Academic Resources for AIIS Research

The Huntington Free Library's Native American Collection was transferred to Cornell University on June 15, 2004 from its former home in the Bronx, New York. One of the largest collections of books and manuscripts of its kind, the Huntington collection contains outstanding materials documenting the history, culture, languages, and arts of the Indigenous peoples of both North and South America. Contemporary politics and human rights issues are also important components of the collection, which places Cornell in the top ranks for research in American Indian and Indigenous Studies in the nation. It contains more than 40,000 volumes and significant quantities of archival materials on the archaeology, ethnology, and history of Indigenous peoples of the Americans from the colonial period to the present.

"The collection provides enormously rich materials for teaching and research and will enable us to attract outstanding scholars from across the hemispheres," says Jane Mt. Pleasant (Tuscarora), the former Director of the AIISP. She adds, "Student opportunities to conduct original research with primary documents will be unprecedented.” For more information visit the Cornell Library Digital Collections website.

The Caldwell Hall AIISP Library held in Caldwell Room 400 includes over 30 years of collected and donated texts on American Indian and Indigenous Studies. Books can be checked out by contacting aiisp [at] cornell.edu. We are still in the process of updating the catalog for this collection, please email AIISP [at] cornell.edu (AIISP[at]cornell[dot]edu) to request a PDF of the current library catalog or stop by M-F 9:30-4:30pm to explore the existing collection. 

The Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections features significant original materials on the history of native peoples of the Western hemisphere. Thousands of rare books document Indian life-ways, and manuscript materials provide documentation of the work of anthropologists, collectors, and ethnologists. Manuscript holdings include a letter from Mohawk leader Joseph Brant, early 20th century correspondence from Seneca individuals at Cattaragus and Tonawanda to Joseph Keppler, a pictographic catechism in the Quechua language, field notes by 19th century ethnographers; and the papers of archaeological expeditions. Many of the larger manuscript collections have been microfilmed and are available for interlibrary loan.

To identify items in the collection, the majority of which are not yet digitized, you may explore the Cornell Library Catalog with author, title, or keyword search terms.

To schedule a research visit or ask a question, please contact us. Terms of access and research policies are described on the Division’s Registration & Guidelines for Use and Reproductions & Permissions pages.

The Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections features significant original materials on the history of native peoples of the Western hemisphere. Thousands of rare books document Indian life-ways, and manuscript materials provide documentation of the work of anthropologists, collectors, and ethnologists. Manuscript holdings include a letter from Mohawk leader Joseph Brant, early 20th century correspondence from Seneca individuals at Cattaragus and Tonawanda to Joseph Keppler, a pictographic catechism in the Quechua language, field notes by 19th century ethnographers; and the papers of archaeological expeditions. Many of the larger manuscript collections have been microfilmed and are available for interlibrary loan.

To identify items in the collection, the majority of which are not yet digitized, you may explore the Cornell Library Catalog with author, title, or keyword search terms.

To schedule a research visit or ask a question, please contact us. Terms of access and research policies are described on the Division’s Registration & Guidelines for Use and Reproductions & Permissions pages.