Native American Heritage
Databases
Ancestry Library
A genealogical and historical research tool that provides access to city directories, U.S. Federal Census records between 1790 and 1930, and immigration, vital, military, court, church, and ethnic records. It includes resources for Buffalo & Erie County historical records. For use at any library. This database cannot be accessed remotely. Virtual Tour
HeritageQuest Online
U.S. Federal census records from 1790-1930, family genealogies, local histories, tax lists, city directories, land and probate records, birth, marriage, and death records, and genealogical and local history serials from the Periodical Source Index (PERSI). It includes resources for Buffalo & Erie County historical information.
Websites
U.S. Department of the Interior Indian Affairs
They maintain government-to-government relationships with Indian tribes and facilitate support for tribal people and tribal governments.
National Archives and Records Administration, American Indians
The National Archives holds information about American Indians who maintained their ties to Federally-recognized Tribes (1830-1970). Limited records are available online.
National Congress of American Indians
Founded in 1944, is the oldest, largest and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization serving the broad interests of tribal governments and communities.
National Museum of the American Indian
The National Museum of the American Indian is a museum dedicated to the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of the native peoples of the Western Hemisphere.
Native American Fish & Wildlife Society
A National Native Non-Profit Organization dedicated to the conservation, protection and enhancement of tribal Fish, wildlife, habitat and cultural resources.
Native American Heritage Month (November)
The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans.
Native Voices: Native Peoples' Concepts of Health & Illness - Online Exhibition
Contains interviews with Native people telling how the wellness of individuals and communities has been affected by epidemics, government policies, and the inhibition of Native culture. Also features a timeline of Native history and information related to the interconnectedness of wellness, illness, and cultural life for Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. Visitors will discover how Native concepts of health and illness are closely tied to the concepts of community, spirit, and the land.
Oneida Indian Nation
The Oneida Indian Nation is a federally recognized Indian nation in Central New York. It is a member of the Haudenosaunee, known in English as the Six Nations or Iroquois Confederacy. The Oneida are known as the “people of the standing stone.”
Onondaga Nation – People of the Hills
The official website for the Onondaga Nation. The Onondaga Nation lies in the middle of the Haudenosaunee territory and is also known as the Central Fire. The Central Fire is a term used to describe Onondaga as a place where the Hoyá•neh (Chiefs) meet in a Grand Council. Because of this, the Onondaga Nation is also called Ganakdagweñni•yo’geh, or the Capital.
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe
The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe is the federally recognized government of the Saint Regis Mohawk Reservation at Akwesasne. The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe administers numerous programs and services for community members.
Shinnecock Indian Nation (the Nation)
Historically, the language of the Shinnecock people is an eastern Algonquian dialect. They have owned and occupied their aboriginal homelands in and around the Town of Southampton on the eastern end of Long Island from time immemorial. In their Algonquian language, the Shinnecock name roughly translates into English as "people of the stony shore.”
Community and Local Links
Cayuga Nation
The Cayuga Nation has a rich history of successes and challenges, with a culture that will endure for future generations.
Haudenosaunee Confederacy
The confederacy nations recognized themselves as Haudenosaunee from their language, which means “They made the house,” symbolizing all the nations coming together as one. From east to west, the original nations of the confederacy are Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca.
The Tuscarora nation joined the league after leaving their traditional territory in North Carolina and Virginia to become the sixth nation.
Native American Community Services of Erie & Niagara Counties (NACS)
Features a cultural resource library, activities, workforce development, family services, and more
New York State Native American Services
The Office of Children and Family Services Native American Services responds to the needs of Indian Nations and their members both on reservations and in the state's other communities.
Seneca-Iroquois National Museum
Information on the museum and the history/culture of the Seneca and Iroquois. Located in Salamanca, New York.
Seneca Nation of Indians
The Seneca Nation continues to support its people and surrounding communities through various cultural, educational, and economic efforts. Their rich heritage is evident in the arts, dance, music, crafts, and foods visitors are invited to experience.
The Tonawanda Reservation Historical Society
The Tonawanda Reservation Historical Society was established in 1998 to preserve and disseminate the history of the Tonawanda Seneca Indian Reservation.
Library Materials
Click on the following topics for a quick search in the Library's Catalog.
Indigenous People
Iroquois
Haudenosaunee
Native American Art
Native American Cooking
Native American Folklore and Mythology
Native American Genealogy
Native American History
Native American Literature and Poetry
Native American Music
Native American Religions and Traditions
Seneca