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  • BLOG HOME
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Tag:

Indigenous

    Finding a Good Way: Working Towards Decolonizing and Indigenizing the University of Alberta Library

    by Guest Author June 28, 2022
    written by Guest Author

    This post was written by Debbie Feisst and Anne Carr-Wiggin, Co Leads, of University of Alberta Library’s Indigenous Initiatives Team

    As part of the University of Alberta Library’s Vision, we have committed to the priority of Decolonization and Indigenization. But what does this mean? We are working to dismantle barriers to our collections, spaces and services through collaboration and working with our community. Some other key components are considering our relationship with the land, consideration of library practices and recognition of harm. In 2020, the Library’s Indigenous Initiatives Working Group’s final report provided recommendations that spanned five themes:

    • Grow & Nurture Relationships
    • Decolonize Library Spaces
    • Enable Learning
    • Build and Digitize Collections
    • Decolonize Library Practices

    We also created a more formalized Indigenous Initiatives Team with members from a variety of Library units. In early 2021, the Team began work in a good way with Elder Francis Whiskeyjack, figuring out ways to do protocol during a pandemic over Zoom!  

    Image: Tobacco and protocol for Elder Francis
    by Anne Carr-Wiggin

    Our initial goal was to gather our group and grow relationships amongst the Indigenous and non-Indigenous members of the Team. We spent time placing ourselves – our place on this land and the land we or our ancestors are from – and have since invited and learned from visitors and spent time developing and sharing our knowledge.

    The Current projects of the Team and the Library include:

    Engagement

    ISEG: Indigenous Student Engagement Group

    This proposed group will act as a means for First Nations, Métis and Inuit students to provide feedback and input on Library services, policies and programs. The group will identify issues, interests, opinions and suggestions. We are hopeful for a Fall 2022 start.

    We are also starting to meet with staff from other NEOS libraries who are doing work in Indigenous Initiatives. 

    Spaces


    The Library is working towards spaces that would be open for all, but available for Indigenous focused events and ceremonies, and consultations with Indigenous students began in late 2021.

    We were awarded a grant from Situated Knowledges: Indigenous Peoples and Place(SKIPP) that will allow us to enhance physical spaces and to enable programming. We want to foster an increased understanding of Indigenous perspectives and approaches to learning in support of teaching, learning and research activities at the university.

    Collections

    Decolonizing Description
    Team members are active leaders in this international movement to address and correct the problem of inappropriate and inaccurate words used to describe Indigenous peoples and topics. 

    Additionally, team members are assisting in the review of AV materials in the Circumpolar Collection selected for digitization, as well as materials to include in the Indigenous Healing Collection.

    Learning

    Recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
    Planning is underway for programming to honour the lost children and survivors of residential schools, their families and communities.

    Working with First Peoples House and the Transition Year Program
    Team members are continuing our relationship with campus supports for Indigenous students.

    The team is eager to hear from students who would like to be part of the Indigenous student engagement group, or from anyone who has ideas or input to guide the library on the path to decolonization and appropriate Indigenization! Please get in touch with us. Email debbie.feisst@ualberta.ca or anne.carr-wiggin@ualberta.ca.

    June 28, 2022 0 comment
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  • Indigenous Musicians from Canada

    by Elisabet Ingibergsson June 21, 2022
    by Elisabet Ingibergsson June 21, 2022

    The Canadian Indigenous music scene is home to sounds and styles that encompass all genres. In celebration of National Indigenous History Month we are highlighting a few of the talented musicians whose work celebrates Indigenous cultures. Their music and vocals entertain but also educate and challenge us by focusing attention on crucial issues. Buffy Sainte-Marie – Her first album – It’s My Way – took Sainte-Marie to the top of the hit…

  • Introducing The Indigenous Business Subject Guide

    by cgareau June 1, 2022
    by cgareau June 1, 2022

    The University of Alberta Library recently published The Indigenous Business Subject Guide. If you have not yet used our subject guides, meet your new best friend when it comes to more quickly finding the information you need! These guides are like treasure maps to the Library’s resources for specific disciplines, topics and even courses.  The Indigenous Business Subject Guide provides information sources on Indigenous business and economic development topics, including the following…

  • Citing Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers

    by Guest Author January 27, 2022
    by Guest Author January 27, 2022

    By Kelsey Kropiniski One of the most common ways that we support students in their writing here at UAlberta Library is by offering citation advice. Citation questions come up frequently, and usually when they occur we direct students to the citation guides on our website. From there, we try to find the correct style and format to help students properly cite the source material they’re working with. Sometimes citation isn’t simple. As…

  • Indigenous Futurism

    by Meredith Bratland July 7, 2021
    by Meredith Bratland July 7, 2021

    Grace Dillon coined the term, Indigenous Futurism, a nod to Afrofuturism, to describe work that is centred around Indigenous people and features their ancient knowledge in a futuristic setting. “All forms of Indigenous futurisms are narratives of biskaabiiyang, an Anishinaabemowin word connoting the process of ‘returning to ourselves,’ which involves discovering how personally one is affected by colonization, discarding the emotional and psychological baggage carried from its impact, and recovering ancestral traditions…

  • Indigenous History Month | Challenges in Indigenous Archiving

    by Guest Author June 22, 2021
    by Guest Author June 22, 2021

    This guest post was written by Christian Isbister who worked with our team at the University of Alberta Archives to help begin the process of decolonizing their collection. Tanisi, hello! My name is Christian Isbister, I’m a Métis librarian/archivist, and I most recently completed a contract with the University of Alberta Archives where I made some early steps towards decolonizing their collection. Here I’ll talk about some of the inherent difficulties in…

  • Indigenous History Month | Indigenous Research in ERA & Aviary

    by Sonya Leung June 15, 2021
    by Sonya Leung June 15, 2021

    As Indigenous History Month continues, now is a great time to explore the over 500 individual items on Indigenous research in The University of Alberta’s Educational and Research Archive (ERA) and The University of Alberta media streaming repository, Aviary. The Situated Knowledges, Indigenous Peoples and Place (SKIPP) Virtual Colloquium took place in the Summer of 2020. SKIPP showcased University of Alberta scholars’ journeys into or with Indigenous-engaged research and scholarship. Streaming videos…

  • Indigenous History Month | NFB Campus’ Indigenous Collection

    by Erin Sanderman June 8, 2021
    by Erin Sanderman June 8, 2021

    Last June, I took readers on a brief overview of some of the streaming audiovisual resources that feature media content concentrated on Indigenous peoples of North America and beyond. Now I would like to take everyone on a deeper dive into one of the resources featured in that original post: NFB Campus. Those of us who spent our formative years in Canada are probably familiar with National Film Board of Canada (NFB)…

  • Indigenous History Month – Graphic Novels

    by Elisabet Ingibergsson June 1, 2021
    by Elisabet Ingibergsson June 1, 2021

    Celebrate Indigenous History Month with us as we explore the increasingly popular genre of the graphic novel! Indigenous artists and writers have opened up the world of tribal tales, traditions and customs to a new generation of readers. Graphic novels share all the key characteristics of traditional novels but their images do the vast majority of the storytelling. Combining text and art, these books have the power to engage and through that,…

  • Cree Syllabics Project

    by Guest Author June 25, 2020
    by Guest Author June 25, 2020

    By Kaia MacLeod My name is Kaia and I’m a member of the James Smith Cree Nation. When I tell people that I work as an Indigenous Intern at University of Alberta Library, not a lot of people know exactly what that means. Here is a little crash course of what my job is: I get to work on the desk in the library and work on several Indigenous themed projects. During…

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