350,000 Records of American Indian History Made Public Through the Tulsa Public Library System

(MUSCOGEE NATION) Thanks to research, reporting and a generous donation from Verified News Network (VNN) Oklahoma, for the first time ever, an extensive digital collection of American Indian history is now available at no cost to the public through the Tulsa Public Library System. 

As of July 12, anyone with a TCCL library card can begin exploring the previously privately held records of the Indian Rights Association, the first and largest non-governmental organization offering support to and advocacy for Native Americans during the 19th and 20th centuries.

The physical records of the Indian Rights Association are held by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, with a digital collection maintained by Gale Publishing that is only available for licensing through institutions. “Indigenous Peoples of North America, Part II: The Indian Rights Association, 1882–1986” includes significant court documents, legislative proposals, newspaper clippings, photographs and handwritten personal correspondence, many of which relate to Tulsa’s Allotment Era. 

Related Story:  Lessons in Advocacy: A Look Into the Legacy of the Indian Rights Association | Verified News Network 

Two decades before the Reign of Terror, portrayed on the big screen in the critically acclaimed film “Killers of the Flower Moon”, corrupt business leaders and government officials worked in tandem to defraud American Indian allottees of their property and mineral rights in Eastern Oklahoma. And worse.

Leveraging funding from Northwestern University’s Data-Driven Reporting Project, a VNN Oklahoma research and reporting team traveled to Philadelphia in the summer of 2023 to view the Indian Rights Association collection firsthand and inspect records specifically relating to Tulsa County’s Allotment Era injustice. They returned from Pennsylvania determined to find a way to make the private documents available to the public, ultimately formulating a plan to obtain the $18,900 licensing fee for the digital records and make them accessible through a partnership with Tulsa City-County Library (TCCL).

“This is our history,” VNN CEO Kelly Tidwell (Muscogee and Cherokee) said. “It’s not taught in our schools. It’s not known by the general public. And yet our communities are still dealing with the impacts of historical trauma every day. Information is the first step to Indigenous justice, and it should be free and easy to access. Particularly to those most impacted by it. I’m thrilled this day has come.” 

"We are grateful to VNN Oklahoma for funding the license for the IRA collection. This resource will provide our community with access to this important information, which will empower educators, researchers and the general public to delve deeper into American Indian history," said Teresa Runnels, coordinator of TCCL's American Indian Resource Center.

“Medill is excited to help support easier access for journalists and their communities to this very vital resource,” said Pam Dempsey, program director of The Data-Driven Reporting Project, a partnership between Northwestern’s Medill School and the Google News Initiative.

Tidwell presented a check to TCCL on the first day of the intertribal symposium “Indigenous Roots: Navigating Indian Country History” organized by VNN Oklahoma and Osage News. The free symposium was held July 12 and 13 at Osage Casino Tulsa. 

To access the database, click here.