In this e-interview, Rachel Chong explores her work creating the Indigenous Information Literacy Project at Kwantlen Polytechnic University Library. This project's development and implementation has increasingly been the subject of library professional development and information sharing in the GLAM sector (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums). As museums are facing similar knowledge-keeping, -use, and -access decisions and situations, the Alberta Museums Association (AMA) asked Rachel to share her experience with the project directly with museums.
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
Taanishi kiiyawow. Rachel Chong dishinikashoon. Delta (BC) niiwiikin.
I said in Michif, hello everyone. My name is Rachel Chong. I live in Delta (BC).
My maternal grandfather is Métis / Michif from the Red River Settlement, St. Boniface (MB). I am the third generation now living on Coast Salish lands. I have lived in a number of cities, but my current home is near the bog lands, which are the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Kwantlen, Katzie, Stó:lō, Stz'iminus, W̱SÁNEĆ, and Tsawwassen Peoples. The rest of my family is of mixed European origin and my family name, Chong, comes from my husband's Chinese-Canadian family. I was fortunate to complete my Masters of Library and Information Studies at the University of British Columbia in 2013 and participate in their First Nations Curriculum Concentration. I have worked in a number of library roles. I was delighted to see the posting for Indigenous Engagement and Subject Liaison Librarian at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) two years ago. This position has allowed me to contribute more fully to Indigenous Librarianship and to strengthen relationships with the local First Nations of this land.
Can you tell us a bit about the Indigenous Information Literacy initiative at KPI? What is Indigenous Information Literacy in general, and what role does this project play in the university? What relation does this have to TRC and UNDRIP?
The Indigenous Information Literacy video playlist was developed to help provide context to our collections. It was also developed in response to the new American Psychological Association (APA) 7th edition guidelines surrounding the use of Indigenous information (American Psychological Association 2020), the KPU Vision 2023 (Kwantlen Polytechnic University, 2018), the Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) Calls to Action (Truth and Reconciliation Commission Canada, 2015), and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) (United Nations, 2007).
There are many components to Indigenous Information Literacy. This video series is but a drop in the bucket. The goal of these videos is to help reduce the spread of misinformation regarding Indigenous Peoples and increase students understanding and respect for Indigenous Peoples rights regarding information (Chong, 2021).
Within KPU, the videos support our Vision 2023 goal B1, "We will embrace all cultures and promote a renewed, authentic approach to Indigenization" including "[d]emonstrating value and respect for the richness of cultures and traditions of Indigenous peoples" (Kwantlen Polytechnic University, 2018, p. 4) and "[c]ontinuing to develop more Indigenous academic content and integrating Indigenous culture into our learning environment" (Kwantlen Polytechnic University, 2018, p. 4). This work also supports the TRC Calls to Action with regards to education. The videos help "post-secondary institutions… educate teachers on how to integrate Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods into the classroom" (Truth and Reconciliation Commission, 2015, 62 ii). The videos also "[b]uild… student capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy, and mutual respect" (Truth and Reconciliation Commission, 2015, 63 iii).
All of this work supports UNDRIP, specifically article 31 which states, "Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions, as well as the manifestations of their… knowledge… oral traditions, literatures… They also have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their intellectual property over such cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions" (United Nations, 2007, Article 31).
So it's all interconnected. This work all ties in together.
What does your role as "Indigenous Engagement and Subject Liaison" entail? Why is it important to have a dedicated position for this sort of work?
As Indigenous Engagement and Subject Liaison Librarian at KPU, I have the pleasure of connecting with a number of Indigenous groups on campus including Indigenous Services for Students, the Gathering Place, the Indigenous Advisory Committee, as well as connecting with various Indigenous faculty and our Elder in Residence. I also do a lot of interdisciplinary work, helping instructors from other faculties locate and access Indigenous resources.
A dedicated permanent position supports relationship building. It fosters collaboration. It also allows for greater systemic change. One of my first assignments in this position was to join a team creating our Library Strategic Plan (Kwantlen Polytechnic University Library, 2020). The result was a whole goal devoted to "Indigenizing Library practices and inspiring reconciliatory relationships" (Kwantlen Polytechnic University Library, 2020, p. 7).
