Research: Topics: Education: Guide to Records Relating to Native Americans
Guide to Records Relating to Native Americans
RECENT PUBLIC POLICY RECORDS
The State Archives holds several record series containing information relating to recent public policy toward Native Americans. Included among these records are subject and correspondence files of the Executive Chamber (Governor's Office) and of the offices of the Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners of the Education, Environmental Conservation, and Health Departments. The subject and correspondence files are voluminous series, arranged by subject, which contain correspondence, memoranda, reports, and related material created by or received by high-level policy administrators. By reviewing lists of file folder headings, researchers can identify portions of the series related to Native American affairs.
In addition to subject and correspondence files, there are three other record series--two from the Education Department and one from the Department of State's Division of Legal Affairs--relating exclusively to agency offices that administered programs involving Indians.
The general series of subject and correspondence files are listed below, followed by descriptions of the three series relating exclusively to Native Americans.
13682. Executive Chamber Subject and Correspondence Files, 1919-1982. ca. 1,230 cubic feet and 1,677 microfilm reels.
Arrangement: chronological by administration and thereunder alphabetical by subject.
Holdings by administration (with administration dates in parenthesis) are as follows:
- Nathan L. Miller (1921-1922) 18 cubic feet.
- Alfred E. Smith (1919-1920,1923-1928) 148 cubic feet and 169 microfilm reels.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt (1929-1932) 147 cubic feet and 219 microfilm reels.
- Herbert H. Lehman (1933-1942) 134 cubic feet and 106 microfilm reels.
- Thomas E. Dewey (1943-1954) 280 microfilm reels.
- Nelson A. Rockefeller(1959-1973) 520 microfilm reels.
- Malcolm Wilson (1973-1974) 57 microfilm reels.
- Hugh L. Carey (1975-1982) 939 cubic feet and 326 microfilm reels.
Indexing: files after 1958 are indexed by name for most correspondents; subject lists are available for most records.
13063. Department of Environmental Conservation. Commissioner's Subject and Correspondence Files, 1958-1978. 235 cubic feet.
Arrangement: alphabetical by subject.
This series contains files of former Commissioners Mauhs, Wilm, Kilbourne, Diamond, Biggane, and Berle. Records from Deputy Commissioners are sometimes included.
Indexing: general subject lists are available.
13307. Department of Health. Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner's Subject and Correspondence Files, 1952-1984. 129 cubic feet.
Arrangement: alphabetical by subject.
This series contains files of former commissioners. There are Deputy Commissioner's files for the period 1974-1984.
Indexing: general subject lists are available.
15080. Education Department. Commissioner's Subject and Correspondence Files, 1942-1995. 541 cubic feet.
Arrangement: alphabetical by subject.
This series consists of files of former commissioners Stoddard, Spaulding, Wilson, Allen, and Nyquist. Also included are files from their prior tenures as assistant or deputy commissioners.
Indexing: general subject lists are available.
13143. Education Department. Native American Unit. Subject and Correspondence Files, 1965-1983. 8 cubic feet.
Arrangement: by three subseries described below.
This series consist of three subseries, as follows:
- Subject and Correspondence Files. Correspondence, memoranda, reports, and
newsletters concern the function of the Native American Education Unit to enhance
educational opportunities for Native Americans. Major topics of these records
include:
- Proposals for changes in the curriculum and facilities at the Onondaga Reservation Indian School
- Availability of financial aid for Native American education
- Proposals for Native American education programs at various reservations
- Conferences on Native American education
- Legislation affecting Native American education
- Johnson-O'Malley Act Project Files. Correspondence, memoranda, project reports, and drafts of state plan concern the education of New York State Native American children as mandated by the federal Johnson-O'Malley Act of 1934. From 1971 to 1977 the New York State Native American Education Unit administered the program for tribes within New York State. The program involved contracting with off- reservation school systems for the education of Native American children. After 1977 the unit was no longer involved with the program because the Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs now deals directly with the tribes.
- Background Files for Regents Paper on Native American Education. Records document the development of a Regents Policy paper on Native American Education. The records include correspondence, memoranda, press releases, reports, position paper drafts, transcripts of hearings, data on the history of Native American education in New York State, statements and transcripts from the Conference on Indian Education and survey forms completed by Native American parents exploring their views and attitudes toward education.
The Native American Education Unit is part of the Education Department's Office of Elementary, Secondary, and Continuing Education.
11748. Education Department. Indian Education Tuition and Transportation Files, 1952-1979. 12 cubic feet.
Arrangement: chronological by year then by reservation or school district, then by type of payment (tuition or transportation).
These files document the administration of three kinds of special aid to school districts for the education of Native American children living on reservations:
- operational and maintenance costs of reservations schools administered by a school district
- tuition payments to school districts for Native American children who attend schools off reservations
- transportation costs for Native American children attending school on or off reservations
These payments are made because reservation residents are not subject to local school taxes. Since 1954 the Commissioner of Education has been authorized to contract with school districts for the education of Native American children living on reservations. These files contain the following kinds of documents:
- correspondence with school districts concerning the calculation and payment of tuition fees, bidding for transportation contracts, and repairs to reservation school buildings
- memoranda concerning the apportionment of tuition and transportation aid
- tuition aid calculation worksheets
- copies of contracts with school districts for the education and transportation of Native American children
- copies of annual budgets from reservation schools
- censuses of Native American students at school district and reservation schools (name, birthdate, sex, age, one parent's name and address, school attending)
- transportation route schedules
- occasional long range budget planning documents
- occasional IQ test results from reservation schools
Restrictions: IQ test results are confidential; use is restricted to protect personal privacy.
13025. Department of State. Moss Lake Indian Negotiation Files, 1974-1979. 3 cubic feet.
Arrangement: alphabetical by subject.
The series consists of memoranda, correspondence, maps, copies of deeds, newspaper clippings, publications, reports, and audio tapes generated as a consequence of the occupation of state-owned land at Moss Lake (Herkimer County) by a dissident group of Mohawks. The Native Americans claimed as invalid the 1797 treaty by which the State acquired title to this land. Subsequent negotiations, supervised by the Secretary of State, led to the withdrawal of the Native Americans from Moss Lake in return for title to a parcel of land in Clinton County.
These files were generated by the Division of Legal Affairs in the Secretary of State's Office.
