Teaching Indigenous Education

Welcome!
This section is here to help you find scholarly articles, journals, and research by and about Indigenous Peoples. It provides search tips, recommended databases, and a list of Indigenous focused journals available through the University of Alberta.

Getting Started

• Use the University of Alberta Library homepage to start searching for articles.

• Check the "Indigenous Academic Journals" tab for Indigenous specific resources.

• Explore recommended keywords, subject headings, and tips under "Search Strategies."

• Need help? Contact the Library help chat, we are happy to assist!

Language matters. Search using multiple terms such as "Indigenous," "First Nations," "Métis," "Inuit," or "Native American" to capture different perspectives and materials. When possible, also search using nation-specific names (e.g., Haudenosaunee, Cree, Anishinaabe).

Where to search:​

• The main search on the library homepage is a powerful multidisciplinary discovery tool that allows you to search across a significant portion of the University of Alberta Library's extensive collections; including books, articles, journals, media, and more.
• Find Databases on the library homepage (under the main search bar) will allow you to search for databases by title or subject area.
• Google Scholar will search library and open access collections worldwide. Access it through the library homepage to view full text articles.
• Indigenous Academic Journals: A list of Indigenous academic journals is included on this page. Browsing journals is a great way to get a sense of current trends and issues. If you are searching for articles on a specific topic it is probably more efficient to search in a database.
• Databases & Portals: See below for a list of databases and research portals with Indigenous content.

How to search:

Think of your search terms!

• If you want just a few good results, use one or two terms
• If you want to make your search wider, use more related terms.

Try, for example: "first nation*'" or aboriginal* or native* or Indigenous

Remember, the names or spelling of Indigenous nations or communities may vary, and names may change over time. The names communities use for themselves may be different from how they are referred to in English.

In many databases: 

• "quotation marks" keep your search terms together (e.g. "first nations" will search for instances where those two words appear next to each other). 
• *asterisks can help you search for words that have the same root (e.g. indigen* searches indigenous, indigenize, indigeneity etc. BUT will also search indigent).

ERIC (Education Resources Information Center) is a U.S. based education database, so it uses American terminology. This can affect how Indigenous topics are indexed and retrieved.

Search Tips:

• Use subject headings like:

  • Indigenous Populations

  • Indigenous Knowledge

  • American Indian Education

  • American Indian Students

  • Native American Culture

  • First Nations Education (less common)

• ERIC’s coverage of tribal or Nation-specific terms is limited, so broader terms are often more effective

This list was compiled by the creators of the following guide: