With the grant funding, the Libraries will conduct a comprehensive, 22-month survey of Catholic-related records about Native Americans in the United States.  Marquette will identify, describe, and where appropriate, preserve Catholic Church-related records held by institutions in 14 western states.  These records comprise over 400 years of documentation and are essential for understanding the past and present life, culture, and relationships of Native American individuals and communities.

The project, which will be directed by archivist Mark Thiel, will provide researchers with an online record description guide and will identify "at-risk" collections in order to aid their management and preservation. The project will target areas which document American Indian and Native Alaskan peoples including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.  Collectively, these states have substantial holdings of Catholic-related records about Native Americans, most of which are held by Catholic Church institutions and repositories.

The first part of the survey will be conducted from November 2004 to February 2005.  During this period, Marquette will distribute questionnaires to all institutions that may hold targeted records.  The second part, which will take place between March 2005 and February 2006, involves on-site visits at approximately 100 institutions that have notable holdings requiring further description.  The guide will be deployed online upon completion, which is expected by May, 2006.