LibGuides: Ojibwe Family History Research: Overview

Overview

Ojibwe or Anishinaabe people arrived in Minnesota from the east hundreds of years ago by way of the Great Lakes. Their tradition recounts that they needed to settle in a place where food grows on the water. That food, wild rice, has been both a food resource and a mainstay of their culture, supporting families for many generations.

All people typically leave records of births and deaths, marriages, education, employment, religious and political affiliations, military service, property ownership, and relationships to government and the law, ranging from paying taxes and registering a business, to annutiy rolls, and church records. The Minnesota Historical Society Library has many of these records, as well as additional valuable items.

This guide will help your research your family history by exploring:

Research Options

Visit the MNHS Library
Original materials, records, and newspapers on microfilm are available on site and reference staff can help with research.
MNHS Research Services
Order copies of records, articles, or other specific materials from the MNHS collections.
Your Local Library
Many books listed in the Secondary Sources can be checked out at other libraries.
Local Historical Societies
A list of MN county and town historical societies, with contact info and web links
Ancestry.com
A genealogy website with records from all over the world. Access requires a subscription. Visit the MNHS Library to use our subscription.
Family Search
A free family history site that allows you to search records from around the world.

Related Research Guides & Webpages

Family History Overview
A guide to getting started on family history research at MNHS.
Vital Records: Birth, Death, & Marriage
A guide listing the resources available at the MNHS library.
Military Service Records Research
A guide listing the resources available at the MNHS library.
Dakota Family History
A guide listing the resources available at the MNHS library
Metis Family History Research
A guide listing resources available at MNHS.
State Institutions
A guide listing the resources available at the MNHS library.
Adoption Research
A guide listing resources available at MNHS about people adopted in Minnesota.