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The Native American collection contains miscellaneous letters and documents concerning Native American Indians in the United States, Canada, and the West Indies, and their interactions with British and American settlers.

The Native American collection is comprised of approximately 125 miscellaneous letters and documents concerning Native American Indians in the United States, Canada, and the West Indies, and their interactions with British and American settlers (1689-1921). Topics range from land agreements, legal issues, treaties, descriptions of travel through Indian Territory, Indian uprisings and conflicts, Indian captivities, prisoners of war, Indian enslavement, and interactions with Quaker and Moravian missionaries. Tribes include the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cree, Iroquois, Ojibwa, Oneida, Ottawa, Kickapoo, Seneca, Shawnee, Sioux, among others, and concern activities in Canada, New England, the Midwest, the South, and the western frontier. Also present are items written in Cherokee, Mohawk, and Ojibwa.

The Seth Eastman watercolors consist of 12 sketches produced by U.S. Army officer Seth Eastman.

The Seth Eastman watercolors consist of 12 sketches produced by U.S. Army officer Seth Eastman. Most of these works were likely created by Eastman between approximately 1849 and 1858, including many that were executed in relation to his work as illustrator for Henry Rowe Schoolcraft’s six-volume ethnographic survey Information respecting the history, condition and prospects of the Indian tribes of the United States, published between 1851 and 1857. Individual items measure up to 18 by 25 cm.

The following list includes titles (supplied titles appearing in brackets), content descriptions, and citations for engraved versions that appear in Schoolcraft’s survey:

• Watercolor scene showing a naked Native American girl being tortured in front of a large group of Skiri Pawnee men, women, and children. This depiction is thought to have been based on accounts cited by Schoolcraft of the last known instance of the Skiri Pawnee Morning Star sacrificial ritual, ca. 1837/1838.
• Information respecting the history, condition and prospects of the Indian tribes of the United States, Vol. 6, Plate 6 (across from pg. 78)

• Watercolor scene showing several Comanche warriors on horseback attacking a wagon train circle defended by men with rifles.
• Information respecting the history, condition and prospects of the Indian tribes of the United States, Vol. 2, Plate 33 (across from pg. 132)

• Watercolor scene showing several Native American warriors (likely meant to be Comanche) on horseback outside of San José Mission Church.
• Based on 1849 sketch by Eastman held by the Peabody Museum, Harvard University.

• Watercolor view showing a Native American man smoking a pipe seated on the Oneida Stone overlooking terrain with Oneida Lake in the distance.
• Information respecting the history, condition and prospects of the Indian tribes of the United States, Vol. 5, Plate 23 (after pg. 152)

• Sepia ink wash view showing two Native Americans on rocks in foreground looking out over the Hudson River.
• Information respecting the history, condition and prospects of the Indian tribes of the United States, Vol. 3, Plate 19 (after pg. 74)

• Sepia ink wash view of Humboldt, California, ca. 1851 showing several buildings viewed from across a harbor. Copied by Eastman from original drawing by George Gibbs.
• Information respecting the history, condition and prospects of the Indian tribes of the United States, Vol. 3, Plate 43 (across from pg. 130)

• Ink wash view of structures at Fort Pitt, Pennsylvania, ca. 1790. Copied by Eastman in 1851 from original drawing by Lewis Brantz, then in the possession of Brantz Mayer.
• Information respecting the history, condition and prospects of the Indian tribes of the United States, Vol. 3, Plate 32 (across from pg. 336)

• Sepia ink wash depiction of seven indigenous Mexican cultural artifacts. Drawn after engravings based on drawings by Brantz Mayer.
• Information respecting the history, condition and prospects of the Indian tribes of the United States, Vol. 6, Plate 40 (after pg. 590)

• Sepia ink wash depiction of ten indigenous Mexican cultural artifacts. Eastman drew these objects direct from observation of materials held in the collection of Brantz Mayer.
• Information respecting the history, condition and prospects of the Indian tribes of the United States, Vol. 6, Plate 39 (after pg. 590)

• Pen and ink drawing showing written names and totems of sixteen Ojibwa individuals including “Kimi-Ki-Chawgan,” “Kitche-pus-quegegan,” “Siginac,” “Apeche-caw-boway or Grand Blanc,” “Maw-manche-Cawtence,” Skaw-O-mut or Black Chief,” “Mieray or Walk in the Waters,” “Ray-y-Aron,” “Ane-me-quinee,” “Puck-e-Nence,” “Que-baw-que-gun,” “Puck-qua-Cawboway,” “Seken-ge-win,” “Many-to-quajick or Little Cedar,” “So-wa-quet,” “Macconce or Little Bear.” These signatures were claimed by Schoolcraft to have been copied from an invoice of Indian goods disbursed by General William Hull at Fort Detroit in 1809.
• Information respecting the history, condition and prospects of the Indian tribes of the United States, Vol. 2, Plate 56 (across from pg. 226)

• Watercolor view depicting American troops at Fort Shelby, Wisconsin, surrendering to the British on July 20th, 1814, during the War of 1812; likely executed by Eastman ca. 1846-1848.
• Eastman was stationed at Fort Crawford (successor to Fort Shelby, which was destroyed by the British in May of 1815) after graduating from West Point in 1829 and possibly interacted with individuals who witnessed the surrender first-hand.

• Watercolor view of Fort Pembina, Dakota Territory, during winter showing buildings, tipis, and a dog sled.
• Work is unsigned but bears clear similarities to other landscape scenes by Eastman.