GUIDE TO CATHOLIC RECORDS ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE U.S.
Volume 1: Eastern United States
District of Columbia: DC-6

Georgetown University. Booth Family Center for Special Collections
Thirty-seventh and O Streets, Northwest
Washington, DC 200

Phone: 202-687-7444
Email: See website

 

Holdings of Catholic records about Native Americans:

Inclusive dates: 1638-1975

Volume: Less than 1 foot within ca. 65 cubic feet

Description: At least three collections with pertinent records:

 

/1 Jesuits [Society of Jesus]. Maryland Province Archives, GTM 119

History: The Maryland Mission of the British/ English Province evangelized Native Americans in the Chesapeake Bay-Potomac River region, which expanded into present-day Pennsylvania and New York State (Piscataway and others).  During the Jesuit suppression in the English Colonies and the United States, some former Jesuits continued their ministry as diocesan priests. Under the United States Mission, Jesuits evangelized Native Americans in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The Maryland Province continued to evangelize Native Americans in Maine and those of the Missouri Mission evangelized Native Americans in Missouri (Osage and Potawatomi Indians). The Maryland-New York Province successfully petitioned the U.S. bishops to initiate canonization causes for the 17th century North American Jesuit martyrs and Saint Kateri Tekakwitha (Algonquin-Mohawk) in present-day New York State.

1623-1773 Maryland Mission of the British/ English Province
1773-1814 Jesuits suppressed in the English Colonies and the United States
1814-1878 United States Mission
1833-1878 Maryland Province
1836-1863 (transferred to Missouri Jesuit Province) Missouri Mission of the Maryland Province
1879-1944 Maryland-New York Province

Inclusive dates: 1638-1975

Volume: Few folders within 53 cubic feet

Description: Comprises the records of the Maryland Mission, 1638-1832, the Maryland Province, 1833-1878, 1944-1975, and the Maryland-New York Province, 1879-1944.  Presumably included are records relating to Native American evangelization and canonization causes for Jesuit martyrs and St. Kateri Tekakwitha.

 

/2 Barber, Virgil H., S.J., Papers

Inclusive dates: 1804-1847

Volume: Few items (e.g. letters, notebooks, clippings) within .5 linear foot

Description: Missionary among the Penobscot Indians in Maine, 1827.

 

/3 John Gilmary Shea Papers, GTM 119

Inclusive dates: 1600-1892

Volume: Less than 1 foot within 11.5 linear feet

Description: Materials collected by an author of U.S. Catholic history, which includes materials on Jesuits in Maryland and the linguistics and history of Native Americans, most notably: Choctaw, Dakota, Huron-Wyondot, Micmac, Mohawk, Ojibwa [Chippewa], Osage, and Potawatomi.

 

/4 Francis X. Talbot, S.J., Papers, GTM 900914

Inclusive dates: 1908-1953

Volume: Several folders within 2 linear feet

Description: Materials by an editor of the Jesuit magazine, America; most notably Ss. Isaac Jogues, S.J., and Kateri Tekakwitha.

 

Unless otherwise noted, the repository on this page holds (or held) the records described here and they are not held at the Marquette University Archives.

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