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.
new2006/rev2020
