Indigenous Materials in Special Collections

LSU Special Collections houses hundreds of manuscripts and published materials produced by European settlers in North America, dating back to as early as the 18th century. Travel journals and mission records are both excellent sources of information on early European-Indigenous encounters. Additionally, Special Collections houses materials related to land disputes and government relations from the 19th and 20th centuries.

There are two ways to yield results for early materials. The first option is to perform an advanced search. After entering your preferred search terms or subject headings, narrow the search to include materials from Special Collections in the “Library” field and sort materials from oldest to newest in the “Sort by” field. The second option is to perform a regular search, and then narrow results by dates from the “Publication Date” panel on the left side of the webpage. It is important to note that many of these materials were written in French, and may have translations that were published later. To locate translations of early materials, search the item’s title or author. 

Indians of North America -- Missions.

Indians of North America -- Early works to 1800.

Louisiana -- Description and travel.

Louisiana -- Discovery and exploration.

Louisiana -- History -- To 1803.

Louisiana -- History -- 18th century.

Mississippi River -- Description and travel.

Mississippi River -- Discovery and exploration.