I am the only Indigenous Librarian at KPU, so my position entails whatever change we want to see in the library. In addition to the Indigenous Information Literacy work, I am also working with our cataloguing team to implement some structural changes (such as the Indigenous Authors local subject term) (Chong, 2021).
Can you briefly explain the "pan-Indigenous" term and why it is relevant to your work?
The term "pan-Indigenous" is a term used to highlight the threads that connect Indigenous cultures from around the world. That said, Ngati Awa and Ngati Porou scholar Linda Tuhiwai Smith reminds us Indigenous Peoples are incredibly diverse. Caution must be taken to ensure that when we speak of "Indigenous Peoples" that we don't forget the "s" (Smith, 1999). Being the Indigenous Librarian at KPU, I must emphasize I am not an expert on all Indigenous cultures. I can speak to my own experience as an urban, displaced Michif woman. I can share what I know about local communities, but there is such a diversity of Indigenous Peoples, I will never have all the answers - nor would it be appropriate for me to hold all the answers. Emphasizing plurality is really important. Within Canada there are over 600 federally recognized sovereign First Nations (Gadacz & Gallant, 2019), over 50 Inuit communities (Freeman, Pendersen, Parrot, & Gallant, 2020), and distinct Métis - each Peoples have their own language, culture, and Protocol.
How did you work with Indigenous communities and knowledge keepers outside KPU as you developed this resource? Can you talk about the role of relationship and community in terms of Indigenous research, citation, literacy, and presentation?
I did not directly work with Knowledge Keepers outside of KPU for this project. I am fortunate to belong to a tight network of Indigenous Librarians, so I drew on their networks and expertise. I worked closely with UBC's X̱wi7x̱wa Library to review the Elder Citation created by Norquest College (Norquest College Library, January 2021; Norquest College Library, February 2021). Lorisia MacLeod consulted community Elders when developing the Norquest College Elder citation (MacLeod, personal communication, February 2021), although I did not directly connect with Norquest while working on this project. I also relied heavily on works already published such as the Wîcihitowin Conference Committee's Authentic Engagement of First Nations and Métis Traditional Knowledge Keepers which outlines best practices for respectful Elder and Knowledge Keeper engagement (Wîcihitowin Conference Committee, 2017).
Museums and libraries in Canada are often Eurocentric. Can you speak a little to why having this information in the library's guide is important and what that means to you as a scholar?
Eurocentric notions of information ownership have dominated academia. Many people don't even realize there are other ways of relating to information. The Indigenous Information Literacy videos are offering a glimpse into Indigenous ways of relating to information and highlighting some key differences to be mindful of if you are accustomed to approaching information from a Eurocentric place.
As a scholar, I see this information as important in opening conversations around relationships with information. There is such fantastic scholarship in this area around Traditional Knowledge (TK) labels (Local Contexts, n.d.), data sovereignty (Kukutai (Ngāti Tīpa, Ngāti Maniapoto and Te Aupouri Tribes) & Taylor, 2016) - but sometimes this work is siloed. As Dr. X̱ʼunei Lance Twitchell from the Tlingit, Haida, and Yupʼik Native Nations articulates, I would love to see this work become more inclusive within the curriculum.
Why is "cleaning up" information in collections important for knowledge keeping and story-telling institutions like museums, libraries, and archives? How do you approach this compared to new materials that are being acquired now?
We all inherit collections and the historic systems in which they were created. "Cleaning up" collections places the responsibility on us to think critically about what information we value, how we share it, and the systems and structures that information supports. "Cleaning up" the collection may include weeding to support a balance of voices in the collection. It may include contextualizing historic / problematic material. It may require changes to the cataloguing practices. All of these actions acknowledge that historic systems were built to benefit some ways of knowing and sharing over others.
When purchasing new materials, I look for items written by Indigenous Peoples and feature these items as such. This emphasizes a cultural shift, where we actively take responsibility and seek to restore balance to systems of power and privilege.
How has the sharing of information changed as institutions move to digital collections or digital access to collections? How can this cause problems in sharing information, or cause harm to Indigenous Peoples?
