INDG100: Introduction to Decolonization

In an academic or scholarly setting, consider the following questions:

• Do they have previous experience?
• What kind of education do they have? Do they have any degrees or qualifications?
• What else have they written or what areas do they do research?
• How does their work connect with other sources on the topic?
• Are they affiliated with an organization or institution, such as a prestigious University?

But how can we extend this?

• Whose expertise, knowledge, and authority gets prioritized, privileged and stored?
• What formats of knowledge and information are seen as valuable and worth storing?

In Indigenous Studies, we come across many different expressions of authority, including:

• Elders and family (lived experiences)
• Oral histories (how information is passed down)
• Art (representations of history and culture)
• Community relationships (interpersonal and within larger community)

Libraries are not always good at reflecting and respecting these expressions of authority.