ASAIL, the Association for the Study of American Indian Literatures, was founded in 1971; between 1973 and 1975 at least five issues of an ASAIL Newsletter, edited by Randall Ackley and ranging between 1 and 8 pages long, were published.
Under the editorship of Karl Kroeber, The Newsletter of the Association for the Study of American Indian Literatures, “New Series,” commenced regular publication with its volume 1, no. 1, Spring 1977 issue. Its title changed, first to ASAIL Newsletter in the Summer 1978 issue (2.2) and then to Studies in American Indian Literatures (SAIL) in the Winter 1980 issue (4.1), at which time “Newsletter” became and remained part of its subtitle. SAIL “New Series” ceased independent publication with 11.2 (Spring 1987). In all, 41 issues were published in this series of the journal. The journal resumed independent publication in 1989, and this series (“Series 2”) is still being published twice a year.
In 1984, in addition to receiving issues of SAIL, members of ASAIL began receiving a more or less regularly-published newsletter titled ASAIL Notes; Notes ceased publication in 1998.
After SAIL ceased publication in 1987 and before it resumed publication in 1989, three articles published on behalf of the Association in The Dispatch, the Newsletter of the Center for American Cultural studies, Columbia University: an interview with Karl Kroeber, Editor in Chief of SAIL between 1977 and 1987 (6.1, Fall 1987), excerpts from Larry Evers and Felipe Molina’s Yaqui Deer Songs (6.2, Spring 1988), and a tribute to the University of Washington Press (6.3, Summer 1988).
Versions of these previous publications can be found under Archives.