With the heavy shift to digital materials during the pandemic, our collection relies more heavily on subscription purchases. Like subscribing to Netflix, we don't get to choose what shows up. This can mean that historically problematic material shows up in the digital collection, that I would have removed from our print collection (or at least contextualized). Because a lot of this content is leased and refreshed, it can be difficult to tidy it up to the standards I would have for our print collection.
There are great digital tools to help contextualize information, such as the Library and Archives Canada "[h]istoric language advisory" (Library and Archives Canada, 2020), which notes problematic collections items, or the TK labels (Local Contexts, n.d.). That said, this work is very labour intensive, and I can't see investing this energy into collections that get replaced frequently. This is where the Indigenous Information Literacy videos come in handy (Chong, 2020). They help students look at this problematic content with a critical eye and think twice before using it - if they decide to use it at all (Chong, 2021).
You've developed a series of videos that explain Indigenous Information Literacy. Why did you choose to use videos for this project instead of other media?
With the pivot to online learning, there was a lot of support for video technology. This is one reason why I chose to create a video series. I also felt that video was the closest asynchronous virtual equivalent to in-person instruction. (There was interest in asynchronous learning to support students sharing technology with their family or attending in different time zones.) Video is engaging and allows information to be shared through pictures and audio narration. Obviously, it differs in that the teaching cannot be tailored for the specific audience and relationships are harder to form over video - still I think it is a helpful substitute.
How did you go about creating the videos? What Protocols did you include in the videos?
I received a lot of guidance from Anishnaabekew, Wikwemikong First Nation author Jennifer Wemigwan's book A Digital Bundle. In the book, she outlines her Protocol for engaging respectfully in sharing Elder / Knowledge Keeper information online (Wemigwans, 2018). I basically practiced what I think any researcher would do when conducting research in a good way (Chong, 2020). I consulted with our Elder in Residence, Lekeyten (Lekeyten, 2020). I had the videos reviewed by the Indigenous Librarian network. I offered reciprocity by offering the videos as open licence items (no derivatives) to be used by the Indigenous Librarian network, Kwantlen First Nation, and other interested communities. I modified content as feedback came in regarding the video drafts, including feedback on accessibility (cc). I also followed the Protocol of Land Acknowledgements to situate the work and the Protocol of locating the author (me) in an effort to emphasize the importance of relationality (Chong, 2020).
How does "place" or location play an important role in how museums and libraries approach Indigenous Information Literacy and reconciliation efforts through information management? How might your experience creating videos for Kwantlen Polytechnic differ from potential videos created in or about Alberta?
Place is so important. In the case of these videos, the citation template came from Alberta. Most of the land we now call Canada is Treaty land, but in BC the land is mostly unceded (Native Land Digital, 2021). KPU's Elder in Residence reflected on this and chose to revise the Norquest College citation template to reflect this change is place (Lekeyten, 2019). You will see in the KPU adaptation of the citation we recommend leaving the Treaty out of the citation and instead including a Territorial Acknowledgement (Chong, 2020). This serves a similar purpose to honour the land - the place where sharing and relationships grow.
You developed this video series for a library, but how do you think similar projects could be applied to museums and other organizations? How can museums use your resources, or adapt, create, or use similar resources for their own sites?
I think we can all agree that providing context for information is important. I see the Indigenous Information Literacy videos as just that - providing context. Museums can integrate contextual pieces that meet the needs of their collection through interactive audio or video components or textual components that accompany a piece. QR codes make it relatively easy for those with mobile devices to connect to web content, so that is always an option, too. The videos were created in bite-size pieces, so that they could be integrated beyond the traditional classroom environment.
Do you have any recommendations for further reading or resources about Indigenous Information Literacy or digital knowledge keeping?
