GUIDE TO CATHOLIC RECORDS ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE U.S.
Volume 3: Western United States
Washington: WA-26
Catholic Church. Diocese of Spokane. Chancery
525 East Mission Avenue
Spokane, WA 99202
P.O. Box 1453
Spokane, WA 99210
Phone: 509-358-7336
Email: See website (The Diocese: About: Archives)
Hours: See website (The Diocese: About: Archives)
Access: See website (The Diocese: About: Archives)
Copying facilities: Yes
History: The Diocese of Spokane was erected from territory in the Archdiocese of Seattle, 1913. The Spokane Diocese reported 3,000 baptized Native American Catholics, 1999. Spokane and its predecessors have administered the following Native missions, parishes, and schools in Washington State:
1847-1852 (closed) (Spokane, 1913-) |
St. Anne Mission (Cayuse), Wallula |
1847-1856 (closed), 1867-present (Spokane, 1913-1951) |
St. Rose Mission (Yakama), Yakima River |
1847-1856 (closed) (Spokane, 1913-) |
St. Joseph/ Ahtanum Mission (Yakama), Yakima/ Yakima River |
1848-1883 (closed) (Spokane, 1913-) |
St. Paul Mission (Chelan, Entiat, Methow, Nespelim, Nez Perce, Okanogan, Paloos, Sanpoil, Senijextee, Wenatchi), Kettle Falls |
1849-1854 (closed) (Spokane, 1913-) |
St. Joseph Mission (Chelan, Entiat, Methow, Nespelim, Nez Perce, Okanogan, Paloos, Sanpoil, Senijextee, Wenatchi), Okanogan |
1849-ca. 1952 (closed) (Spokane, 1913- ca. 1952) |
St. Francis Regis Mission (Chelan, Entiat, Methow, Nespelim, Nez Perce, Okanogan, Paloos, Sanpoil, Senijextee, Wenatchi), Colville |
1852-1920s (no longer Native) (Spokane, 1913-1920s) |
Immaculate Conception Church (Chelan, Entiat, Methow, Nespelim, Nez Perce, Okanogan, Paloos, Sanpoil, Senijextee, Wenatchi), Colville |
1852-1904 (closed) (Spokane, 1913-) |
Spokane Chapel/ Mission (Spokan), Spokane |
1873-1921 (closed) (Spokane, 1913-1921) |
Providence of the Sacred Heart School (Chelan, Entiat, Methow, Nespelim, Nez Perce, Okanogan, Paloos, Sanpoil, Senijextee, Wenatchi), Colville |
1875-present (Spokane, 1913-1951) |
St. Joseph School/ Academy (Yakama), Yakima |
1882-present (Spokane, 1913-1951) |
St. Mary Church (Yakama), White Swan, Yakima Reservation |
1886-2010s (closed) |
St. Mary Mission (Chelan, Entiat, Methow, Nespelim, Nez Perce, Okanogan, Paloos, Sanpoil, Senijextee, Wenatchi), Omak, Colville Reservation |
1910-1920s (closed) (Spokane, 1913-1920s) |
St. Louis Church (Chelan, Entiat, Methow, Nespelim, Nez Perce, Okanogan, Paloos, Sanpoil, Senijextee, Wenatchi), Brewster/ Monse |
1913-present |
Our Lady of Sorrows Church (Kalispel), Usk/ Cusick, Kalispel Reservation |
1915-1940s (closed) |
St. Joachim Mission (Sanpoil), Bossburg |
1915-1940s (closed) |
St. Ann Church (Sanpoil), Pia |
1915-present |
Sacred Heart Mission (Chelan, Entiat, Methow, Nespelim, Nez Perce, Okanogan, Paloos, Sanpoil, Senijextee, Wenatchi), Nespelem, Colville Reservation |
1916-present |
St Rose of Lima Mission (Chelan, Entiat, Methow, Nespelim, Nez Perce, Okanogan, Paloos, Sanpoil, Senijextee, Wenatchi), Keller, Colville Reservation |
1920s-present |
St. Jude Church (Kalispel), Usk, near Kalispel Reservation |
1920-present |
Sacred Heart Church (Spokane), Wellpinit |
1925-present |
St. Michael Church (Chelan, Entiat, Methow, Nespelim, Nez Perce, Okanogan, Paloos, Sanpoil, Senijextee, Wenatchi), Inchelium, Colville Reservation |
1938-1950 (closed) |
St. Ignatius Mission (Chelan, Entiat, Methow, Nespelim, Nez Perce, Okanogan, Paloos, Sanpoil, Senijextee, Wenatchi), Rogers Bar |
1943-present |
Our Lady of Lourdes Church (Spokan), Wellpinit/ West End, Spokane Reservation |
1945-ca. 1973 (closed) |
St. Mary School (Chelan, Entiat, Methow, Nespelim, Nez Perce, Okanogan, Paloos, Sanpoil, Senijextee, Wenatchi), Omak, Colville Reservation |
1945-present |
St. Joseph Church (Chelan, Entiat, Methow, Nespelim, Nez Perce, Okanogan, Paloos, Sanpoil, Senijextee, Wenatchi), Omak, Colville Reservation |
1988-present |
St. Philip Benizi Church (Spokan), Wellpinit/ Ford, Spokane Reservation |
1994-present |
St. Aloysius Church (e.g. Spokan), Spokane |
Holdings of Catholic records about Native Americans:
Inclusive dates: 1883-ongoing Volume: At least 3 cubic feet
Description: The records of the Diocese of Spokane archives were not organized according to a classification scheme when examined by a Ӱ archivist, 2006. Consequently, description is by record type.
