Northwestern will become a member of The Newberry Library Consortium for American Indian and Indigenous Studies, the University announced Tuesday.

The program is led by the Newberry, an independent research library located in Chicago.

Membership in the consortium will both provide fellowships to graduate students and faculty members and give them the opportunity to participate in a variety of different programs. It will use resources from the Newberry’s collections in American Indian and indigenous studies and those made available in Newberry’s D’Arcy McNickle Center for American Indian and Indigenous Studies.

“We’re very pleased to participate with the Newberry by becoming part of this consortium,” Provost Daniel Linzer said in a news release. “By doing so we will continue our efforts to augment our academic offerings in Native American studies and also enhance our collaborative efforts with other Chicago-area institutions.”

Joining the consortium has been in the works since earlier this year, University spokesman Al Cubbage told The Daily.

Several other universities across the country have also joined the consortium including Princeton University, Harvard University and multiple Big Ten universities.

African American and Latino/a studies Prof. John Marquez will serve as the NU faculty representative for the consortium. Marquez taught an Introduction to Native American Studies course Winter Quarter, which discussed different topics related to indigenous people.

(Northwestern professor offers Native American studies class amid John Evans debate)

This announcement comes on the heels of the University releasing its report last month by the John Evans Study Committee, which examines NU founder John Evans’ involvement in the Sand Creek Massacre. The report found no evidence that Evans had a direct involvement in planning the massacre.

(Northwestern releases John Evans report, committee concludes he had no direct involvement in massacre but University ignored ‘significant moral failures’)

Over the past few years, the University has been partnering with more Chicago-area institutions, and this development will help with this effort, Cubbage said.

“It’s really a very, very strong research library here in Chicago,” Cubbage said. “(It’s) really… just a terrific resource center for a variety of collections but particularly American history and collections relating to American history. It’s a really good opportunity for Northwestern to partner with the Newberry in an area where they are particularly strong in.”

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