Labriola Blog: June 2023 Event Highlights
NASAW - Sunday, June 18, 2023 - Saturday, June 24, 2023
Earlier this month, the Native American Summer Arts Workshop (NASAW) took place from June 18th to June 24th. The program was led by Shiloh Ashley, Jacob Meders, Patrick Bixby and centered around young Native American high school students and providing them a weeklong experience in which they live on campus and explore the university’s offerings while participating in art classes taught by Native American professors on campus. The students participated in a screen-printing workshop, where they got to learn about the process of screen-printing and create their own design to be printed. They also participated in a film workshop, where they learned the basics of filming and how to utilize equipment and software to film. Students then came up with ideas for stories to film and edited their own videos. Both projects were set to be exhibited at ASU’s West Gallery Artspace where friends and family came together to celebrate the achievements of the students.
Labriola West Campus highlighted through the program as a center of Indigenous knowledge as well as a space to help support Native American students on campus. Workers for the Labriola provided a tour and kept the space open for students to utilize during their recreation time. Students used Labriola’s space to film portions of their projects and were able to research information about the topics of their videos. Labriola staff had also pulled books for the students about different art forms and Indigenous traditional arts to assist the students in generating ideas for their screen-printing workshop. Students were excited to see that the Labriola had books on their tribe’s languages, traditions, and histories. Some were even excited to see the ways in which Labriola operates outside of being a library through its programming.
By Nataani Moraga-Hanley
NASAW - Navigating Fletcher Library and its Indigenous Spaces Monday, June 19, 2023
It was the kind of day where the sky was a hot turquoise blue. Mafi Pamaka (Tongan) and I are waiting for a group of twelve Native American high school students to arrive. We are in Fletcher Library, located in the West valley in Glendale and is one of seven of Arizona State University's libraries. Nataani Moraga-Hanley (Navajo/Húŋkpapȟa Lakota) stepped outside to round up the students, who we spotted outside carrying large yellow 18x24 sketch pads in hand. They had just come from art class. They gather in the atrium, a tall tower-like entry to the library with a ceiling of windows. The light is soft.
Beginning on the first floor, Mafi and I start with the Information Desk on the first floor. We want the students to feel comfortable asking for help and meet someone who works there. We introduce Laura Miller, the User Services Supervisor. She is kind and welcoming, and lets the students know they not only can ask herself and her staff questions and check out books, but they can also reserve study rooms, and check out other materials such as a Culture Pass to visit local museums like the Heard Museum, Desert Botanical Gardens, the ASU Gammage Theatre and more.
From there, Mafi and I guide the students to where the Labriola Center's books are currently available to check out on the first floor. There are four small wooden bookshelves that contain some of the Labriola National American Indian Data Center's Open Stacks, or books available to check out. Two are near the front on either side of the book display and the other two are located in the back with one on the east side, near the Tutor and Writing center, and the other on the west side, near the DVD collection.
Heading up the stairs, we show the students where they can find extended research material on the second floor, in the arts and prints section. Books that are categorized in Library of Congress Call Numbers, which are categories on subjects under which books are organized. For example, the Workshop is about printmaking and film, so the subject area the students would likely look through are those categorized in N (art) and T (technology).
After showing them possible places to find books on the second floor, we bring them up to the third floor where the Labriola Center is located. Earlier that day, our other Library Aide Ashley Davis (Navajo) helped pick out some art books and set out on our tables for the students to look through. The students gather around the wooden table and we talk about the eclectic kind of programming our Center does, what each Center offers in terms of programming and archives, and the importance of Indigenous librarianship. Having a space such as the Labriola Center is rare. Arizona State University is ranked in the top 5% of all universities with research expenditures, which are funds spent on conducting research. The Labriola Center has an extensive archive and an impressive ever growing collection of books authored by and written about Indigenous people.
Professor Meders (member of the Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria, California) emphasized how important it is to take advantage of these resources as a Native person. Our ancestors fought hard for us to be able to access these materials and obtain degrees and contribute to education. It would be a waste to not explore the Labriola Center, its databases, and programming. Vina Begay (Navajo) talked about archiving and her role at the Labriola Center. She had conducted an impressive activity for some high school students a week prior with archiving.
