Indigenous Literacy through Indigenous Cultural Heritage Materials and Resources

Indigenous cultural heritage materials and resources can contribute to the development of information literacy, including new literacies, in a community. Indigenous materials and resources can play a significant role in building cooperation between the library and the community. This paper discusses ways that libraries and archives can develop local collections and special collections through indigenous cultural heritage materials and resources and how these collections can then be used by these libraries to engage their local community and develop information literacy. It describes the importance of appreciating diverse concepts of “collections” and indigenous cultural heritage; implementing diverse ways that indigenous cultural heritage resources can be documented and organized by librarians and indigenous experts in a collaborative fashion; understanding methods of accessing, displaying, and sharing indigenous resources and information; implementing strategies for preservation; and developing programming and increasing the appreciation of indigeneity by library staff and administration, as well as the general community. Examples are primarily drawn from concepts, processes, and artifacts of indigenous communities in the Pacific, such as the Chamorro community of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and the various communities of the Federated States of Micronesia. Other examples are drawn from guidelines and protocols related to the Native Americans.