Bridge Building, Intersectionality and Inclusion

Individual Paper/Presentation

Relationality and Indigenous Systems of Knowledge: At the Heart of Indigenous Librarianship

Primary Author(s)

• SL

  Sandy Littletree

  PhD Candidate
  University of Washington

This session will explore a previously-taught MLIS course that introduces students to Indigenous thinking, Indigenous ways of knowing, knowledge organization, and Indigenous knowledge in institutions. Indigenous systems of knowledge are the philosophies and community practices that have formed the foundation for Indian survivance for generations. With so much at stake for the stories, documents, knowledge, and histories that are stored and retrieved in libraries, it is important to understand how Indigenous systems of knowledge and relationality are at the heart of Indigenous librarianship.

 

Learning Objectives:

• Define Indigenous Systems of Knowledge
• Reflect on the role of Indigenous systems of knowledge and relationality in librarianship
• Examine Indigenous ways of knowing embedded in the LIS field and in knowledge organization