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