I would basically recommend all the sources in the reference list. If you need to narrow it down to a couple readings, A Digital Bundle, by Anishnaabekew author Jennifer Wemigwans from Wikwemikong First Nation, has profound insight on how to approach working with Indigenous digital knowledge (Wemigwans, 2018). Both Elements of Indigenous Style by Opaskwayak Cree Nation author Gregory Younging (Younging, 2018) and Research as Ceremony by Opaskwayak Cree author Sean Wilson (Wilson, 2008) offer a great foundation for Indigenous Information Literacy and respectful research practice. Some great contextual piece include Sand Talk by Tyson Yunkaporta of the Apalech Clan, Queensland (Yunkaporta, 2020) or the presentation on "Adding Indigenous Content and Protecting Cultural Safety" by Dr. X̱ʼunei Lance Twitchell from the Tlingit, Haida, and Yupʼik Native Nations (Twitchell, 2020). I would start there.
References
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association: The official guide to APA style (7th ed.).
Chong, R. (2020). Indigenous Information Literacy. Kwantlen Polytechnic University Video Portal. https://media.kpu.ca/playlist/dedicated/133875/0_3vccum6n/0_pd2m69be
Chong, R. (2021). Indigenous Information Literacy - Background. Kwantlen Polytechnic University Video Portal. https://media.kpu.ca/media/Indigenous+Information+Literacy+-+Background/0_r9ac5esu
Gadacz, R. & Gallant D. (2019). First Nations. Canadian Encyclopedia. https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/first-nations
Freeman, M., Pendersen, A., Parrot, Z. & Gallant, D. (2020). Inuit. Canadian Encyclopedia. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/inuit
Kukutai, T. & Taylor, J. (2016). Indigenous data sovereignty: Towards an agenda. Australian National University Press. http://doi.org/10.22459/CAEPR38.11.2016
Kwantlen Polytechnic University. (2018). KPU vision 2023. https://kpu.ca/sites/default/files/Institutional%20Analysis%20and%20Planning/Vision%202023%20Final%20May%2017.pdf
Kwantlen Polytechnic University Library. (2020). KPU Library strategic plan. https://www.kpu.ca/sites/default/files/Library/KPU%20Library%20Strategic%20Plan%20draft_Final_0.pdf
Kwantlen Polytechnic University Library. (2021). Indigenous Citation. https://libguides.kpu.ca/indigenous/citation
Lekeyten (Elder), Kwantlen First Nation. Elder citation. Personal communication. 2019. Shared on the traditional unceded territory of the Kwantlen, Musqueam, Katzie, Semiahmoo, Tsawwassen, Qayqayt, and Kwikwetlem Peoples.
Lekeyten (Elder), Kwantlen First Nation. Indigenous Information Literacy. Personal communication. 2020. Shared on the traditional unceded territory of the Kwantlen, Musqueam, Katzie, Semiahmoo, Tsawwassen, Qayqayt, and Kwikwetlem Peoples.
Library and Archives Canada. (2020). Notice about the collection: Historic language advisory. https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/about-us/about-collection/Pages/notices.aspx#lang
Local Contexts. (n.d.). TK Labels. https://localcontexts.org/labels/traditional-knowledge-labels/
Norquest College Library. (2021, February 12). APA 7th edition. https://libguides.norquest.ca/apa/cite#IDG
Norquest College Library. (2021, January 19). MLA 8th edition. https://libguides.norquest.ca/MLA/in_text
Native Land Digital. (2021). Native land. https://native-land.ca/
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. (2015). Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action. http://trc.ca/assets/pdf/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf
Twitchell, X. [University of Alaska Southeast]. (2020, November 20). Adding Indigenous content and protecting cultural safety [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51KnZO0mrvs&list=PLAsez5OFib-QzhthGNDNve6SCTUXyI8Cf&index=17
United Nations. (2007). United Nations declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. https://un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2018/11/UNDRIP_E_web.pdf
Wemigwans, J. (2018). A digital bundle: Protecting and promoting Indigenous knowledge online. University of Regina Press.
Wîcihitowin Conference Committee. (2017). Authentic engagement of First Nations and Metis Traditional Knowledge Keepers. Urban Aboriginal Knowledge Network. https://uakn.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Wicihitowin_AuthenticEngagementBooklet_V8.pdf
Wilson, S. (2008). Research as ceremony: Indigenous research methods. Fernwood Publishing.
Younging, G. (2018). Elements of Indigenous style: A guide for writing by and about Indigenous Peoples. Brush Education.
Yunkaporta, T. (2020). Sand Talk. Harper Colins.
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