Information Literacy and Indigenous Ways of Knowing

The relationship between information literacy and Indigenous ways of knowing is a relatively new but growing area of inquiry. Developed within capitalist, colonial, Euro-centric values and knowledge systems that often clash with Indigenous ways of knowing and being, research assignments and information literacy instruction have historically privileged written and published knowledge over oral traditions, and individual ownership of words and ideas over community-based, shared knowledge. This type of cultural bias in assessment practices can have a variety of negative impacts on Indigenous students (William & Perrone, 2018).

The importance of Indigenizing research and assessment practices merits special attention as we consider how to develop students’ research skills. Calls to Action 10 (iii) and 63 (iii) from Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission ask us to “develop culturally appropriate curricula” and to “build student capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy and mutual respect”. To begin this work, your research assignment and information literacy instruction can be enhanced by:

1. Reflecting on your own positionality and how colonial systems have influenced your perspective.
2. Investigating culturally relevant methodologies for demonstrating student learning.
3. Developing research topics that respect and engage diverse ways of knowing.
4. Expanding your definition of appropriate types of sources.
5. Consulting with local Indigenous faculty and curriculum specialists to explore Indigenous Worldviews relevant to your discipline and taking a Two-Eyed Seeing approach to your assignment design (e.g., Two-eyed seeing in Nova Scotia^[1]).

Allan et al. (2018) acknowledge that the difficult and emotional work of Indigenization necessitates humility:

The work of Indigenizing post-secondary education requires accepting that there are ways of holding and sharing knowledge and learning and engaging all parts of the human being (spiritual, intellectual, emotional, physical), thus moving beyond seeking a singular right answer. The complexity of Indigenization is realizing that there are multiple truths and no single clear answer; so as educators, we need to trust the unlearning and relearning process and be humble while engaging in the process. (Section 1, Holding Space and Humility section)

A commitment to interrogating assumptions and bias prevalent in current academic practices generally and information literacy learning specifically is the starting place for making meaningful change.