LRC 495A-902/LRC 696D - Grant Writing for Indigenous Languages
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This page discusses how to research previous work done with the language using library resources, and how to prepare a literature review with appropriate academic documentation.
Establishing the language name(s)
Before beginning your research, it is important to establish a few preliminary facts:
- What is the name of the language?
- What is the name of the family of languages to which the language belongs?
- Are there any alternative or variant names by which the language is described?
Places to look for language names and families:
Ethnologue (Free)
Ethnologue supplies information about the languages of the world including number of speakers, alternative names for the language, locations where it is spoken including maps and related languages. Click on "Browse the Web Version" to enter the database, then "Language families" to narrow your search to a particular language. Additionally, check out these lovely language maps: click on "Country index with maps," then click on a country. Choose a country and click on its name. Within that page, click on "language map."
Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics (Open to UA students, faculty staff only)
The Encyclopedia of Language & Linguistics, Second Edition, covers the full range of topics in contemporary linguistics from fundamental linguistic disciplines such as phonetics, syntax, and morphology. Check out the chapters in "Languages of the World" for lengthy discussions of specific American Indian language. Additionally, click on the "Languages" tab to find the family of languages to which a particular language or dialect belongs.
Handbook of North American Indians Main Ref and Info Commons Ref E 76.2 .H36
There is an excellent and useful breakdown of the native languages of North America on pages 4-8 of volume 17 of the Handbook of North American Indians ( A more complete description of the Handbook is below.). Please consult this list for assistance in establishing the language you're studying.
Finding language documentation
UA Libraries Catalog (Free)
The UA Libraries' online catalog is always the first place to begin one's search when seeking documentation for a particular language. It's important to remember before beginning, however, that the catalog is arranged according to the Library of Congress classification system (Library of Congress Subject Headings, or LCSH), and that the LCSH don't follow the language breakdown in HNAI.
There's two ways to find materials in the UA Libraries catalog on the language you're researching:
- by simple keyword search - Use the name of the language you're researching and one or two other related terms. For example: "Tohono O'Odham" and "language," or "Papago" and "language," or "Papago" and "idiom."
NOTE: a keyword search will bring up only those terms that are in the title and descriptor fields of a catalog record. So a keyword search for "Tohono O'Odham" will not bring up the records of materials with the word "Papago" unless "Tohono O'Odham" occurs somewhere in the record.
- by LC Subject Heading - Because, as previously stated, the LCSH doesn't follow the HNAI language breakdown, it's best to do a little research to determine the correct LC Subject Heading for the language you're researching. A glossary of terms relevant to the participants in this class has been assembled for your convenience; however, there are other ways to find the appropriate term:
- Handy shortcut: do a keyword search for the terms of your choice, then check the resulting catalog records for the appropriate subject heading.
Useful hint: remember that LC Subject Headings for language usually follow a couple of simple conventions. The proper subject heading for a particular American Indian language is usually the language name followed by the word "language:" "Hopi language;" "Pima language." But note that some languages are classified by LCSH as a dialect, not a language: "Tohono O'Odham dialect."
Handbook of North American Indians (HNAI)
Volume 17 of the HNAI, "Languages," provides an excellent, detailed overview of the languages of native North America. This volume includes (to name a few) chapters on the linguistic and cultural history of languages, native writing systems, and place and personal names. But don't neglect to check the rest of HNAI for chapters on individual tribes and peoples; these chapters have lots of information on language and linguistics. The volumes cover regions. Maps at the front of each book help to orient you to organization of the book and people covered.
There are four sets of HNAI in the Library: one in the Information Commons, one in the Main Reference Collection, one in the stacks and one in Special Collections. All are classified at E 76.2 .H36.
Finding work done with the language
Bibliography of Native North Americans (Open to UA students faculty staff only)
The Bibliography covers articles, books, documents and even book chapters. Sometimes the records are very brief. Be sure to ask for assistance in interpreting them.
LLBA (Open to UA students, faculty staff only)
LLBA is a source which likes to use language family names as subjects. Search in the thesaurus for Navajo and you will find you are referred to Na Dene Languages. Hopi sends you to Uto Aztecan Languages; Crow, Cherokee, Iroquois etc. are under
Keresiouan Languages. So, try language names but if that doesn't work, be prepared to go to language families. LLBA indexes articles, books, book chapters and dissertations.
AnthroSource (Open to UA students, faculty staff only)
This data base contains only full text articles. You must use advanced search and the results are often difficult to interpret but you can look at the articles online to see if they meet your needs.
