Here at the library we have a stellar team of library folks working on indigenous projects to further our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation.

The team consists of:
Kathleen De Long, Associate University Librarian
Kim Bates, Learning Manager
Kayla Lar-Son, Academic Librarian Resident
Gabrielle Lamontagne, Indigenous Intern
Leigha Rind, Indigenous Intern
Geordie Cardinal, Public Service Assistant
Larry Laliberte, GIS Librarian
Debbie Feisst, Interim Head, HT Coutts Library
Sharon Farnel, Metadata Coordinator
Anne Carr-Wiggin, Coordinator, Indigenous Initiatives
Paul Gareau, Assistant Professor, Native Studies.

Here’s a quick overview of what they have been working on lately. Stay tuned for more updates on these projects in the future.

On May 8, 2019 Paul Gareau and Tanya Ball from the Faculty of Native Studies provided some insights into Indigenous Research Data Management (RDM) from the perspectives of a faculty member and a PhD student. Kayla Lar-Son (UAL Digital Initiatives) moderated the session while discussing the concept of Indigenous data sovereignty.

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One of the best parts of my job is being an embedded librarian for the Transition Year Program, First People's House, and the Faculty of Native Studies! . . . [Image descriptions: 1. Kayla does a superstar pose in front of First People's House 2. Kayla dances in front of the Transition Year Program office 3. Making visual art journals with Native Studies 362 4. Kayla and Dr. Paul Gareau pose next to a photo of Gabriel Dumont 5. Kayla sits on a chair in the Strynadka/Brady Reading Room, pointing up at a poster that says "We are all Treaty People"] #TakeOver #UAlberta #IndigenousLibrarians #NativeStudies #FirstPeoplesHouseUofA #LibrariesOfInstagram

A post shared by University of Alberta Library (@uofalibraries) on Feb 20, 2019 at 11:12am PST

As part of a recent Instagram takeover, Indigenous Academic Resident Kayla Lar-Son highlighted some of the work that she is doing in Digital Initiatives (DI) including spotlighting some of UAL’s unique Indigenous collections. Currently, issues of Alberta Native News are in the process of being digitized in a project lead by DI Librarian Michelle Brailey.

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Ever wonder what hides behind this door on Cameron second floor? It's Digital Initiatives! Some of the work we do includes Open Educational Resources and evaluating Northern Indigenous photos. . . . [Image descriptions: 1. Kayla pops her head behind the window of the door into digital initiatives. 2. Kayla and Michelle, the Digital Projects Librarian, hold up info on Open Educational Resources. 3. Kayla sits at her desk with two images from the Northern Collection displayed on her screen. One is a man standing in front of a tent and the other is of an Inuit child carrying a toddler in an amauti] #TakeOver #UAlberta #IndigenousLibrarians #LibrariesOfInstagram #OpenEducationalResources

A post shared by University of Alberta Library (@uofalibraries) on Feb 21, 2019 at 8:15am PST

The Decolonizing Description Project team has been actively engaging members of Indigenous communities both on and off the UAlberta campus in a holistic, collaborative, flexible and ongoing process to address problematic terminology in resource descriptions. Knowledge gathering events on North and Augustana campuses, as well as at the Maskekosihk (Enoch) First Nation open house, have been well received, and we have learned a great deal that we can apply to our practices. Further knowledge gathering sessions are being planned.

UAL staff have been working with health sciences students, faculty and clinicians to envision what a Health Sciences Indigenous Information and Learning Commons as part of the Health Sciences Library might be.  Several engagement sessions with stakeholders have been held through March and April.

Kayla Lar-Son, Allison Sivak and Leigha Rind hosted library sessions for Native Studies - Aboriginal Women (NS 362) students before their class every Tuesday evening during the Winter 2019 term. To focus on building relationships, the sessions were casual and there was always time for coffee & visiting. The students were given instructional sessions about library services. They also visited Jessica Thorlakson in Cameron library for a 3D Printing tour, explored hidden gems in the Circumpolar collection, and created work for their class project, the Visual Arts Journal.

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A post shared by University of Alberta Library (@uofalibraries) on Feb 19, 2019 at 10:24am PST

UAL is happy to announce a new electronic resource 4 Seasons of Reconciliation, a multi-media teaching unit that promotes a renewed relationship between Indigenous Peoples and Canadians. This educational initiative, developed for secondary, post-secondary and the workplace incorporates teacher guides, slideshows, videos and films along with engaging online portals.

June is the month to celebrate National Indigenous History Month as well as LGBTQ Pride Month. As a way to honour and acknowledge these communities, as well as their struggles and achievements, Rutherford Library is streaming films that highlight diverse aspects of their respective histories each weekday in June. All of the films listed below, and many more, are accessible through the streaming resources available through UAlberta Libraries.

