaries are not codeterminus with contemporary state borders, some of the material listed in this bibliography has a wider geographic focus than Michigan, but the emphasis is on Michigan.

Annotations have been made as far as possible from the author, editor or publisher's own words. Where that was not possible a brief content description was made. Annotations were selected which are content oriented. Little attempt has been made to evaluate the material. Even though a publication may contain more than one subject they have been entered into this bibliography only once, where the compiler thought most appropriate."
  • Archaeology
  • Arts & Crafts
  • Biography
  • Education
  • Ethnography
  • Explorers and Travelers
  • Fur Trade
  • Geneology
  • General
  • Government Relations
  • Literature and Legends
  • Local History
  • Mascots
  • Missionaries and Missions
  • Native Language Materials
  • Removal
  • Treaties
  • Treaty Rights
  • Wars
  • Maps
Native American Children's Literature

"a compilation of books for children by and about Native Americans in the collection of the Clarke Historical Library. It is not inclusive of all the literature available, only what is in the Clarke Historical Library. "
  • Multimedia Resources
  • Stories, Folklore, Legends, and Fiction
  • Textbooks, Nonfiction, Biography
Isabella County Documents

  • Allottment
  • Allotment Page 1
  • Allotment Page 2
  • Allotment Page 3
  • Allotment Page 4
  • Allotment Page 5
  • Allotment Page 6
  • Annuity Rolls
  • Gruett Roll

    Excerpts from the Michigan Pioneer & Historical Collections

    Schematics of ancient Native American burial mounds. Image Courtesy of the Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University.
    Image Courtesy of the Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University.
    "Produced from materials presented at the annual meetings of the Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society, the collections contain a high quantity of primary resources and historical papers concerning many aspects of Michigan's past.

    The MPHC consists of forty 600 to 700 page volumes. Each volume includes letters, speeches, memorial reports, private and professional papers of individuals, as well as personal remembrances and historical essays. The bulk of these materials span a period of roughly two hundred years, from 1650 to 1850. However, these dates are not entirely inclusive. For example, the collections contain essays written about Michigan's ancient burial mounds as well as documents from the civil war era. It is also important to note that while most of the MPHC concerns the events and people of Michigan's past, materials pertaining to other parts of the mid-west are included as well."
    • American Revolution
    • The Battle of Fallen Timbers
    • Biographies
    • Conflicts between Native Americans
    • Criminality and Legality
    • Ethnography
    • Fur Trade
    • General Relations with the Americans
    • General Relations with the British
    • General Relations with the French
    • Native American Missions and Missionaries
    • Native American Presents and Gift Giving
    • Pontiac's Conspiracy
    • Prehistory and Archaeology
    • Speeches and Councils
      • with other Native Americans
      • with the French
      • with the United States
      • with the British
    • Treaties
    • War of 1812
    Isabella Indian Reservation

    "When much of the public thinks of "Indian reservations" they almost invariably envision a remote, dusty location somewhere in the desert southwest. It frequently surprises people when they learn that Michigan has within its boundaries many Indian reservations. One of the earliest and most historically interesting was founded in Isabella County in 1855. Unfortunately, the early history of the Isabella County reservation is poorly documented and surrounded by considerable myth and misinformation.

    We hope that by presenting Mr. Keenan's research regarding the reservation many of these myths and errors can be corrected. Should readers disagree with Mr. Keenan's facts or interpretation, we hope they will work toward documenting alternate ideas and thus help create an even richer understanding of the Isabella County reservation."

    • Coming of the Chippewa to Isabella County
    • Indian Mills on the Chippewa River
    • Indian Schools and Churches
    • Land, Lumber, and Money
    • Bibliography
    Native American Treaties: Their Ongoing Importance 


    "This web page focuses on the negotiations that have occurred between Euro-Americans and three Native American communities, the Chippewa, Odawa, and Potawatomi.

    This web site explores the treaties that effect the people, Indian and Euro-American, who live in Michigan, and offers six case studies to explain how treaties signed between 1795 and 1864 had relevance in the past and continue to have importance today. We welcome you to read the treaties and consider the case studies. "

    • Understanding Treaties
    • Text of Michigan Related Treaties
    • Historical Issues
    • Contemporary Issues
    Native American Treaty Signers in the Great Lakes Region

    "The negotiators who represented the American Republic often held deeply stereotypical views about the Native Americans they negotiated with which echoed through much of the nineteenth and twentieth century literature about Indians.... 
    This web version of the exhibit includes two highlights of Native American Treaty Signers. The first are the images of 22 Native American leaders drawn in the 1820s by J. O. Lewis and published by Lewis in full color between 1835 and 1836. Also included on this web page is the essay about these leaders which was originally published in the catalog that accompanied the exhibit."
    • Images
    • Essays

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