Blackfoot Digital Library - University of Lethbridge Digitized Collections
Although the endeavor to create a publicly accessible Blackfoot-centric library is recent, this project is ultimately the outcome of documentary work that began more than a century ago, and which elaborates on a knowledge base that emerged through a continuity of many thousands of years living in kitawahsinnoon.
The Blackfoot Digital Library is both indebted and dedicated to akaitapii - our ancestors who observed the radical changes being forced upon our communities in the context of colonization, and who took it upon themselves to record their knowledge for the benefit of future generations.
This is our opportunity to bring home the field notes, photographs, and recordings that have been spread all over the world; to respond to publications that have misinterpreted and misrepresented our experiences and our way of life.
The Blackfoot Digital Library is a venue for sharing our families and our communities stories, past and present. Most certainly it is intended to be an educational resource for all those now living in kitawahsinnoon
But above all, The Blackfoot Digital Library is meant to honor akaitapii, and their desire to speak through a variety of recording media to the grandchildren they never had a chance to meet, thereby ensuring that their knowledge is carried through to future generations.
The Sherman Indian Museum-Digital Collections
The Sherman Indian Museum collection documents the history of the Perris Indian School, Sherman Institute, and Sherman Indian High School as well as the Native American experience in the US and within government-run American Indian boarding schools. The collection spans more than a century and richly documents the experiences of students, representing more than 50 tribal nations, who attended the school since its inception in 1892.