Following our short presentation, we head downstairs to the American Indian Student Services and Support center on the basement level. Although this center is located in the basement, the space is truly beautiful and welcoming. We head down the hallway, Sketch Pads in hand, towards the entrance of AISSS. AISSS' designs leak out from the room into the hallway like water, and we trickle in through the glass door. Upon entry, there is a service desk, usually headed by an AISSS student worker. Large windows overlook a small peach tree and a grassy hill. The room is circular, with blue couches in the middle that face each other, encouraging community comforts and gathering. There is a "Would You Rather" question written in erasable marker on the community white board. It asks, "Would you rather give up social media or eat one meal for the rest of your life?" I am relieved to see all high school students who enter the room and cast their vote prefer giving up social media. Valeria Lopez, Student Success and Retention Coordinator, shows them the kitchen that's available and all of the different resources AISSS provides, such as finding and applying for scholarships, being a "home away from home" environment for Indigenous students, and American Indian Convocation.
Written by Yitazba Largo-Anderson
Hoop of Learning - Wednesday, June 7, 2023 and Thursday, June 8, 2023
Who: American Indian Mesa highschool students, Mona, Jewel, Mafi, Vina, Ashley, Ah’sha
Partnering with the Hoop of Learning program, Mesa Community College brought two groups of Native Mesa highschool students to the West Labriola location. Jewel They took part in an Archiving Workshop directed by our lead archivist and assistant librarian Vina Begay. Ah’sha Notah, program coordinator for the Institute of Museum and Library Services grant "Centering BIPOC Memory Keepers and Advancing Equity and Inclusion." The program supports "the development of a diverse workforce in libraries and archives by introducing underserved and underrepresented students to archival theory at the community college and tribal college level" (from "Supporting the next generation of BIPOC community archivists" blog, which you can read here). At this workshop, Ah'sha attended to bring awareness on the grant to college bound Indigenous students who are interested in pursuing a deeper understanding of being Indigenous librarians and archivists. The staff then gave the students an impromptu tour of the campus sharing their own experiences, since it had just been both of their first years.
INSPIRE - Monday - Friday, June 19-23, 2023
Last week, the Labriola Center hosted Indigenous high school students for a week of classes and activities for INSPIRE, a college readiness program for American Indian high school students. Starting on Sunday, June 18, 2023, the Labriola hosted the Office of American Indian Initiatives and the 80+ students for a panel discussion with tribal leaders. The panelist shared their college experiences and how college prepared them to be leaders of their communities. Later in the evening, the students returned to the library for an evening of popcorn, films, and games.
After the first day of the week-long program, the students are placed into cohorts and then given a class schedule for the week. The goal for the week is for students to get a taste of what taking college classes entails. For the Labriola, we focused on how a Indigenous library can be a source of cultural resiliency and research support. Everyday, our students focused on a topic and viewed that topic through the lens of Indigenous librarianship and cultural resilience.
The first day, students learned about the Labriola and how the Labriola enacts Indigenous Librarianship principles and values in our services and programming. After a mini-zine making activity, the students toured Hayden library. The second day, we focused on the principles of Indigenous Librarianship and how to find books and online resources by reviewing the Library of Congress’ Call Number system and ASU’s Library’s One Search. The third day, we focused on Indigenous research, where we covered the importance of creating research that benefits their tribal communities and research protocols that honor Indigenous values. In addition, students got the chance to research a topic of their choice using Labriola’s Open Stacks collection. The fourth day, we partnered with ASU’s Community Driven Archives Initiative team. Following a presentation on Indigenous archiving, the CDA team provided a presentation on their work and what makes CDA integral to community resilience. CDA also facilitated an activity around oral history. The last day of the week, students got the opportunity to tour ASU’s Makespace and spent time creating buttons and bookmarks in the Labriola study room. The week was jam- packed with activities and learning opportunities, and the young students all walked away with new knowledge of Indigenous librarianship and how it contributes to cultural resilience.
By Eric Hardy