Friends of Nevada Tribal Libraries

05/29/2026

“The Lost Cities of El Norte: Coronado’s Quest, the Unconquered West, and the Birth of American Indian Resistance – A Narrative History of Exploration, Conquest, and Resistance” by Peter Stark is a worthy read.

The story of Francisco Coronado’s 1540 expedition is usually told as a story of exploration. Peter Stark reframes it as a story of failure and the role of Indigenous nations whose resistance defeated Coronado and his 2,000 men.

Stark’s narrative alternates between European and Indigenous perspectives, tracing the Puebloan and Plains peoples, and others who turned back the full weight of Spanish imperial ambition, not once, but generation after generation.

For ATALM’s community, this history lives in the present. The peoples Coronado could not conquer are the same nations whose archives, languages, and cultural institutions we work to support today. Their resistance in 1540 is part of the same story as tribal sovereignty in 2026.

05/20/2026

Save The Date!

The 2026 Ruby Valley Treaty Conference will be on October 2, 3, and 4, 2026.

Locations will be in Elko, NV and Ruby Valley, NV.

Please check back in for more information.
Visit noowuhkc.org

04/17/2026

Did you know that the quest to document Indigenous languages was once part of a global project?

In the late 1700s, Empress Catherine the Great of Russia launched a massive project to compile a universal dictionary of languages from across the globe. She was hoping to prove the common origins of humanity.

Inspired by Catherine’s standardized lists, Thomas Jefferson spent 30 years collecting vocabularies from Indigenous nations.

He used a printed form with around 280 English terms with blank spaces beside them.

Jefferson printed the vocabulary forms and distributed them to traders, missionaries, military officers, and diplomats. It is estimated that he accumulated vocabularies from more than 50 languages and dialects. It was the largest systematic effort to document Indigenous languages that had ever been attempted in North America.

Unfortunately, much of the work was lost. When Jefferson left the White House in 1809, his trunks were loaded onto a barge on the James River. A thief rifled through them, found nothing of obvious value, and threw the contents into the water.

A few pages floated ashore and were recovered, although most were lost.

What survived is genuinely useful. The Myaamia language is spoken again today in part because documentary records provided enough material to reconstruct it.

To learn more about the Jefferson vocabularies and access other valuable linguistic resources, visit the American Philosophical Society. It holds one of the largest collections of Indigenous language materials in the world. Its Center for Native American and Indigenous Research works directly with tribal communities on revitalization. Indigenous community members can request copies of digitized materials for free.

Further reading:

1. From ‘Mammoth’ to ‘Refrigerator’: A Look at Indigenous Vocabulary Lists (Part 1)” — American Philosophical Society
https://www.amphilsoc.org/blog/mammoth-refrigerator-look-indigenous-vocabulary-lists-part-1

2. “Jefferson’s Comparative Vocabularies” — APS Treasures Exhibition
https://www.amphilsoc.org/exhibits/treasures/vocab.htm

3. “Missing Indian Vocabulary Sheets” — National Park Service
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/missing-indian-vocabulary-sheets.htm

4. “The Indian Vocabularies” — Discover Lewis & Clark
https://mail.lewis-clark.org/sciences/ethnography/indian-vocabularies/

5. “Gathering Voices: Thomas Jefferson and Native America” — APS Exhibition
https://www.amphilsoc.org/museum/exhibitions/gathering-voices-thomas-jefferson-and-native-america​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

6. The Age-old Quest to Preserve Native Languages
https://whyy.org/segments/the-age-old-quest-to-preserve-native-languages/

7. VIII. Jefferson’s Vocabulary of the Unquachog Indians, [14 June 1791]
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-20-02-0173-0009

8. The American Language Reprint Series Complete Catalog http://www.evolpub.com/ALR/ALRbooks.html

Photo Caption:
Thomas Jefferson’s handwritten comparative vocabulary list, documenting words from multiple Native American languages as part of early efforts to study linguistic relationships.

Credit:
Thomas Jefferson Papers, American Philosophical Society

04/17/2026

We are one week away from our very special book signing by museum friend Lorraine Martinez-Cook. There will be a reading and Q & A with the author and limited books on hand for cash purchase. If you want a copy to have signed it is available on Amazon. Please plan to join us 3:00pm here at the Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum Thursday April 23rd.

04/17/2026