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 started to collect 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, and includes Indigenous-language books. It also includes some European exploration narratives. Search "Gregory Javitch Collection" in the University of Alberta Library catalogue. More than 500 books from the Javitch Collection can be viewed through Gale's Indigenous Peoples of North America database, and a selection of these books can be viewed through the Internet Archive

 

Collection Formats: Books, Photographs -- click to see other collections with this format