Native American Interests
Treaties Explorer
Hundreds of Native American treaties have been scanned and are freely available online, for the first time, through the National Archives Catalog. Also, in partnership with The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (MIAC), these treaties and extensive additional historical and contextual information are available through Treaties Explorer.
Thanks to an anonymous donation, the National Archives was able to do needed conservation work, scan and digitize this historically and culturally important collection. These records are accessible for anyone, anywhere, through our National Archives Catalog.
Through the Treaties Explorer, you can view historic maps and the agreements and tribes that relate, as well as the historical and present day tribes involved in the treaties.
Now, many more descendants of the original peoples can examine the names and seals and read the words set down by their ancestors so long ago. But more than that, the treaties are still relevant today as tribal leaders and lawyers continue to use them to assert their rights in court, such as in cases over land and water rights.
Be sure to check the Resources on the Treaties Explorer website, which include classroom ready curriculum and a set of three guides to increase your knowledge of treaties and how to research using the Treaties Explorer.
Volunteer as a Citizen Archivist
Would you like to help make these treaties more searchable online? Help us transcribe handwritten treaties, attested Senate resolutions of ratification, printed copies of treaties, and manuscript copies of Presidential ratifications and confirmations of the treaties. Some treaty files contain copies of messages from the President to Congress, copies of messages or letters of instruction to the treaty commissioners, and journals and correspondence of the commissioners.
New to the Citizen Archivist program? Learn how to register and get started.
History Hub
Have a question? Find your answer on History Hub!
History Hub is our support community for researchers, genealogists, history enthusiasts, and citizen archivists. Ask questions, share information, work together, and find help based on experience and interests. Researchers can ask—or answer—questions on History Hub, or search to see if a question has been asked before.
Citizen Archivists, there's a group just for you! You can share tips and strategies, find new challenges, and get support for your work.
Once you’ve signed up, check out our poll:
What kinds of records do you like to transcribe? ➔
COVID-19 Update
The National Archives is committed to the health and safety of our visitors and staff. We are closely monitoring the situation regarding COVID-19, and we are working with public health officials and our counterpart agencies to monitor and respond to the evolving conditions and following CDC guidelines.
For more information, visit https://www.archives.gov/coronavirus
The Sequoyah National Research Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock is pleased to announce the completion of the Journey of Survival: Indian Removal Through Arkansas project. Funded by a grant from the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council, the project includes a touchscreen kiosk at the Sequoyah National Research Center and a companion website, journeyofsurvival.org.
Journey of Survival was a two-year project tasked with creating a visual representation of the Indian Removal Act of 1830 signed by President Andrew Jackson that forcibly displaced the southeastern tribes of the United States—Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek), and Seminole. Each tribe was removed through Arkansas from their ancestral homes in the southeastern United States to their new homes in Indian Territory, now Oklahoma.
The Journey of Survival project charts each route taken by all five tribes and provides historically accurate narratives documenting the routes traveled. The map is based on a 2009 map created by the Arkansas Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association and updated with new research. Over 80 sites have been identified as significant to the story of Indian removal through Arkansas.
Features of the website include photographs of current-day locations and historical markers, along with digital images of original manuscripts related to the removal.
The project team included researchers Dr. Daniel F. Littlefield Jr. and graduate assistant Alex Soulard, GIS analyst James Holley, programmer/developer Erik Stevens, graphic design by Media & More, technical support Freta Rogers-Mason, and principal investigator Erin Fehr.
For more information, contact Erin Fehr at ehfehr@ualr.edu.
Arkansas Chapter Trail of Tears Association
118 W Johnson Ave
Springdale, AR 72764-4313
Copyright © 2020 Arkansas Chapter Trail of Tears Association, All rights reserved.
