The Valerian Three Irons American Indian Collection (Box 1) consists of transcripts from 144 oral history interviews conducted during the 1970s with Native American individuals from a broad range of tribal affiliations across the United States. The interviews document personal narratives, cultural perspectives, and community experiences, capturing voices from tribes including, but not limited to, the Nez Perce, Chippewa, Cherokee, Navajo, Hopi, Choctaw, Sioux, Seminole, Apache, and many others.
This collection serves as a primary source for understanding Native American life, identity, and cultural heritage during the mid-20th century. Conducted during a period of renewed Indigenous activism and cultural assertion, the interviews preserve valuable first-person testimonies on topics such as tribal history, traditions, education, activism, language, and social change. The diversity of tribal representation highlights the complexity and breadth of Native American experiences and contributes significantly to the historical record of Indigenous communities in the United States.
