The Navajo Nation Library Special Collections is located in the Main Library, Window Rock, AZ. The Special Collections and Archives possess and support the preservation of historical, cultural, legal, and Navajo Nation research and documents. If you are interested in looking at these materials, we ask that you please contact and schedule with one of our Library Staff.
We ask that you consider the following:
- Materials can be used ONLY in the library, the materials are not in circulation, and cannot be checked out.
- Materials may be copied at .10 cents a page (with the exception of ONEO Collection - NO digital copies can be made or lent).
- Materials also include documents, back issues of the Navajo Times, magazines, etc. (material may be fragile).
- Materials that appear fragile or brittle, we ask that you handle with gloves, we will supply gloves for your handling.
Below is a summary of what is in our Special Collections:
Land Claims Collection
This collection represents approximately 27 years of Navajo Nation historical files and contains information on Navajo culture and history from the 1600’s to the late 1970’s. The materials were collected under the direction of the late J. Lee Correll. and staff from the Research Section of the Navajo Parks and Recreation Department.
ADVISORY: The Land Claims Collection is only accessible through Navajo Nation Attorney General permission
Native American Music Collection
Our collection is composed of an eclectic mix of Traditional, Pow Wow, Native American Church, Folk, and Country Music performed by Native American artists, groups, and singers. The majority of the music is performed in native languages with some materials in the English language. The contents of the collection have been indexed.
Native American Research Library Collection
This is a collection of 6000+ printed materials relating to Native American tribal groups in general, and the Navajo and Southwestern tribal groups in particular. The material in this collection focuses on regional archeological and anthropological studies and environmental and social structure histories of the various tribal groups.
Navajo Times Today Collection
This is a complete hard-copy collection of the official newspaper of the Navajo Nation (I.e. Navajo Times Today) from its inception in November of 1959 to January 2000. The collection is filed in acid-free boxes. The entire hard-copy collection is labeled and regularly updated.
Office of Navajo Economic Opportunity (ONEO) Oral History Collection
This is a collection of oral history tapes transcribed, (the transcripts have been digitized and are available for use by the general public) and gathered in the 1960s by the Navajo Culture Center of the Office of Navajo Economic Opportunity (ONEO) in its efforts to collect and preserve Navajo cultural and historical information. The tapes primarily contain first-person documentation of traditional Navajo religion. The original tapes have been re-recorded onto cassettes.
ADVISORY: We ask that you do not record with any recording device, no reduplicaiton, or circulating
Vertical File Collection
This collection of articles represents a 40-year summary of the Navajo people as seen and reported by the news media from various sources such as national magazine and newspapers written about the Navajo Nation, its people, and its culture.