/1 Bishops’ Papers
Inclusive dates: 1915, 1917, and dates unknown
Volume: Ca. .6 cubic foot
Description: Divided by bishop and there under by topic and record type.
A. Bishop Augustin Magloire Alexandre Blanchet (1797-1887), dates unknown; approximately .5 cubic foot; clippings, correspondence (copies), and notes
B. Bishop Augustine Francis Schinner (1863-1937), 1915, 1917, few letters; includes the Commission for the Catholic Missions Among the Colored People and the Indians
/2 Sacramental Records
Inclusive dates: 1883-1990
Volume: Few reels of microfilm
Description: Arranged alphabetically by parish location and there under by parish name; includes baptisms, first communions, confirmations, marriages, and burials for Indian and non-Indian parishes with attended Native Americans missions and stations and/or a few Native parishioners; microfilmed through 1990 with original records held by parishes.
A. Colville, Immaculate Conception Church, 1883-1990
B. Inchelium, St. Michael Mission, 1925-1990
C. Monse, St. Louis Church, 1910-1920s
D. Nespelem, Sacred Heart Mission, 1916-1990
E. Omak, St. Mary Church, 1945-1990
F. Usk, St. Jude Church, 1920s-1990
G. Wellpinit, Sacred Heart Church, 1920-1990
H. Westend, Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 1943-1990
/3 Parish Files
Inclusive dates: After 1899-ongoing
Volume: At least 1.2 cubic feet
Description: Correspondence, clippings, histories, reports, and photographs arranged alphabetically by parish location and there under by name; includes the following Native and non-Native parishes with attended Native missions and stations:
A. Colville, Immaculate Conception Church, 1937-present, .2 cubic foot
B. Colville, St. Francis Regis Mission, 1910-present, .2 cubic foot
C. Inchelium, St. Michael Mission, 1928-present, .2 cubic foot
D. Nespelem, Sacred Heart Church, 1915-present, .1 cubic foot
E. Omak, St. Mary Mission, 1899-present, .2 cubic foot
F. Usk, St. Jude Church, 1961-present, .2 cubic foot
G. Wellpinit, Sacred Heart Church, 1978-present, .1 cubic foot
/4 Personnel Files
Inclusive dates: After 1913-ongoing
Volume: Few folders
Description: Arranged alphabetically by surname; primarily diocesan priests with a few Jesuits included.
/5 Religious Community Files
Inclusive dates: 1894-ongoing
Volume: At least 1.1 cubic feet
Description: Clippings, correspondence, ephemera, histories, photographs, and reports arranged alphabetically by topic, i.e. “Indian Reservations” and community name.
A. “Indian Reservations,” 1894-1947, .4 cubic foot; notable correspondents: Rev. Alphonsus Fletcher, S.J., 1914-1915; Rev. C. Caldi, S.J., 1919-1937, Rev. E. de Rouge, S.J., 1914-1915, Rev. H.J. Schuler, S.J., 19143-1915, Rev. Edward M. Griva, S.J., 1914-1919; History of the 50 years of my Missionary Life Among Indians and Whites from July 1894 until the End of September 1944 [typescript] by Rev. Edward M. Griva, S.J.; The Cayuse and Walla Walla [typescript] by Rev. Lyle Davis, S.J., 1947
B. “Jesuits and Jesuit History,” 1958-1980s, .3 cubic foot; The Long Harvest, Life of Joseph M. Cataldo, S.J. [typescript, M.A. thesis] by Lucia Ahern, Nebraska State Teachers College, 1958; Story of Jesuit Father Joseph Joset, Missionary of the Coeur d’Alenes, 1975, KHQ television typescript; clippings and ephemera, 1930s-1980s
C. “Sisters of [Charity of] Providence,” 1921-1980s, .4 cubic foot; includes Mother Joseph statue dedication, U.S. Capital, Washington, D.C., 1930s
/6 Diocesan Newspapers
Inclusive dates: 1919-ongoing
Volume: Few articles
Description: Occasional articles pertaining to American Indians and Catholic evangelization in the diocese have appeared in The Inland Empire, Catholic Messenger, 1919-1931, the Inland Catholic, 1934-1942, and The Inland Register, the latter has been archived online, 2001-present.
Unless otherwise noted, the repository on this page holds (or held) the records described here and they are not held at the Ӱ Archives.
new2006/rev2020