Dissertation Abstracts (Open to UA students, faculty staff only)
Dissertations and thesis going back into the nineteenth century are indexed here. The UA Library has the rights to the full text of most dissertations from 1996 on. There are many hidden language resources here.
North American Indian Language Materials 1890-1965. by G. Edward Evans and Jeffrey Clark. PM206 E95 Main Reference
This book is arranged alphabetically by language name. There are some cross references.
Literature of American Aboriginal Languages by Hermann E. Ludewig Z7116 L94 1971 Main Stacks. (Reprint of the 1858 edition)
Arranged alphabetically by language with an addendum at the end done by William W. Turner.
Free Resources
Library of Congress (Free)
The Library of Congress uses LC subject headings (surprise) so you can browse by your subject in their catalog. LC also has sound recordings and other materials of interest.
SIRIS (Free)
Search the Smithsonian Libraries for language materials. Use KEYWORD searching and enter the name plus the word language. The Smithsonian also uses the Library of Congress subject headings.
Hidden Resources
Smithsonian Institution. Bureau of American Ethnology.
Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. (Free)
Annual report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.(Free)
The French National Library's digitization project has put these reports which cover the years 1879 to 1931 online. The subject index is in the last volume in the series, no. 48 and begins on page 35 of the document. If you look at Abenaki Language you see a bold faced 28. This means the information is in no. 28 of the series. The lighter numbers indicate the pages in no. 28 where information is to be found.
Smithsonian Institution. Bureau of American Ethnology.
List of publications of the Bureau of American Ethnology: with index to authors and titles. (Free)
This list covers the annual reports (see above), the bulletins, the publications of the Institute of Social Anthropology, the contributions to North American Ethnology, and miscellaneous publications. Unfortunately, there is no subject index, only an index of authors and titles. Many of these publications dealt with language so it is worth it to search this list. A printed list is in Main Reference at E51 U6 no. 200.
The UA Library owns all of these publications. Please ask for assistance in locating them.
Linguistic bibliographies by George C. Pilling These publications are part of the American Bureau of Ethnology Bulletins, nos. 1, 5, 6 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19. THey are shelved at E51 .U in the Main Library. They date from the 1880's and 1890's. Language families covered include Athapascan, Iroquoian, Muskhogean.
Harrington Papers Micro-Film 6707
John Peabody Harrington studied and wrote about American Indian culture and language in Alaska and the northwest coast and in northern, central and southern California, the northeast, southeast and the plains areas of the United States, between 1907 and 1957. His papers from this period are in the Smithsonian Institution Archives. Some libraries, including the University of Arizona own microfilm copies of the papers. Our set is located at Micro-Film 6707. There are index volumes to the set shelved on the top of the microfilm case.
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The literature review
Researching and Writing Literature Reviews - a guide for graduate students in the social sciences, written by UA librarian Olivia Olivares
Writing the grant proposal
Writing Grants Step-by-Step:
Support Centers of America's complete workbook for planning, developing, and writing successful proposals
HG 177 .C374 1995 - Main Reference Collection; one copy in Main Stacks
Grant Proposal Writing Tips
From the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. An outline for the grant proposal process.
The Foundation Center's Proposal Writing Short Course
From the makers of the Foundation Directory, one of the most comprehensive listings of grant-awarding organizations available (see reference above).
Additional information: grant authorizing foundations
The Foundation Directory
AS 911 .A2 - Main Reference Collection
Grant Opportunity Resources - Grant seeking information plus grantwriting resources are both provided on this web site from SBC.
Grants and Nonprofit Information Center (Pima County Public Library) - This is a special collection of print and electronic sources of information and knowledgeable staff serving nonprofit and community organizations in Pima County, located at the Main (downtown) TPPL library. Also included are several grants databases available to library users on location in that library, including Foundation Directory Online and Foundation Grants to Individuals Online. (These databases are not available in the UA libraries; however, there is a copy of the latest Foundation Directory in the Main Reference Collection.)
Grants for Nonprofits and Grants for Individuals - These two pages from Michigan State University list web sites for available grants by subject areas. Grants for Individuals also includes categories by academic level and population group.
Grants.gov - Grants available to organizations from all Federal grant-making agencies.
IRIS (Illinois Researcher Information Service) - Contains over 8,600 active federal and private funding opportunities in the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities. Users can search IRIS by sponsor, deadline date, keyword, and other criteria.