Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation

The Yakama Nation Library will select, digitize, and make accessible approximately 200 materials from an underutilized historical collection that is not yet incorporated in the digital catalog. The Strongheart collection of books, artifacts, newspapers, and interviews was donated by Native activist Nipo Strongheart in 1996, but during the pandemic it went without regular maintenance and is at high risk of deterioration. Preservation efforts have also gained urgency with the decreasing number of fluent Sahaptin speakers. The project will digitize Strongheart materials and upload them to the Washington State University’s Plateau Peoples Portal for long-term storage. The effort will lead to wider access to vital Native American historical information that allows for an increased understanding of tribal history and culture.