Introduction
Reference sources are a great place to start your research when you need to gather initial information about a topic or get a rough overview of a subject so you can decide what areas to research further. Reference books and online tools are also excellent for looking up a quick fact, definition, or date, and they will often direct you to more sources.
If none of the recommended resources are quite what you're looking for, try a search in the Library catalog for the subject you're researching and "reference", "handbook", "guide", or "companion" to see what reference materials we might have on the subject. Remember that you can always reach out to a librarian for help if your search doesn't turn up promising results!
Selected Reference Sources
Encyclopedia of Native American Music of North America by Call Number: MPAL Reference Non-circulating ; ML102.N37 K45E5 2013This encyclopedia documents the varied musical practices among North America's First Peoples, both historically and in the modern context. The entries address how ethnomusicologists with Native American heritage are revolutionizing approaches to the discipline, and showcase how musicians with First Peoples' heritage are influencing modern musical forms including native flute, orchestral string playing, gospel, and hip hop.
North American Indian Music: A guide to published sources and selected recordings by Call Number: MPAL Reference Non-circulating ; ML128.F75 K43The present volume contains references and descriptive annotations for 1,497 sources on North American Indian and Eskimo music. As conceived here, the subject encompasses works on dance, ritual, and other aspects of religion or culture related to music, and selected "classic" recordings have also been included.
The Encyclopedia of Native Music by Call Number: MPAL Reference Non-circulating ; ML156.4.I5 W75The Encyclopedia of Native Music recognizes the multifaceted contributions made by Native recording artists by tracing the history of their commercially released music. It provides an overview of the surprising abundance of recorded Native music while underlining its historical value. With almost 1,800 entries spanning more than 100 years, this book leads readers from early performers of traditional songs like William Horncloud to artists of the new millennium such as Zotigh.
Indigenous Pop: Native American music from jazz to hip hop by Call Number: Online ResourcePopular music compels, it entertains, and it has the power to attract and move audiences. With that in mind, the editors of Indigenous Pop showcase the contributions of American Indian musicians to popular forms of music, including jazz, blues, country-western, rock and roll, reggae, punk, and hip hop.
Routledge Handbook of Critical Indigenous Studies by Call Number: Online ResourceThis book is ambitious in scope, ranging across disciplines and national boundaries, with particular reference to the lived conditions of Indigenous peoples in the first world. The contributors are all themselves Indigenous scholars who provide critical understandings of indigeneity in relation to ontology (ways of being), epistemology (ways of knowing), and axiology (ways of doing) with a view to providing insights into how Indigenous peoples and communities engage and examine the worlds in which they are immersed.
Encyclopedia of Native Tribes of North America by Call Number: Oak St Library Q. E76.2 .J63 2014Featuring improved illustrations, numerous updates based on new scholarship and a new section of maps detailing the First Nations in Canada and native peoples of Alaska, this second edition is organized by tribal regions and linguistic families: Plateau, Great Basin, California, Southwest, Northwest Coast, Subarctic and Arctic, as well as Plains and Prairie, Northeastern Woodlands and Southeastern Woodlands
UXL Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes by Call Number: Online ResourceProvides detailed studies of tribes from all over the United States and Canada, including small tribes and some that no longer exist. Gives detailed yet accessible information on history, religion, art, government, economy, daily life and current social and political issues.
Reference encyclopedia of the American Indian by Call Number: Oak St Library 970.103 R2592012A major source for listings of information on American Indian and Alaska Native groups, the first section of the book contains the source listings, presenting names, addresses, and often leaders of the tribal organizations (both federal and other) across the United States, as well as education, health, research, audiovisual, business and events directories. The resource provides similar information for Canada. The third section is the bibliography, which contains citations for 6500 in-print titles.
The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music by Call Number: MPAL Reference Non-circulating ; ML100 G27Location: Music & Performing Arts Reference [non-circulating]
Also available online.
American Musical Traditions by Call Number: MPAL Reference Non-circulating ; ML3551 A44T5This set presents the research of Folklorists and ethnomusicologists, who wrote authoritative essays; additional materials came from the Smithsonian Institution's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, particularly from the Smithsonian Folkways recordings and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Volume 1 focuses on Native American music.
