LibGuides: First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Research: Oral Histories and Non-Textual Resources

Non-Textual Resources

Non-textual resources can be rich sources of information.

To find images in our catalogue use keywords and search terms for example:

Indigenous OR "First Nations" OR Métis OR "Indians of North America"

AND

Portraits OR Photography OR Illustrations OR Pictures OR "Pictorial works"

Project 562 by Matika Wilbur
ISBN: 9781984859525
Publication Date: 2023-04-25
A photographic and narrative celebration of contemporary Native American life and cultures, alongside an in-depth examination of issues that Native people face, by celebrated photographer and storyteller Matika Wilbur of the Swinomish and Tulalip Tribes.
Edward S. Curtis above the Medicine Line by Rodger D. Touchie
ISBN: 9781894974868
Publication Date: 2010-06-01
Librarians Note: Many have pointed out that Edward S. Curtis' work is contrived and may not be historically or culturally accurate.
Edward S. Curtis Above the Medicine Line is both an introduction to the Seattle-based photographer and a tribute to a true visionary. While Curtis's photographs will long be his legacy, his own story is likewise compelling. Curtis built his first camera at 12 and developed that interest into a large Seattle photo studio by the age of 30. Then, on an expedition to Alaska in 1899, Curtis was exposed to First Nations cultures in a way that affected him profoundly. First Nations people had been decimated due to the diseases and aggressions of white settlers. Curtis, alarmed that their traditional ways of life were in danger of disappearing forever, made an incredible effort to capture their daily routines, character and dignity through photography and audio recordings. Curtis had planned to document only the First Peoples of the United States and Alaska, but his exposure to Canada's Blackfoot Nation spurred him to include all of North America. The visual result was The North American Indian, a 20-volume record of 75 of North America's Native peoples.

LAC: Art and Photographic Collections
Library and Archives Canada search instructions tailored for researchers interested in finding images of Indigenous people in Canada.
Reciprocal Research Network
A resource that allows one to use a single interface to search for artifacts housed in a variety of museums and heritage institutions in Canada and the United States that originate from Indigenous communities in areas of British Columbia's Northwest Coast.

We have access to various resources encompassing videos, documentaries, film and movies, you can find a list of our streaming collections at this link Streaming Auido & Video. Curio, Criterion on Deman and Kanopy are especially useful. Many resources are also open source.

Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
APTN, the world’s first Indigenous national broadcaster dedicated to Indigenous programming, features daily news and coverage of issues concerning both Indigenous and northern populations in Canada.
Wapikoni Mobile
Wapikoni Mobile hosts educational workshops and film screenings to raise awareness and educate the wider public about Indigenous cultures, issues and rights.
imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival
An Indigenous-run organisation that showcases, promotes, and celebrates Indigenous filmmakers and media artists in Canada and internationally.
IsumaTV
The world's first website for Indigenous media art, now showing over 6,000 films and videos in 84 languages.
Inuit Nunangat Taimannganit
A storytelling project tells the story of Inuit Nunangat (the Inuit homeland in Canada) from time immemorial (taimannganit).
NCTR : Statements and Videos
The NCTR received thousands of hours of video and audio recordings produced by the TRC during the course if its mandate. This footage was taken at the TRC’s various events, and includes statements made by Survivors, and former staff members.
National Film Board - Indigenous Cinema
The NFB's online collection of Indigenous-made films.

You can search in our catalogue for audio, songs, oral histories and music. The iPortal is an excellent source of oral histories, it also has an up-to-date non-exhaustive list of Indigenous podcasts. You can also view a list of excellent but mostly defunct podcasts on this UBC Indigenous Media Guide.

History of Aboriginal Broadcasting
This site is hosted by the Canadian Communications Foundation and includes a list of Indigenous Radio Stations.
Indigenous Music Countdown
This is a twenty year old program that spotlights today's best new Indigenous music and shares interviews with artists in a variety of genres.

Oral History Online This link opens in a new window
Contains at present more than 30,000 pages of full-text content that is available nowhere else in electronic format¿much of which is available nowhere else in any format. This full-text material includes Ellis Island oral history narratives, exclusive Black Panther Party interviews, and other oral histories. With each quarterly update of Oral History Online, we will add more of such proprietary (in-copyright) full-text interviews. (Publisher)