Correspondence, minutes, photographs, audio and video recordings, reports, and financial records pertaining to Catholic evangelization of American Indians in the United States and Canada. Facsimiles copied from originals borrowed from Reverend Stanislaus Maudlin, O.S.B., 1989.

Gift of the Tekakwitha Conference National Center, 1992-[ongoing] plus . Processed by Mark G. Thiel, CA (Certified Archivist) with student assistants, 1993-[ongoing].

The Tekakwitha Conference began in 1939 as an annual discussion group for Northern Plains Catholic missionaries working among American Indians. Attempts to transform the conference began in 1969 but meaningful changes were not achieved until 1977, when it became an association of American Indian Catholics. Incorporation came two years later followed by substantial involvement by native peoples across the United States and Canada.

Since the middle of the 20th century, many Indian Catholics had drifted away from the Church. As Indian populations grew and expanded beyond reservations and rural communities, Indian people found non-native parishes to be culturally different and uncomfortable for their families, so they dropped out. The Church also failed to attract indigenous leadership and to embrace Indians' renewed interest and pride in their heritage.

Blessed Kateri serves as a focal point for this convergence of spirituality. Among the Mohawk, Kateri devotions and Anglo-French Catholicism are hundreds of years old, but elsewhere Indian awareness of Tekakwitha was minimal until the time of the revival. This revival of expanded devotions coincides with the Conference's growth since 1975. Owing to diverse tribal backgrounds and varying overlays of Catholicism, Kateri devotions continue to develop in a number of unique ways as well as retain spiritual themes common to all tribes.

Notable Events

Notable events pertaining to the history of the Tekakwitha Conference and the commemoration of Kateri Tekakwitha. The annual meeting dates, locations, topics, themes, and highlights are included.

(Executive) Directors

Dates Served	Name
1977-1989	Reverend Gilbert F. Hemauer, O.F.M. Cap., Executive Director
1989-1992	Mr. Frederick A. Buckles, Jr., Executive Director (Assiniboine-Dakota)
1992	Reverend Michael Galvan [Acting Director] (Ohlone)
1992-1993	Mr. Wilson Boni [Acting Office Manager] (Apache)
1994-1996	Mr. Richard L. King, Executive Director (Assiniboine-Chippewa Cree)
1996-1998	Mr. Mike Valdo [Acting Director] (Acoma)
1998-ongoing	Sister Kateri Mitchell, S.S.A., Executive Director (Mohawk)

Presidents/Chairs of Board of Directors

Dates Served	Name
1980-1986	Reverend Gilbert F. Hemauer, O.F.M. Cap., President
1986-1989	Reverend John S. Hascall, O.F.M. Cap., President (Ojibwa)
1989-1992	Reverend Michael Galvan, Chair (Ohlone)
1992-1994	Ms. Vivian Juan, President (Tohono O'odham)
1995	Mr. Gerald Tuckwin, President (Ojibwa)
1996-2000	Mr. Mike Valdo, President (Acoma)
2000-2001	Ms. Gladys Bordeaux, President (Brulé)
2001-2002	Mr. George Montoya, President
2002-2006	Dr. Kennith York, President (Choctaw)
xxxx-2009	Ms. Rosa Holguin-Hernandez, President

Episcopal Moderator

Dates Served	Name
1981-xxxx	Bishop Donald E. Pellotte (Abenacki, 1945-), S.S.S., Bishop of Gallup, New Mexico
xxxx-	Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of Denver, Colorado

Materials pertaining to annual meetings since the 1977 reorganization form the bulk of the collection. At that time the volume and diversity of the collection expanded dramatically to include several formats documenting discussions, business meetings, prayer services and liturgies, workshops and training programs, and powwows and social events.

Tekakwitha Conference Series 1, General Correspondence: The letters and other correspondence begins in 1939. However, the volume is limited until the late 1970s.

Tekakwitha Conference Series 2, Conference Meetings: Minutes and proceedings of the annual meetings, board of directors meetings, and institutes. Since the 1977 reorganization, most proceedings include printed meeting agendas and programs, orders of worship, and various handouts and brochures. Materials on national training institutes began in 1982. This is followed by materials on regional gatherings in Alaska (1985, 1987), Montana (1987), South Dakota (1985, 1988-1989), and Washington (1985). Key persons noted in the minutes and/or proceedings are listed in the Index to Notable Speakers in the Recordings.

