A NOVEL APPROACH TO A FAMILIAR RESOURCE
“As an Indigenous graduate student, there was little guidance regarding Indigenous research methods, requiring me to take on the additional burden of seeking out this support wherever I could. I see the Library as a resource for all people on campus to facilitate learning; the opportunity to create a centralized resource that provides the guidance I was missing will help all students that come after me and support the growth of Indigenous scholarship at Waterloo.”
– Jaydum Hunt
Jaydum Hunt and Zabeen Khamisa from the Graduate Student Association (GSA) were on the lookout for projects that would result in concrete action that helped students immediately. The idea for a resource to support Indigenous research was born out of Jaydum’s personal experience having difficulties finding resources related to Indigenous research while studying at Waterloo.
Jean Becker, associate vice-president of Indigenous Relations, connected GSA with Kathy MacDonald, head of Information Services and Resources, to put together a team that could collaborate on the creation of an Indigenous research guide. Sara Anderson, manager of Research Program Development and Partnerships, Indigenous Initiatives in the Office of Research, generously provided her unique perspective in educating those interested in engaging Indigenous communities for research purposes; and librarians Jane Forgay, Brie McConnell and Antonio Muñoz Gómez brought their deep knowledge of the library resources to the project.
This collaborative approach was vital to establishing the context necessary when approaching Indigenous research, which can be seen immediately upon opening the guide. It does not simply point researchers in the direction of books, databases and journals like other research guides. Rather its entire structure highlights its most important feature: the various sections walk the researcher through the process of situating themselves into the perspective necessary when working within the Indigenous space. There are important historical, ethical and language practices that are critical to understand at a foundational level before even getting to the nuances of Indigenous scholarship within specific academic disciplines.
Making Indigenous research resources more easily discoverable is one way the Library is contributing to make Waterloo a more welcoming environment to Indigenous scholars and a more inclusive space for all. Of the guide, Forgay says, “its strength lies in its focused content and unique themes, bringing to the fore Indigenous voices and research methodologies. I’m very excited to see how this guide continues to grow and develop as Indigenous researchers interact with it.”