Please note that some of these films have graphic or disturbing content, or address issues that may be upsetting for some people. Viewers are encouraged to seek out support if they wish to after viewing these films.



Some mental health support services on campus include:

• First Peoples' House
• The Landing: Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity
• Peer Support Centre (Student Union)
• Counselling & Clinical Services (UofA)

Event: National Indigenous History Month and LGBTQ Pride Month video celebration

Location: Learning Lounge, Rutherford Library North

Date: Each weekday in June

Time: 10:30-12:30 (film running times vary from 75 minutes to 2 hours.)

The curriculum materials are inspired by the Reconciliation Certificate at First Nations University of Canada. An Indigenous Advisory Circle, composed of partners ranging from Canada’s long-established Indigenous-controlled post-secondary institutions, Indigenous Elders, knowledge-keepers, and specialized educators, participate in key executive decisions for the teaching materials. Collaborators include Indigenous Education, Aboriginal Healing Foundation, and the Legacy of Hope Foundation. 

The University of Alberta community may use these educational materials in these ways:

• Unlimited simultaneous use of the films and media for students and teachers; 
• Free public showings of the films (no ticket sales allowed); and 
• Printing, copying, and displaying unit materials including maps, readings, and presentations.

As Canadians work towards Truth and Reconciliation, it is important that we listen to the voices of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples. University of Alberta Libraries provides useful tools to foster understanding and build knowledge about Indigenous life with learning resources like the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Playlist.

Videos in the playlist focus on the history and effects of colonization of Canada by the Europeans, including how land treaties impacted the relationships between Indigenous peoples and settlers, the legacy of the residential schools established by settlers to educate Indigenous children, and violence against women leading to many missing and murdered Indigenous women.

New additions to the playlist include the eight part Canadian docu-drama series 1491: The Untold Story of the Americas Before Columbus, based on Charles C. Mann's best-selling book.

We welcome everyone for the unveiling of a new painting by artist Kevin Pee-ace at the Coutts Library. Kevin Pee-ace was born in Kelvington Saskatchewan and is a member of the Yellowquill First Nation.

We are delighted that he will be in attendance at this event and will speak about his art. Elder Francis Whiskeyjack will also be in attendance.

Limited edition prints by the artist will be available for viewing and for sale. Refreshments will be served.

Date: June 5 at 1:30 pm

"Reconciliation is all of us." ~ First Nations Child & Family Caring Society

Will you have a heart for First Nations youth? This is what Sarah Auger, a doctoral student in Indigenous Peoples Education: Educational Policy Studies, asked library staff. And so, you can come to the H.T. Coutts Library to extend your hearts with us. 

From February 10-16, you can get more facts about inequities faced by First Nations youth in education, health, and child welfare; sign a giant valentine to let your representatives know you support this cause; or write a note of encouragement to young people in their work to achieve their goals. 

Have a Heart Day is a child and youth-led reconciliation event that brings together caring Canadians to help ensure First Nations children have the services they need to: grow up safely at home, get a good education, be healthy, and be proud of who they are. 


In addition to events in different cities, youth and supporters will gather on Parliament Hill to promote love and fairness for First Nations children in celebration of Have a Heart Day. See images of more than 700 youth from 20 different schools (and their supporters) on Februrary 14, 2017.

Metadata… that’s a scary word, isn’t it?



































It’s information about a material within the library. This can be anything from the title of a work to how many pages it has (which is especially important if you have a book review due in 3 hours).

Metadata seems innocent at first glance, but it can be very slippery. Look again at the image above. Do you see the “Subjects”? Here’s a blown-up view:


Subject Headings are used to connect similar resources together. These headings are actually created by a larger group of librarians within North America called Library of Congress (LOC). The purpose of LOC and other classification schemes is to make sure that all our libraries are speaking the same language by creating a controlled vocabulary so that students, faculty, and staff can travel from one University to the next and still be able to search. Plus, sharing this information makes it easy for us too -- we don’t have to create new catalogue records from scratch!

Now that you know that Subject Headings are, you may see some holes in the system. One of the biggest problems with this system is that changing it is a slow process. Language is changing so quickly everyday, that it’s tough to keep up!

At this point, we’re no longer making excuses.

With reconciliation in the air, we are asking ourselves whether or not we are appropriately and responsibly describing certain items in the library. Looking at our subject headings for Indigenous material, it’s clear that we have some work to do -- but we can’t do it alone.

Working within Indigenous librarianship, we often get asked how people can participate in reconciliation. Reconciliation can be very slippery as it is a topic that is partnered with intense emotions coming both from Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. While there is a lot of work to be done towards reconciliation, it doesn’t need to be a scary task. Everyone can and should participate!

