Indigenous Literatures, Social Justice, and the Decolonial Library

Sponsored by Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Recorded on 08/28/2018

Posted in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility (DEIA)

Summary:

The work of Indigenous writers is increasingly influential in and beyond the literary world, from recognition through prominent literary prizes like the Governor General’s Literary Award and the Griffin Prize to major film and theatre adaptations and collaborations, and from participation in resource extraction protest to activism around cultural appropriation and violence against Indigenous women and girls. Yet many librarians remain unsure of how best to engage Indigenous literatures and knowledge in ways that are both robust and respectful. This webinar will reflect on the settler-colonial legacies of libraries in North America while considering a model of the justice-centred “decolonial library” and its significance to Indigenous and settler readers alike.


Speakers:

  • Image of Daniel Heath Justice

    Daniel Heath Justice

    Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Literature and Expressive Culture University of British Columbia

    Daniel Heath Justice (Cherokee Nation) holds the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Literature and Expressive Culture at the University of British Columbia, on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Musqueam people. He is widely published as a scholar and creative writer, and his most recent book is Why Indigenous Literatures Matter (Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2018).