SPARC: “Respectful Terminologies Project for Indigenous People Launches in Canada”

From a SPARC Post:

Efforts to help libraries, archives, and museums replace harmful terms with appropriate language in reference to Indigenous People are gaining traction.

In Canada, the Respectful Terminologies Project recently secured seed funding to begin creating an open, online platform of preferred vocabulary to describe Indigenous people, places, heritage, traditions, knowledge, and culture. The aim is to replace culturally insensitive language rooted in colonialism with more appropriate descriptions that reflect the diverse communities.

The project of the National Indigenous Knowledge and Language Alliance (NIKLA) is co-lead by Stacy Allison-Cassin, a citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario and assistant professor at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, and Camille Callison, member of the Tahltan Nation and university librarian at the University of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia.

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The project begins with nearly $400,000 Canadian dollars in initial support from several organizations: Library and Archives Canada (LAC), the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN), the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL), the Canadian Urban Library Council (CULC), the Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CKRN), the Internet Archive Canada and OCLC. As the work continues, NIKLA is seeking additional contributions and collaborations. To learn more or support the initiative, go to the project page of the NILKA here.

Learn More, Read the Complete SPARC Post (681 words)

See Also: Seed Funding Secured for NIKLA’s Respectful Terminologies Project (January 31, 2023)

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