I’ve said this before…

Academic libraries are not just about books and research: they’re also about building communities. Oftentimes building a community is about positive relationships and helping people find the tools that they need to succeed.

Sometimes though, the best thing a library can do for a community is give them space to use the tools they already have.

Nantâwihiwêwin: Doctoring; healing day after day for a long time is a project that straddles this line, supporting those who participate to share their own stories, and turn our spaces into their own.

Started by Ambroise Cardinal-Dubitski, an Indigenous student specializing in Kinesiology, explains that Nantâwihiwêwin is:

“a zine that is meant to act as a tool for achieving the highest form of ‘decolonization’ which is to be healthy, resilient and Indigenous, especially while traversing the adversities of institutional learning and living.

[…] Words of empowerment, art, and poetry are on every page to aid the process of healing our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual selves. Each page is taken as a reminder of our strength, love, and connection to the world as Indigenous Peoples, but also as a challenge. The challenge of healing in a world filled with racism, aggression, and harm towards Indigenous Peoples and people of colour.”

Hearing those words, my first instinct was to help.

Helping is the library way, after all. But how do staff, faculty, and members of an institution help when what students want is to empower, and speak for themselves?

My answer is to offer space, support, and a platform for outreach.

Living in a city with many universities and colleges, there are a lot of Indigenous students receiving an education. This meant that the project needed to extend beyond our University.

So, it has!

Currently, we are engaging students from the University of Alberta and Yellowhead Tribal College, and the hope is to extend the project to Grant MacEwan and other institutions. The Greater Edmonton Library Association (GELA) has also jumped on board: the association is currently working the Remand Centre to bring creative writing workshops to incarcerated peoples.

Nantâwihiwêwin was well received and created a special healing environment for everyone involved.

It leaves us with open hearts and open minds towards the notion of reclamation and healing as a community. If you or anyone you know may be interested in participating, the University of Alberta Libraries is hosting a Zine Making Workshop on October 25, at 2:30pm in the Kiva Room.

If you are unable to make it, you can always create a submission and bring it to HT Coutts Education and Physical Education Library. Otherwise, we look forward to distributing the final zine to everyone in our community.

Kinanâskomitin. “I am grateful to you”.

“Nantâwihiwêwin is a call to action as well as a gentle reminder, a reminder and invitation to the support and connection you have on your journey both internally, externally, spiritually, and physically.”

– Ambrose Cardinal-Dubitski

Photo: http://www.holytrinitytoronto.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/blankets-672x372.jpg

Even before the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action, University of Alberta Libraries have been implementing ways to reconcile with Canada’s dark past and to move forward by creating positive, meaningful relationships with the Indigenous community. This is reinforced by the University’s 2016-2017 strategic plan “For the Public Good”, where we are all encouraged to “Foster learning opportunities across our campuses that enable student, staff, and faculty participation in reconciliation” (p. 10).

As a Métis person and educator, reconciliation is something that is near and dear to my heart. In fact, I have started working with RISE (Reconciliation in Solidarity Edmonton) to gain more understanding of my own family’s past in light of everything that has happened between Canada and Indigenous people. Through this journey, I am often faced with the question of: “how do you encourage reconciliation?” and “what is the most effective way to educate students about Indigenous history?” This is where I came across the KAIROS Blanket Exercise.

So, what is a Blanket Exercise?

I’ve been asked this questions many times. Whether it’s a family member at a holiday meal or a friendly conversation in the coffee line up, I always say the same thing. It’s a way to educate people on a topic that not everyone is fully aware of -- a way to present Canadian history from an Indigenous perspective.

This is a perspective that has been muted throughout history. In fact, remembering my elementary school days, I don’t recall learning much about Indigenous culture. To be honest, I think we spent more time talking about pirates than Indigenous Peoples. My own family history was muted as well. We were actively told to hide our true identity as a survival mechanism. This left me and my generation grossly unaware of the struggles that Indigenous Peoples have dealt with for more than 150 years.

The KAIROS Blanket Exercise is an excellent tool for building a more accurate image of how Canada came to be what it is now. Through an interactive script that engages all participants, it takes participants through time prior to any European settlers setting foot on Turtle Island. By immersing yourself into the activity, every participant feels the impacts that the Canadian government continues to have on Indigenous Peoples.

Now, what does this have to do with the library?

This is a tough, but wonderful question. Librarians are not all about books and databases. I see librarians as educators, activists, and helpers. Most important, libraries are a place of community. So, if a student and/or faculty member walks into the library I instinctively want to help.

This is what happened with EDU 211: Aboriginal Education and Contexts for Professional and Personal Engagement. A friendly conversation about library services evolved into a personal conversation about my involvement with RISE and my role in facilitating Blanket Exercises. It was the perfect combination of relationships and willingness to try new things in the classroom. Since that initial conversation, librarians gathered to help!