The Newberry Library in Chicago has been awarded a significant $4 million grant from the Mellon Foundation. This funding aims to enhance access to Indigenous languages, many of which face the risk of extinction. The library boasts approximately 2,400 items related to over 300 Indigenous languages as part of its extensive Indigenous Studies collections, which include more than one million manuscript pages, 11,000 photographs, and 2,000 maps.
Currently, only a small fraction of this rich collection is available digitally, creating barriers for both tribal nations and scholars. The grant will facilitate the digitization of language-related materials, making them accessible on the Newberry’s website. “These resources are crucial for tribal nations engaged in language revitalization efforts,” explained Rose Miron, the library’s vice president for research and education.
Addressing Language Loss and Historical Context
The decline of Indigenous languages is often described as a state of emergency. Many were nearly eradicated due to U.S. government policies aimed at forcing Indigenous people into assimilation during the 19th and 20th centuries, including the establishment of Native American boarding schools. Miron noted, “One of the significant losses resulting from those schools was the damage inflicted on Indigenous languages, as children were punished for speaking their native tongues.”
As tribal nations increasingly focus on revitalizing their languages, the Newberry collection becomes invaluable. Miron emphasized the importance of documents that provide insights into these languages, stating, “Linguists can utilize these materials to help recover the sounds of these languages and begin the process of teaching them again.”
The library’s collection features religious texts, such as Bibles translated by missionaries, which were part of efforts to assimilate tribal members. Additionally, it contains materials from boarding schools translated into Dakota. Miron remarked, “These documents offer a vital connection to the past and ancestors. I have witnessed individuals in the collection become emotional upon discovering items linked to their family or community.”
Expanding Access and Collaboration with Tribal Nations
Tribal nations will have the opportunity to request the digitization of other parts of the Newberry collection. The funding will also support the hiring of three new staff members, including a dedicated librarian for Indigenous collections. Other allocations include fellowships for tribal members, travel for tribal representatives to visit the collection, and reciprocal visits for librarians to tribal communities. Importantly, the grant will compensate tribal members who assist the library in reviewing its items, as well as facilitate collaborative projects with tribal nations.
In total, more than half of the grant funds are earmarked for direct support to tribal nations. Miron stated, “We fundamentally believe that tribal nations are the best representatives of their own history,” while also expressing the library’s openness to repatriating items from its collection.
The Indigenous collection at the Newberry originated in 1911 with a donation from Edward E. Ayer, a businessman and avid collector of Indigenous-related materials. Ayer’s endowment has allowed the library to expand its collection and maintain a dedicated librarian.
In recent years, the focus has shifted toward prioritizing materials created by Native individuals, rather than solely those about them. The latest grant is an extension of a planning grant received in 2020, which resulted in the “Indigenous Chicago” project. This initiative aims to provide resources about Chicago’s Indigenous communities, featuring interactive online maps that present the city’s history from Native perspectives.
This effort aligns with local initiatives to better recognize Indigenous peoples and their cultures. Notably, a partnership between the American Indian Center of Chicago and the Forest Preserve of Kane County recently introduced a bison herd back to local tallgrass prairie after a 200-year absence.
Miron acknowledges the historical role institutions like the Newberry have played in the suffering of Indigenous communities. As she put it, “As an institution that has benefited from colonialism, we see it as our responsibility to work towards undoing that harm and returning control to tribal nations.”
The grant-funded work is set to commence immediately and will continue through December 2030.
