CASE STUDY

Newberry Library

Newberry Library, Special Project

newberry Library BROUGHT the indigenous history of chicago TO LIFE

Indigenous Chicago, a multifaceted initiative developed by Newberry Library, representatives from several tribal nations, and Native community members in Chicago, explores Indigenous history in Chicago across five centuries to highlight the way that the development of the city has been shaped by Indigenous lives and land.

We built a map to act as a digital companion to the exhibition and to allow visitors to explore the Newberry’s collections and stories of indigenous history in library and beyond.

📈 PLATFORM IMPACT

150 locations

545,500 IMPRESSIONS

13,850 USERS

We tracked analytics through our platform to deliver monthly reports on user submissions, views, and impressions.

Touchscreen compatibility

Visitors to the exhibition can explore the map on Urban Archive using a touchscreen device.

🛠️ TOOLS THEY’RE USING

Dynamic Viewing

Collapsible map view for an easier reading experience.

Masonry view so users can explore entries by image.

Mobile functionality

Explore stories and walks on-the-go with new mobile functionality

The browser-based application works on both iOS and Android

Enhanced exploration

Map layers to show treaty boundaries.

Improved search and filters for sorting content.

💬 PARTNER Q&A

What did you wish to accomplish with the Indigenous Chicago Project? How do you think it has been successful so far?

“This project grew out of priorities articulated by the Chicago American Indian community and tribal nations with ancestral connections to this place , and you can read a fuller project history on our main website. In short, we wanted to make Indigenous people and stories, which have largely been erased from narratives of Chicago's past, present, and future, more readily accessible to all. With the Urban Archive map in particular, one of the priorities articulated by Native community members in our early meetings was an intervention in the tourist industry in Chicago, which is a primary way that many access information about Chicago history and is rife with misrepresentations of Native people. Urban Archive gave us the chance to show how so many places in Chicago are relevant to Indigenous people and communities and to blur the chronological sense of time through which most study Chicago history. Points on the map range from village sites that predate European arrival to contemporary Native organizations that are open today, signaling that Chicago has always been, and still is, an Indigenous place.”

Rose Miron, Vice President of Research and Education at the Newberry Library

Where do you see the future of this project?

“This project was always meant to be an ongoing initiative of the Newberry Library's D'Arcy McNickle Center. As a non-Native institution that has benefitted from settler colonialism and Indigenous dispossession, it is our responsibility to ensure our work is benefitting the Native communities who have ancestral ties to this place. A core element of the project was forging reciprocal relationships with members and organizations within Chicago's Native community, as well as with tribal nations who consider Chicago part of their ancestral homelands. To that end, future expansions or revisions of this project will emerge from priorities articulated from these communities. We circulated a survey about next steps in Winter 2025 and are currently seeking more funding to pursue additional community feedback meetings and support for the projects that community members have thus far identified as most important to them.”

Rose Miron, Vice President of Research and Education at the Newberry Library

Do you have any other thoughts you might have on the outcome or process of developing this project together?

“Overall, Urban Archive has been a great tool for us to use in this project. Chicago is a place that many different Native people have connections to, and each of those connections is distinct. Urban Archive allows us to include many of these stories and emphasize that there is no single story of "Indigenous Chicago." As we continue to expand the project, we're excited about continuing to build out the map points.”

Rose Miron, Vice President of Research and Education at the Newberry Library

QUESTIONS

Inspired and interested in creating your own special project?