Diverse Indigenous cultures thrived in British Columbia until assailed by mechanisms of colonization. One element of Indigenous resilience was embedding precious fragments of Community knowledge in magnetic media. These media are increasingly inaccessible due to the deterioration of their physical format.
Funding programs to digitize analog media often come with inappropriate accessibility requirements and taxing reporting. ll-suited "best practices” concerning information management serve as an extra barrier.
The panelists in this session share an awareness that existing information practices are firmly rooted in Western knowledge systems that are not always appropriate when dealing with Indigenous traditional knowledge. This session will add depth and nuance to issues surrounding the digitization of material related to Indigenous community knowledge and provide examples of ways to do this work while challenging institutional norms.
Dr. Lisa Nathan, Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the First Nations Curriculum Concentration (FNCC) at the University of British Columbia’s iSchool. Lisa and graduate students in the FNCC have worked with Indigitization in a variety of roles.
Head Librarian, Xwi7xwa Library, University of British Columbia
Sarah Dupont is the Head Librarian of the X̱wi7x̱wa Library at The University of British Columbia (UBC), which is located on the traditional, unceded territory of the Musqueam Indigenous people. Sarah’s family is Métis and settler-Canadian. Her leadership role as Head of Xwi7xwa... Read More →
Alissa Cherry, Research Manager at the Audrey & Harry Hawthorn Library & Archives at the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Alissa is a member of the Academy of Certified Archivists and holds an MLIS from UBC. Prior to joining MOA in 2014, Alissa... Read More →
Gerry Lawson, member of the Heiltsuk First Nation, is the Coordinator for the Oral History and Language Lab, at the UBC Museum of Anthropology and the technology lead for the Indigitization Program.
Saturday March 25, 2017 2:15pm - 3:00pm PDT
Regency D
