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Sherman Indian Museum collection
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Title: Sherman Indian Museum collection
Date (inclusive): 1861-2009, Undated
Date (bulk): circa 1940-1970
Collection Number: Consult
repository
Creator:
Sherman Indian Museum
Extent:
243 Linear Feet
(202 boxes)
Repository: Sherman Indian
Museum.
Riverside, CA 92503
Abstract: The Sherman Indian Museum collection
documents the history of the Perris Indian School, Sherman Institute, and Sherman Indian
High School as well as the Native American experience in the US and within government-run
American Indian boarding schools. Collection highlights include registration and
superintendent ledgers, student rosters and yearbooks, curriculum and administrative
records, school bulletins, correspondence, photographs, and scrapbooks.
Languages: The collection is primarily in English.
Please contact the Sherman Indian Museum to request access.
Copyright Unknown: Some materials in these collections may be
protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction,
and/or commercial use, of some materials may be restricted by gift or purchase agreements,
donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing agreement(s), and/or trademark
rights. Distribution or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed
by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. To the extent other
restrictions apply, permission for distribution or reproduction from the applicable rights
holder is also required. Responsibility for obtaining permissions, and for any use rests
exclusively with the user.
[identification of item], [date if possible]. Sherman Indian Museum collection. Sherman
Indian Museum, Riverside, California.
This collection was established in 1970 with historical materials from the Perris Indian
School and Sherman Institute and has been expanded to include materials from the Sherman
Indian High School.
Processed by Celeste Navas and Serena Rodholm, 2017. Revised by Charlotte Dominguez,
2017-2019.
Processing of the Sherman Indian Museum collection was completed by undergraduate students
from the University of California, Riverside. This project was funded by the UCR Library and
administered by Eric Milenkiewicz, Manuscripts Curator, and Jessica Geiser, Collections
Management Librarian.
The Sherman Indian Museum was established to document and perpetuate the history and
cultural heritage of the Perris Indian School (1892-1902), Sherman Institute (1902-1970),
and Sherman Indian High School (1970-). Materials relating to American Indian education are
also part of the museum's collection which serves as an educational resource for students
and researchers alike.
The museum is located in the original Administration building of the Sherman Institute (now
the Sherman Indian High School) in Riverside, California. Construction of the building was
completed in 1902 and it was officially opened as a museum in September 1970. On October 20,
1974 the museum was designated as Riverside Cultural Heritage Landmark Number 16 and was
entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Collection Scope and Content Summary
The Sherman Indian Museum collection documents the history of the Perris Indian School,
Sherman Institute, and Sherman Indian High School as well as the Native American experience
in the US and within government-run American Indian boarding schools. The collection spans
more than a century and richly documents the experiences of students, representing more than
50 tribal nations, who attended the school since its inception in 1892.
Collection highlights include registration and superintendent ledgers, student rosters and
yearbooks, curriculum and administrative records, school bulletins, correspondence,
photographs, and scrapbooks. Materials cover a range of topical areas including US federal
government assimilation efforts of Native Americans, history of American Indian boarding
schools, history of education of Native Americans, and the history of the city and county of
Riverside, California.
Materials from this collection have been digitized and are available online.
This collection is arranged into eighteen series and four sub-series. Collection
arrangement is as follows:
- Series 1. Registration ledgers, 1892-1921.
- Series 2. Student ledgers, 1911-1924.
- Series 3. Student rosters, 1932-1991.
- Series 4. Student grades, 1916-1925.
- Series 5. Alumni registers, 1935-1958.
- Series 6. Superintendent ledgers, 1892-1903.
- Series 7. Curriculum publications, circa 1920-1993, Undated.
- Series 8. Financial records, 1892-1992.
- Series 9. Property & Building records, 1861-1986.
- Series 10. Administrative records, 1893-1992, Undated.
- Series 11. Outing System correspondence, 1895-1903, Undated.
- Series 12. Correspondence, 1891-1982.
- Series 13. Historical materials, 1895-2005, Undated.
- Series 14. Scrapbooks, circa 1970-1972, Undated.
- Series 15. Photographic materials, circa 1900-2007, Undated.
- Sub-series 15.1. Photograph albums, circa 1900-1964.
- Sub-series 15.2. Prints, circa 1900-2007, Undated.
- Sub-series 15.3. Negatives, circa 1920-1970, Undated.
- Sub-series 15.4. Slides, circa 1940-2000, Undated.
- Series 16. Student yearbooks, 1915-2009.
- Series 17. Sherman Bulletin, 1907-1984.
- Series 18. Exhibition items, circa 1900-2010.
The Sherman Indian Museum maintains a library of published materials pertaining to Native
American history and culture as well American Indian education in the United States. A rich
collection of artwork, artifacts, and memorabilia documenting the school's inter-tribal
populations are also part of the museum's permanent holdings.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the
library's online public access catalog.
American Indian education
Native Americans
Off-reservation boarding schools
Perris Indian School
Riverside (Calif.)
Sherman Indian High School (Riverside, Calif.)
Sherman Institute (Riverside, Calif.)
United States. Bureau of Indian Affairs
United States. Department of the Interior
Administrative records
Bulletins
Correspondence
Photographs
Rosters
School yearbooks