Hear our Stories: A Call to Action for Indigenizing Information Educational Spaces

Authors

  • Tessa Campbell University of Washington Information School https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2570-6906
  • Miranda Belarde-Lewis University of Washington Information School
  • Clarita Lefthand-Begay University of Washington Information School
  • Nicole Kuhn University of Washington Information School
  • Sandra Littletree University of Washington Information School
  • Jesse Brisbois University of Washington Information School
  • Iisaaksiichaa Ross Braine University of Washington Information School
  • Lisa Dirks University of Washington Information School
  • Mandi Harris University of Washington Information School

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21900/j.alise.2024.1735

Keywords:

Indigenous Education, Indigenous Knowledge, Indigenous Systems of Knowledge, recruitment and Retainment, storytelling

Abstract

This panel will present a case study of the lived experiences of Native North American Indigenous (NNAI) students and faculty at the University of Washington’s Information School (UW iSchool). NNAI students, both a racialized and politicized group (Brayboy, 2005), are the most underrepresented and underserved within higher educational institutions (Fish & Syed, 2018; Shield, 2004), representing both faculty and students. Overall, less than 0.3% of Native Americans represent the field of information science (Poole et al., 2021). The numbers of NNAI Peoples in information science fields are the most underrepresented of any racialized group (Ball & Lar-Son, 2021; Kim, 2023). Currently, the UW iSchool supports a community of six NNAI PhD students and three NNAI faculty members. Through their personal narratives the UW iSchool Native students and faculty panel will share strengths, strategies, and resources for navigating the multifaceted challenges they have encountered during their academic journeys.  

The experiences of NNAI academics have revolved around the historical injustices and institutional biases which contribute to disproportionately higher dropout rates, lower graduation and retention rates, and limited access to culturally relevant resources (Braine & Segundo, (2015). Although it is imperative to identify and address these challenges to uphold principles of justice and promote equitable educational opportunities, this panel will take on a strength-based approach to highlight the successes of the NNAI students and faculty. 

Our panel session will be moderated by Dr. Miranda Belarde-Lewis and will start with an overview of our topic, an introduction to the panelists and a briefing on the UW iSchool.   The iSchool is interdisciplinary in nature which is also reflected by the diversity of research specializations within our panel. Due to having a large number of presenters, each individual will have five minutes to share their story.  First, two out of the three faculty members will share their pathway from being a former PhD student at the iSchool to a current faculty member today.  These faculty witnessed and participated in the initial development of Indigenous research groups and initiatives at the iSchool which provided support, resources, and mentorship opportunities for the NNAI community.  Examples of these will be showcased in the panel examples such as iNative, the Indigenous Information Research Group (IIRG) and the Native North American Indigenous Knowledge (NNAIK) Initiative which address the information challenges within NNAI communities in support of tribal sovereignty and Indigenous empowerment. These faculty members will discuss how they were supported and mentored during their PhD journeys and how they are passing the baton onto the next generation of future Native faculty and researchers.

Second, four of the six students will share their journey of transitioning from a master’s student in one of the programs at the iSchool to becoming a PhD student.  These individuals will share their personal experience of mentorship and support received from the faculty members.  The students will discuss the challenges they had to overcome during their transition. Third, the last two students and one faculty member will discuss their experience coming from interdisciplinary backgrounds and how their experience has been supported within a field that incorporates other fields. Their experiences of being part of a Directed Research Knowledge Family will be discussed.  At its core, the yearlong DRG Knowledge Family revolved around an Indigenous Health Equity research team. This group prioritized Indigenous research methodologies and approaches. 

This panel will provide a platform and space for NNAI academics to amplify their voices and perspectives to share strategies to promote equitable educational experiences for the NNAI experience in diverse areas of the field. Through the fostering of dialogue and sharing encouraging personal experiences and stories encountered at the UW iSchool, the aim is to develop solutions in order to create an inclusive and supportive space for NNAI academics to thrive. 

Cultural identity and tribal sovereignty are central to the academic success and well-being of NNAI academics (Isaacs et al., 2020). Therefore, the panel will discuss the importance of culturally relevant education and community engagement initiatives. Through the incorporation of authentic and relevant Indigenous perspectives into the curriculum, the fostering of mentorship opportunities and the support for cultural revitalization efforts, academic institutions can create more inclusive learning environments which accurately represent the cultural identities of NNAI students and embrace their sense of belonging.

Through discussions using Dr. Littletree’s “kitchen table methodology, participants will share best practices, have networking opportunities, and give guidance for other information schools to develop action plans in order to help foster a supportive educational environment for Indigenous scholarship.  By leveraging collective expertise, resources, and advocacy efforts, we can drive meaningful change and advance support for NNAI students in academia and beyond, in person and in virtual settings. Together, we attend to a critical call to justice and ensure that the NNAI community receives the respect, dignity, and opportunities they deserve in pursuit of their education.

