"Nada nukuthdam", Firekeepers Initiative: Decolonizing Academic Library Collections through Community-based Participatory Archive-building

Abstract

This paper articulates the decolonial theories and principles that underlie the library and archives information praxis within an Indigenous-led academic center located within a major research university. The Firekeepers Initiative to develop community-based archives in collaboration with Tribal Nations in Arizona, utilizes participatory and relational methods, CARE principles, and the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials. This initiative employs Community-Driven Archives methods set forth by Godoy (2021) and seeks to decolonize higher education through Indigenous librarianship and reparative archival practice. Authors stress the importance of mindful place-making in academic libraries to elevate Indigenous voices within what are typically Western Colonial information spaces. Challenges include navigating organizational hierarchies within the academy to advocate and coordinate services and programs for Indigenous students, faculty, and their communities.