This collection, digitized from holdings at LA County Library's American Indian Resource Center, contains letters from federal and state government officials and private citizens in California to the Office of Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C., on issues relating to California Indians immediately before and during the first 30 years of California's statehood. The letters’ purpose was to keep the Office informed as to the status and developments in the governance of Indian affairs in California.

The letters in this collection are the focus of a public transcription project to make the information in them more accessible. If you're interested in helping to transcribe these handwritten letters, visit the project page on the Library's website.

The American Indian Resource Center (AIRC) was established in 1979 to meet the informational, cultural and educational needs of Native Americans in Los Angeles County and to make information about them available to the larger community.The AIRC collection is the largest public library collection in the U.S. that focuses on American Indians. AIRC materials include audiocassettes, books, compact discs, films, magazines, microfilm, newsletters, newspapers, and videocassettes. Most of these materials can be checked out.