First Nations Research - Language and Literature

This guide lists just a few selected print and electronic information sources available to SFU faculty, students, and staff.  To find additional materials, check the SFU Library catalogue, look at the subject guides for your discipline, or return to First Nations Research Resources. If you do not find what you need, ask for help at the Reference Desk, send an email to AskALibrarian, or contact Moninder Bubber (bubber@sfu.ca)

How to find:

Resources in the SFU library

Use these subject headings to locate additional materials in the SFU Library Catalogue.

These subject headings can be further broken down geographically or by nation, e.g. "Indians of North America -- British Columbia -- Languages", or  "Salishan languages"

• American literature -- Indian authors
• American literature -- Indian authors -- History and criticism
• American poetry -- Indian authors
• Canadian literature -- Indian authors
• Canadian poetry -- Indian authors
• Canadian literature -- Inuit authors
• Canadian literature -- Métis authors
• Folk literature, Indian
• Indian authors
• Indian women authors
• Indians -- Languages
• Indians in literature
• Indians of North America -- Intellectual life
• Indians of North America -- Languages
• Indians of North America -- Canada -- Literary collections

Journal articles

Use these indexes to locate journal articles on your topic.

• Linguistic Bibliography / Bibliographie Linguistique  (Bennett Reference P 29 Z9635)
• Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts
• MLA: Modern Languages Association Bibliography

Background information

• Native American Literatures : An Encyclopedia of Works, Characters, Authors, and Themes  (Bennett Reference PS 153 I52 W47 1999)

Directories of web sites

Language

• Ethnologue: Languages of the World
• 
  Includes over 100 language maps, overviews of language by country, lists of references, a language name index, and a language family index with over 100 language family trees.  Descriptions for each language include: alternate names, number of speakers, location, dialects, linguistic affiliation, multilingualism of speakers, and other demographic and socio-linguistic information.  Native languages for North America and elsewhere are covered extensively. Includes some extinct languages.
   
• First Nations Languages of British Columbia (Xwi7xwa Library at UBC)
• 
  Provides links to programs, products, and references concerned with the languages of the First Nations of British Columbia.  Additional, selective links address Aboriginal languages of Canada and Aboriginal languages Education.
   
• Living Languages of the Americas - Languages of Canada
• 
  "Languages of Canada" table provides an alphabetical list of language names, with language family, description of population, and information about geographical distribution for each.  Lists works written in First Nations languages and scholarly work concerned with First Nations languages, organized by language.  Last updated in 1996.
   
• WWW Virtual Library - American Indians - Index of Native American Language Resources on the Internet
• 
  Includes links to  language and linguistics-oriented online journals, texts, and research projects; resources by country/continent and language group; general Amerindian language resources; and general language resources.  Coverage is best for the United States, with some coverage for Latin America and Canada.

Literature

• Children's and Young Adult Books with Contemporary Native American Indian Themes
• 
  Annotated list of picture books, short stories, novels, and biographies for youth by or about First Nations people, put together by author Cynthia Leitich Smith.  Entries include publication information, the nation of the writer or illustrator, a brief plot summary, and commentary on theme and characterization. 
   
• Finding Out About Native Canadian Women Writers Published in English (National Library of Canada)
• 
  A list of bibliographies, interviews, anthologies, and periodicals concerned with Native Canadian women writers.  Includes a list of prominent writers and their preferred genres.  Some links to electronic resources.
   
• Native American Authors (Internet Public Library)
• 
  Extensive links to biographical information, bibliographies of published works, online resources, interviews, and articles concerned with North American native literature.  Access by author, title, or tribe.
   
• A Select Bibliography of Children's Books by and about Aboriginal Peoples for Ages 4-14.
• 
  Put together by Karen Russell-Letourneau at INAC, this bibliography is divided into four main components: fiction, myths and legends for older children, non-fiction, and picture books.  Each entry includes a color image of the book's cover, basic bibliographic information (author, illustrator, title, publication information), and a recommended age level.  Additional resources include language material and a bibliography of works organized by nation.