ALA and ALSC acknowledge the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of all Indigenous peoples that call this land home. The Institute was originally going to be held in Minneapolis, so we take this opportunity to celebrate and support Minnesota Indigenous communities.
As part of this acknowledgement, ALSC requests our Virtual Institute attendees visit https://native-land.ca/, carefully read the disclaimer, research, and answer the question: “Whose land am I standing on?” learn to recognize the Indigenous nations, communities, and organizations in your area.
Additionally, we encourage attendees to pursue personal and professional development opportunities regarding Indigenous collections, programming, and other work; the Partnering to Improve Indigenous Representation discussion on Saturday, 10/3, at 1:00pm is a great space to chat about doing this work in your community.
Finally, we recognize Indigenous LIS professionals among us and the important contributions you bring to the profession.
The Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area is located on Wahpekute and Očhéthi Šakówiŋ land. Minnesota is home to seven Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) and four Dakota nations (MN Indian Tribes).
The ALA offices in Chicago are located on Kilkaapoi (Kickapoo), Peoria, Bodéwadmiakiwen (Potawatomi), and Myaamia land.
Resources
- American Indian Library Association, an affiliate of the American Library Association
- 2002 Jean E. Coleman Library Outreach Lecture: Indigenous Librarianship: A Global Perspective
- Bi-ennial American Indian Youth Literature Award
- American Indians in Children’s Literature
- The U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 and the Dakota 38
- MN Indian Tribes
- MN Humanities Center: Native Nations of Minnesota
- MN Humanities Center: Learning from Place: Bdote
- MN Indigenous Business Alliance
- MN History Center: Our Home
- UMN American Indian Studies
- Learn more about Bde Maka Ska, a lake that recently reclaimed its Dakota name: “On January 29, 2018, Bde Maka Ska (pronounced “b-day ma-KHA skah”) became the official name of the lake previously known as Lake Calhoun, following county and state approval of a request to change the lake name. Bde Maka Ska translates to “White Earth Lake” in the Dakota language.”
The Task Force is grateful to Jody Gray (She/Her/Hers Cheyenne River Lakota), previous director of the ALA Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services, for her assistance throughout the planning of the Virtual Institute