Books about Indigenous Peoples
The Gregory Javitch Collection comprises over 2,500 volumes related to Indigenous peoples and cultures in what is now North and South America. The University of Alberta Library acquired the Javitch Collection in 1980, as half donation and half purchase. It was the finest private collection of its kind in Canada at the time, and it is a cornerstone of the holdings in Bruce Peel Special Collections. Beginning in 1960, Gregory Javitch (1898–1980) became increasingly interested in the histories and cultures of Indigenous peoples. His interest was due, in part, to the parallels that he saw with his own experience as a Russian Jew who had fled from persecution in Europe. He began collecting books (including rare books), photographs, and pamphlets that offered multiple, in-depth perspectives on Indigenous culture. The Javitch Collection has many themes, including materials on Indigenous customs, dances, music, stories, and traditions, as well as treaties and removal grants, Indigenous-language books, and some European exploration narratives.
Getting started: Most student researchers will want to employ a series of keyword searches in the University of Alberta Library catalogue in order to find relevant print and digital materials in all U of A library locations and collections, including the Javitch Collection. Those who wish to browse this specific collection can do so by searching "Gregory Javitch Collection" in the library catalogue or by viewing 500 of the books online through Gale's Indigenous Peoples of North America database, some of which can also be viewed through the Internet Archive. For more information about research in the Peel library, see Finding and Requesting Peel Library Materials.
Additional resources: Many other Peel library collections include content about Indigenous peoples and cultures, including the Indigenous Photograph Collection, the Prairie Ephemera Collection, and the Magee Photograph Collection, and many additional resources are not part of a named collection, such as the Treaty Parchments. The Peel library mounted a major exhibition accompanied by an award-winning book/catalogue: Ancestors: Indigenous Peoples of Western Canada in Historic Photographs (2022-23).
Collection Formats: Books, Photographs -- click to see other collections with this format
Volumes from The North American Indian series by Edward Curtis published between 1908 and 1930 (E 77 C97 1907 folio v.1-20).
Indian Why Stories: Sparks from War Eagle's Lodge-fire by Frank B. Linderman and illustrated by Charles M. Russell (E 98 F6 L75 1915).
The third French edition of Abraham Ortelius’s pioneering atlas, Theatre de l’univers (1587) contains an early map of America (G 1006 T37 F8 1587 folio).
The Day of the Bison Hunt, illustrated by Czech artist Vojtech Kubašta and printed in Czechoslovakia in 1962 (E77.4 D39 1962 folio).
The Katunes of Maya History, A Chapter in the Early History of Central America by Phillipp JJ Valentini and Juan Pío Pérez Bermón was published with another title (Mexican Copper Tools) in 1880 (F 1219.3 M52 V162 1880).