We will gather for the monthly research meeting this coming Tuesday, January 6, from 10:00 a.m. to noon in the Knight Research Suite in the Publications Department’s office area.  We look forward to hearing about your current and planned research projects.

Debbie will talk a bit about researcher interest in the Dakota-language letters in the Stephen Riggs & Family Papers and solicit advice on that subject.

If you can’t make the meeting but would like to send a message to the group (raise a question, ask for research help, make an anouncement, or offer a suggestion), let Debbie or Kathie know. We can even post your message on the blog, if you want, and you can receive “virtual” answers! If you really want to get into blogging, we can make you a “contributor” and you can post messages yourself.

Please let Debbie or Kathie know if you would like to remove your name from the monthly reminder list.

The Minnesota Historical Society Library will be closed Thursday December 25 and Thursday January 1.

The Library is open:

• Wednesday December 24 only until 3:00 p.m.  
• Friday December 26 from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Saturday December 27 from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  “I’m New Here” class at 9:15.
• Tuesday December 30 from noon - 8:00 p.m.
• Wednesday December 31 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Friday January 2 from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Saturday January 3 from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  “I’m New Here” class at 9:15.

The Kansas State Historical Society has an online searchable database of correspondence during William Clark’s tenure as the Superintendent, U.S. Office of Indian Affairs, Central Superintendency, St. Louis, and the tenures of others thereafter.

The database currently contains vols. 1-9, and vol. G–the only lettered volume in the series, which contains the last of Clark’s correspondence. It is an ongoing project, with more content regularly added.

The following microfilm of the Clark Papers is available for interlibrary loan: vols. 1-4 (reel no. MS 94); vols. 5-8 (reel no. MS 95); vols. 9-13 (reel no. MS 96); vols. 14-20 (reel no. MS 97); vols. 21-25 (reel no. MS 98); vols. 26-33 (reel no. MS 99).

Indian records include correspondence, 1813-1855; claims, 1807-1830; licenses and permits 1813-1825; descriptions, 1815-1817; journals, 1826-1835; property returns, 1840-1853; accounts, 1822-1853; and correspondence registers, 1837-1839, of the Missouri, Central, and St. Louis Superintendencies of Indian Affairs. The records contain information on the Indian emigration, treaties, the fur trade, claims, Indian education, roads, employees, meteorology, and steamboats. Indian agencies represented include the Osage, Sac & Fox, St. Peters, Upper Missouri River, and others; Indians represented include the Delaware, Fox, Ottawa, Sauk, Seneca, Shawnee, Sioux (195 results), and others.

The Chippewa are not listed on the front page as one of the searchable Native American nations, but I searched “Chippewa” and got 83 hits.