The Delaware Tribal Archives are intended to "to offer meaningful resources that meets genealogical, cultural, and educational needs of the Native American community, both those residing in and those visiting the Delaware Service Area."
The Tribal Archives are part of the Cultural Resources Department located in the Cultural Center at 166 N. Barbara. We are open Monday-Friday 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
In 2010, the tribe received a Basic Library Services Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). A three-year plan was developed to partner with the Bartlesville Area History Museum and Bartlesville Public Library to conserve and enhance the Delaware Tribe’s Tribal Library through digitization. Since 2014 Tribal and historical documents are being scanned and digitized using Past Perfect, a state-of-the-art museum document cataloguing software.
We are pursuing grants that will help us expand our archival storage space but in the meantime these digital copies of our tribal records provide us the opportunity to share them more widely and also help ensure their long-term preservation. Tribal members are welcome to come to the office and see what is being done to preserve our Tribal history. We have begun to receive donations from Tribal members that have been true treasures of our Tribe’s history.
We welcome your donation of pictures, books, documents, maps, and other historical information about the Delaware Tribe and our people. We also welcome donations of artifacts, historic objects and sacred items. We have the storage capability and cultural knowledge to provide proper care, safety, and security. The material is carefully handled and treated with great respect. The material can be scanned and cataloged and returned to Donor/owner.
Our Tribal Archivist is Anita Mathis, a member of the Delaware Tribe and native of Bartlesville. Anita also serves as Tribal Librarian. Please feel free to contact Tribal Archivist Anita Mathis with any questions or comments.