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How to Find Treaties

Read about treaty research in Basic Indian Law Research Tips -- Part 1: Federal Indian Law.

Indian Treaties: a Bibliography - A bibliography describing sources for research into treaties between the U.S. government and Indian tribes, focusing on primary sources.

"American Indian law : Research and resources," Legal Reference Services Quarterly, Vol. 4, No. 4 (1984) - Contains sections on treaty texts, updating treaty research, and readings on treaties. See NILL catalog record.

Online tools:

Ratified Indian Treaties, 1722–1869 (National Archives. American Indian Treaties: Catalog Links) - Digitized treaties can be explored by date or by tribe.

IDA Treaties Explorer - This collection featuring 374 ratified Indian treaties from the U.S. National Archives' holdings is available through The Indigenous Digital Archive.

Tribal Treaties Database - Provides an easy-to-use portal to access treaties, agreements, and other historical documents that have shaped relationships between tribal nations and the United States. Created by Oklahoma State University Libraries with their partners, USDA, Department of the Interior and Department of Defense Legacy Program.

Indian Affairs: Laws and Treaties. - Compiled and Edited by Charles J. Kappler - ( available online from Oklahoma State University) - The complete 7-volume set. Includes treaties and federal laws passed relating to Native Americans through January 13, 1971. Volume II is the treaties and executive orders volume. PDF copies of Vols. 1-7 are available through GovInfo.

Early Recognized Treaties With American Indian Nations - (University of Nebraska, Lincoln) - Presents nine treaties that are not digitized as part of Charles J. Kappler's Indian Affairs: Laws and Treaties.

Jay Treaty of 1794 and Associated Documents - (Yale University). Treaty between Canada and the U.S. dealing with American Indians residing in both Canada and U.S.

Native American Law Treaties - Westlaw (subscription required). Full text documents of Native American Indian treaties to which the U.S. government is a party. Native American treaties, as published in Statutes at Large, begin with volume 7 (1797).

Print sources:

Documents of American Indian Diplomacy: Treaties, Agreements, and Conventions, 1775-1979 by Vine Deloria, Jr. and Raymond J. DeMallie, 1999. It has not been digitized, but contains additional treaties, not found in Kappler's (see above), such as (1) unratified treaties, (2) treaties between tribes and the Republic of Texas, (3) treaties between tribes and confederate states and (4) treaties between Indian nations. See NILL Catalog record.