Tekakwitha Conference Series 3, Special Reports: Reports and special surveys related to the reports. 

Tekakwitha Conference Series 4, Conference Publications: The conference newsletters primarily reported on the annual meetings and institutes. Many of the notable speakers at the annual meetings are noted below in the Index to Notable Speakers in the Recordings and were also reported in the newsletters. In some instances transcripts of presentations were published. For some speakers, additional related materials are included in other Marquette collections, which are noted by the bracketed numbers following the speaker's name.

Work in-progress: The Marquette University Libraries are developing bibliographic records for the publications in this collection. This includes all books, pamphlets, magazines, newsletters, prayer cards, published maps, published sound and video recordings, etc., and excludes clipping files and reprints of articles. As they are created, the bibliographic records will appear in Marqcat, the Marquette University online catalog. Furthermore, as an interim and supplemental search tool, most titles to publications in this and related collections appear in the Index to Publications in Native America Collections.   

Tekakwitha Conference Series 5, Photography: Photographs from the annual meetings and institutes comprise a substantial part of the collection. Key persons in the photographs are not noted in the Index to Notable Speakers in the Recordings. However, a number have been published in the Tekakwitha Conference newsletters (Series 4). For some subjects, additional related materials are included in other Marquette collections, including the online Marquette University Digital Collections.

Tekakwitha Conference Series 6, Video Recordings: Recordings from the annual meetings and institutes comprise a substantial part of the collection.

Key persons noted in the recordings are listed in the Index to Notable Speakers in the Recordings. Many of the speakers were reported in the Tekakwitha Conference newsletters (Series 4). In some instances transcripts of presentations were also published. For some speakers, additional related materials are included in other Marquette collections, which are noted by the bracketed numbers following the speaker's name.

Tekakwitha Conference Series 7, Sound Recordings: Recordings from the annual meetings and institutes comprise a substantial part of the collection.

Key persons noted in the recordings are listed in the Index to Notable Speakers in the Recordings. Many of the speakers were reported in the Tekakwitha Conference newsletters (Series 4). In some instances transcripts of presentations were also published. For some speakers, additional related materials are included in other Marquette collections, which are noted by the bracketed numbers following the speaker's name.  

Tekakwitha Conference Series 8, General Publications and Recordings: Publications and recordings collected or distributed by or presented or sold at the Tekakwitha Conference annual meetings. Key persons in the collected publications and recordings are listed in the Index to Notable Speakers in the Recordings.

Tekakwitha Conference Series 8, Objects: Selected objects collected or distributed by or presented or sold at the Tekakwitha Conference annual meetings. Included are religious items and souvenirs.

Restricted Records

Restricted records are so noted in the inventories. Access to such materials requires permission in writing from the Tekakwitha Conference National Center, 406-727-0147, 800-842-9635, P.O. Box 6768, Great Falls, Montana 59406, Fax 406-452-9845.

Related Collections at Other Institutions and Repositories

Current information on the Tekakwitha Conference is available from the Tekakwitha Conference National Center. Newspaper: Cross and Feathers.

Vice-Postulator for the canonization of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha: Monsignor Paul A. Lenz, 2021 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20006-4207. Phone: (202) 331-8542.

Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions: Reverend Wayne C. Paysse, 2021 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20006-4207. Phone: (202) 331-8542. Newsletter: Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions Newsletter.

The National Kateri Shrine, The Kateri Guild, P.O. Box 627, Folda, NY 12068. Phone: (518) 853-3646. Newsletter: Tekakwitha News.

Kateri Circles, Regional/Mini Tekakwitha Conferences and Native American Parishes--We Need Your Help!

Be part of history! Please send copies of your bulletins and newsletters, native language missals, prayer books, and hymnals, and song recordings to Marquette University where they will be preserved and made available for research together the Tekakwitha Conference records and other collections. We also welcome your research requests. We have substantial 19-20th century documentation from native Catholic missions, parishes, and schools in the United States, which can be useful in writing family, parish, and tribal histories and other purposes. Contact us for more information:

Mark G. Thiel, CA (Certified Archivist)
Archivist

Marquette University
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Raynor Memorial Libraries
1355 W. Wisconsin Ave.
P.O. Box 3141
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-3141
Telephone: (414) 288-5904
Fax: (414) 288-6709
mark.thiel@marquette.edu