Author Biographies

  • Tessa Campbell, University of Washington Information School

    Tessa R. Campbell (Tlingit/Tulalip) is an ALA Doctoral Spectrum Scholar and Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Washington's iSchool. With 24 years of experience in libraries and museums, she holds an MLIS and master's in museum studies. Her research focus is investigating the information seeking behaviors and needs of Native Americans who identify the need for a behavior change pertaining to their health and wellness. Passionate about amplifying Indigenous voices, Tessa ensures their authentic historic and contemporary representation as an Executive Committee Board Member for Historylink.org, the nation's first online encyclopedia of local and state history.

  • Miranda Belarde-Lewis, University of Washington Information School

    Miranda Belarde-Lewis (Zuni/Tlingit) is a professor of North American Indigenous Knowledge at the iSchool and an independent curator. Indigenous knowledge systems are central to her work as she examines the role of social media and the arts in protecting, documenting and perpetuating Native information and knowledge. Her work highlights and celebrate Native artists, their processes, and the exquisite pieces they create. She has worked with tribal, city, state and federal museums to create Native-focused educational programming, publications and art exhibitions. Belarde-Lewis holds a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Arizona, an M.A. in Museology and Ph.D. in Information Science from the University of Washington.

  • Clarita Lefthand-Begay, University of Washington Information School

    Clarita Lefthand-Begay is a citizen of the Navajo Nation and an Assistant Professor at
    the University of Washington’s Information School. She has a PhD in Environmental and
    Occupational Health from the University of Washington’s School of Public Health. Her research
    focuses on the protection of Indigenous knowledge in the US, tribal Institutional Review Boards
    government-to-government agreements, tribal water security, climate health and resiliency.

  • Nicole Kuhn, University of Washington Information School

    Nicole S. Kuhn is an enrolled member of the Skidegate Band of the Haida Nation
    (Canada) and a PhD Candidate at the University of Washington’s Information School (iSchool).
    With a background in Informatics, she focuses on the intersection of information, technology and
    Indigenous communities in the US and Canada in the areas of human-computer interaction,
    social media studies and digital youth. Her dissertation engages Indigenous research
    methodologies and ethics to consider how Indigenous communities are leveraging social media
    to provide health communication to their communities.

  • Sandra Littletree, University of Washington Information School

    Sandy Littletree (Navajo/Eastern Shoshone) is an Assistant Professor focused on Native North American Indigenous Knowledge at the Information School at the University of Washington. Her research focuses on the emerging field of Indigenous information science, particularly Indigenous librarianship and the intersections of tribal sovereignty, technology, knowledge, and information in Native North America. Littletree’s research is guided by Indigenous ways of knowing, that is, the ways Native people have been creating, transmitting, categorizing, and preserving knowledge since the beginning of time. Relationality is at the core of this approach, informing the structure, core values, and ethics of Indigenous information science. She examines institutions not just as repositories of information, but also as spaces that can maintain and support the continuation of Indigenous ways of knowing. Littletree holds an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from New Mexico State University, an M.S. in Information Studies from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Ph.D. in Information Science from the University of Washington.

  • Jesse Brisbois, University of Washington Information School

    Jesse Brisbois is a descendent of the Spokane Tribe of Indians, and is a first year PhD
    student at the University of Washington’s Information School (iSchool). Her research work
    focuses on Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Indigenous Health Equity. Jesse has a
    Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science and American Indian Studies from the University of
    Washington.

  • Iisaaksiichaa Ross Braine, University of Washington Information School

    iisaaksiichaa (Good Ladd) ross braine is the Tribal Relations Liaison for the Washington State’s Office of Equity. He is a citizen of the Apsaalooke (Crow) Nation and descendant of the Tsitsistas (Northern Cheyenne), both located in the state of Montana. iisaaksiichaa is also a member of the Biglodge Clan and Nighthawk Society. iisaaksiichaa holds a BS in Forest Management, an MS in Information Management, and an MS in Information Science, all from the University of Washington. He has also embarked on his professional educational journey at the UW Information School (iSchool) and is pursuing a PhD in Information Science. His research and focus area centers on Tribal Data Sovereignty.

  • Lisa Dirks, University of Washington Information School

    A Ph.D. candidate at the University of Washington Information School. Lisa is originally from Alaska and grew up in a rural Unangan (Aleut) community in the Western Aleutian Islands.  She is a social and information scientist and her research interests include health informatics, human-information interaction, user experience, Indigenous health, research dissemination, and community-engaged and participatory research. 

  • Mandi Harris, University of Washington Information School

    Mandi's (Cherokee Nation) research focuses on using Indigenous systems of knowledge to examine children's literature, education, and the future of public libraries. Her research is based on relationality and community-based practices and is informed by Indigenous research methodologies.  She is currently a PhD student at the University of Washington's Information School where she also obtained her MLIS degree.   She is a Doctoral Spectrum Fellow of the American Library Association. 

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Published

2024-10-16

Issue

2024: ALISE Proceedings

Section

Panels (Juried)

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Copyright (c) 2024 Tessa Campbell, Miranda Belarde-Lewis, Clarita Lefthand-Begay, Nicole Kuhn, Sandra Littletree, Jesse Brisbois, Iisaaksiichaa Ross Braine, Lisa Dirks, Mandi Harris

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