As a librarian, I have at times been responsible for collecting print and electronic resources about indigenous issues, and also for collecting resources that support aboriginal students in a range of college programs. In addition, libraries sometimes have collections of artifacts, acting as small museums or archives. In light of this, I would like to learn more about issues of cultural appropriation and indigenous knowledge as they relate to libraries in Canada.

What issues do librarians need to be aware of as they wield their power to select, classify, and store materials? The parallels between the organizing/standardizing imperative of Western colonial domination and the organizing, classifying, and standardization of knowledge in libraries is interesting. What are the limitations of print and published materials in representing indigenous knowledge? It would also be interesting to look at anxiety induced by physical library spaces (fear of acting inappropriately, of not knowing where to begin), and how this anxiety may be more intense for aboriginal students.

Sources will include academic literature on cultural appropriation of indigenous knowledge, and library literature about services and collections for aboriginal people. I recognize that I will need to be careful not to make generalizations about aboriginal culture and assume that one solution fits all circumstances.

A first reference:

Haig-Brown, C. (2010). Indigenous thought, appropriation, and non-aboriginal people. Canadian Journal of Education, 33(4), 925-950. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/docview/848717095?accountid=14656