This LibGuide is not intended to be a comprehensive listing of all Native American holdings at The Bancroft Library. Rather, it highlights a variety of materials that have proven useful in class instruction at UC Berkeley, Indigenous language reclamation efforts, and independent research. Included are searching tips and tricks to navigate UC Library Search (the library catalog) and Online Archive of California (the finding aid repository) to find related materials. While the focus of this LibGuide is on primary source materials, The Bancroft Library also contains a plethora of secondary sources and recent publications.
Please note that the many of the materials included in this guide were created many years ago by non-Native individuals, and some of the language used is not culturally appropriate or sensitive. Additionally, spelling and terminology in regards to tribal and language names may be inconsistent with current practices. In order to maintain factual content of the items at hand, original descriptions were not changed and were listed in this guide as they appear.
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The Bancroft Library is the primary special collections library at the University of California, Berkeley. One of the largest and most heavily used libraries of manuscripts, rare books, and unique materials in the United States, Bancroft supports major research and instructional activities.
Materials at The Bancroft Library are non-circulating, and must be used in the on-site Reading Room. All those wishing to use Bancroft materials must register as researchers. Registration is free, and just takes a few minutes online using the Aeon system. For information on using The Bancroft Library, please visit the following LibGuides:
This LibGuide was compiled by Lee Anne Titangos, Instruction Specialist at The Bancroft Library.
The following people contributed greatly to the realization of this LibGuide:
The Bancroft Library
Michele Morgan, Accessioning Archivist
Lauren Lassleben, Accessioning Archivist
Christine Hult-Lewis, Interim Pictorial Curator
Theresa Salazar, Western Americana Curator
José Adrián Barragán-Álvarez, Latin Americana Curator
Kathi Neal, University Archivist
Ethnic Studies Library
Melissa Stoner, Native American Studies Librarian
Special thanks to Scott Braley for sharing his photographs of the Breath of Life workshops.
The author of this LibGuide recognizes that UC Berkeley sits on the territory of xučyun (Huichin), the ancestral and unceded land of the Chochenyo speaking Ohlone people. Please visit Ohlone Land for further info.