As long as the sun shines
Library Futures intern Thomas Gagnon-van Leeuwen explores how digital libraries can work to preserve traditional knowledge while protecting and respecting Indigenous cultural sovereignty.
From As long as the sun shines
Indigenous peoples across the world are reclaiming control over their cultural heritage in the face of impossible odds — centuries of cultural genocide, theft by colonial institutions, and policies designed to erase them. Turning the tide is every librarian and archivist’s responsibility, whether they are Indigenous or not….
The inspiring work being done in Indigenous digital libraries — around shifting power, rethinking metadata, and asserting cultural sovereignty — can be a model for others.
About the Project
As long as the sun shines is an interactive story that allows the reader to travel across North America, exploring how colonial libraries and archives have often stolen and misclassified traditional knowledge from Indigenous peoples, and the ways in which a new generation of digital libraries is working to return that knowledge to its rightful stewards while also preserving it for future generations.
Through photos, recordings, and archival materials, readers can learn about “The Map that Roared,” classification and permission systems that respect local protocols, and the Indigenous librarians who made all of it possible.
This resource was developed as part of the Library Futures Internship Program.
As long as the sun shines is best experienced in full via the link below.
As long as the sun shines
