Mapping to MN State Standards
The resources on this page have been selected by eLibraryMN and Minnesota Digital Library librarians and curators to support the MN English Language Arts and the Social Studies standards, both current and pending, specifically related to Indigenous peoples history and cultures. Resources in eLibraryMN and EbooksMN have unlimited simultaneous user access and are freely available to anyone geolocated in Minnesota. The primary source resources detailed are available to all, regardless of location.
Please reach out with questions or suggestions about linking to, using, or sharing these resources.
Academic Research
Below is a collection of available topic overviews that link to many related articles and resources within ELM.
Britannica Academic: Native American
From Gale in Context: High School
Native North America before Colonization
Native North America after Colonization
Britannica Education: Indigenous Peoples Day Resource Pack (This is for educators- you will need a School UN/PW for Brittanica to access- all schools in MN can have this through the ELM agreement. Not sure of your school un/pw? Contact us and we can help!)
Ebooks
This is a curated group of fiction and nonfiction ebooks, Grade Interest Level 6-12. All titles are available to students geolocated in MN without login. Linking directly to chapters is also possible. To link directly to the titles and share in your LMS or libguides, copy the link to the title(s) you want from our persistent link spreadsheet (if you are not accessing through the MackinVia app). Reach out to us with questions about linking.
Primary Sources
Resources below are recommended by MDL curators from partners in primary source history.
Dakota Language religion and educational books
The Santee Normal Training School instructed Dakota children in the Dakota language. These children came from families who were removed from Minnesota to Nebraska after the U.S.-Dakota War in 1863. The school developed a printing press in 1871 and produced many materials in the Dakota language.
U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 materials
This collection contains images and narratives from some of the people and places involved in the conflict. Some of the survivor narratives may be good texts for teaching students how to analyze bias and consider missing perspectives.
Grand Portage reservation photos
The Grand Portage Indian Reservation (Ojibwe language: Gichi-onigamiing) in the tip of Minnesota’s Arrowhead region is the Indian reservation of the Grand Portage Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, established by treaty in 1854.
Native American Boarding School Photos
These photographs include student portraits and campus views of governmental and religious schools for Native American children in Morris, Pipestone, White Earth, and more.
Primary Source Sets from MDL:
Seth Eastman: Depictions of Native American Life
Stella Stocker and the Ojibwe of Minnesota
Interlibrary Loan/Resource Sharing
For in depth research into these topics, sometimes you need to request materials from other libraries. These can be digital or they can sometimes be printed books. There are two main options for requesting these materials. One, MNLINK, allows you to search all Minnesota libraries for the requires the use of a public library card and PIN. While many educators use their own library card to help students, it is recommended that students use their own. However, this is not always possible, so there is a second option: Minitex Resource sharing for schools. This allows one staff member per school to request items on behalf of students and have the items sent directly to the school building. If you have questions about which option is better for you and your students, reach out to us and we can help.