Native American History & Culture

Book Talk:  Indigenous Santa Cruz

Martin Rizzo-Martinez discusses his book, We are not Animals, which addresses the history of Indigenous people of the Santa Cruz region in the 19th century, a time of great violence and change. Drawing on oral histories, mission records, and the work of anthropologists, archaeologists, ecologists, and psychologists, the book traces tribal, familial, and kinship networks to reveal stories of individuals and families, and show how ethnic and tribal differences and politics shaped strategies of resistance and survival within the diverse population taken to Mission Santa Cruz.

Amah Mutsun Speakers Series (UCSC American Indian Resource Center)

• Inherent Tribal Sovereignty In Practice (Dr. Olivia Chilcote, 2022)
• Indigenous Santa Cruz: A Conversation with Dr. Martin Rizzo Martinez (2022)
• Settler Colonialism is a Sickness:  How Federal Indian Health Failed Native Women (Dr. Caitlin Keliiaa, 2021)
• Honoring Our Past and Celebrating Our Future: A Conversation with Amah Mutsun Tribal Member College Students (2021)

Native American Heritage Month

Databases

One Search Search Search across almost all of the library databases at the same time.

CQ Researcher 

• Native American Rights An overview of Native American Rights including timelines, articles, and pro/con articles.
• Native American Sovereignty An overview of Native American Sovereignty including timelines, npro/con articles, and maps/graphs.

Ethnic Newswatch

• News from Native California

Library Databases  A-Z list of Cabrillo Library databases.

Primary Sources and Statistics

• Digital Public Library of America -- primary sources from libraries across the U.S.

• Library of Congress -- primary sources

• National Archives

  • American Indian Records 

  • Photos from the Bureau of Indian Affairs

• News From Native California -- Access to Ethnic NewsWatch from 1996 to the present.

• Amah Mutsun Land Trust - The Tribal Band -- Ohlone are the indigenous peoples of south San Francisco and north Monterey Bay area. Includes newsletters, research project information, and events. 

• Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian
• Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History -- First Peoples of California virtual exhibit. Includes information about indigenous peoples, languages, maps, and videos.
• U.S. Census:  American Indian & Alaska Native Data -- Population data and surveys from the U.S. Census Bureau.