X̱wi7x̱wa Winter Recap 2024/25
March 19th is the last day of winter and our branch is excited to share what we’ve been up to this season.
First we kicked off with Winter Solstice! We celebrated by sharing some resources about storytelling and winter. You find materials from our collection by searching here for winter, “oral history”, or storytelling.
New Items
We received some exciting new resources at the branch! The largest, is our puppet stage, did you know we have an extensive collection of puppets that can be taken out on loan?
These are great for children’s activities for teachers, librarians, and community members.
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Indigenous voices in digital spaces by Cindy Tekobbe
Theorizes a digital Indigeneity and explores case studies through a theoretical frame that offers new methodologies and epistemologies to explore digital communities and technologies. The author uses Indigenous storytelling and “thick” Indigenous meaning-making. Find me at Xwi7xwa: https://resolve.library.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/catsearch?bid=13630329 |
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Indigenous research design : transnational perspectives in practice edited by Elizabeth Sumida Huaman and Nathan D. Martin
Indigenous Research Design is a unique collection that explores the ways researchers conceptualize and carry out projects including the approaches, ethics, methods, and impacts. With a focus on deepening our understanding of Indigenous research design and the ways in which Indigenous theories of research are indivisible from Indigenous peoples’ lived experiences and practices, contributors from across the globe discuss how we can rethink conventional approaches to data collection. Elements are discussed within qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research according to Indigenous research worldviews, self-determination, and self-development. Find me at Xwi7xwa: https://resolve.library.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/catsearch?bid=13265670 |
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Wetland Project : explorations in sound, ecology and post-geographical art edited by Brady Marks, Mark Timmings The Wetland Project book is the print component of a multidisciplinary and multimedia project centred on the sounds emanating from the T̲EK̲TEK̲SEN marsh, in unceded W̲SÁNEĆ territory (Saturna Island, British Columbia). The book is edited by artists Brady Marks and Mark Timmings, who have been inspired by the sonic phenomena produced by this small patch of Earth to create a 24-hour Slow Radio Broadcast, based on field recordings from the marsh, that radio stations across North America and Europe have aired on Earth Day since 2017; a musical arrangement titled Wetland Senario, co-composed with Stephen Morris and performed by vocal ensemble musica intima; and a new media installation that algorithmically transforms sound frequencies from the marsh recordings into pure colour fields in flux. Find me at Xwi7xwa: https://resolve.library.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/catsearch?bid=12965540
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The ribbon skirt : a graphic novel by Cameron Mukwa
Ten-year-old Anang wants to make a ribbon skirt, a piece of clothing typically worn by women in the Anishinaabe tradition, for an upcoming powwow. Anang is two-spirit and nonbinary and doesn’t know what others will think of them wearing a ribbon skirt, but they’re determined to follow their heart’s desire. Anang sets off to gather the materials needed to make the skirt and turns to those around them – their family, their human and turtle friends, the crows, and even the lake itself – for help. And maybe they’ll even find a new confidence within themself along the way. Find me at Xwi7xwa: https://resolve.library.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/catsearch?bid=13607639 |
Winter Celebrations
Our entire team attended the Library’s Seasonal Lunch to celebrate the closing of 2024.
New Archivist
This January we welcomed a new member to our team! Jesse Carson is our branch’s Archivist and will be working with us for the next two years. Carson hit the ground running and met with Ashley Noyes (Squamish Archivist & Librarian) to discuss specific items of our collection.
Do you have questions about Xwi7xwa archival materials? Send Jesse an email at: jesse.carson@ubc.ca
What’s growing?
Over the winter we planted potatoes! We protected them from snow, frost, and heavy rain – just look at their progress! After much debate we finally found names for them. We are pleased to announce Tater Swift, and Mary Tate & Mashly Olsen. Unfortunately one of the twins isn’t looking too good, but we are optimistic for a speedy recovery.
Team Building with FNHL Longhouse
Xwi7xwa joined Longhouse staff for an outing to MOA. Our tour guide taught us about Anishinaabe culture and the parts of the collections that were most meaningful to them. Thank-you to our colleagues Joely Viveros and Mischa Makortoff for organizing this.
Annual MMIWG2S Memorial March
In February members of our team attended the annual memorial march in Vancouver’s DTES. For folks unable to attend the annual march, we created a curated display and blog post sharing information about the event and openly accessible resources that can be found here.
Kids Take Over UBC 2025
We partnered with FNHL Longhouse to participated in Kids Take Over UBC 2025!
Kayla Lar-Son is not only our Acting Head Librarian, but also the Indigenous Programs & Services Librarian. This year she read a children’s stories with Amai Campbell-Kamangirira in both hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and English.
Storytime set up and ready for the kids!
Library resources for learners to create their own stories and puppet making supplies! The Puppet Storytellers: Weaving Tales Through Craft was a success, learn more about the event here.
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Nuxalk Strong Opening Night
We attended the grand opening of Nuxalk Strong at MOA! We learned about the Nuxalk nation and their traditional lands and waters in Bella Coola Valley. This exhibit will be running until January 4, 2026 and we encourage folks to visit the museum, find out more here.
You can learn more about Nuxalk Nation using our collection by searching here. UBC’s own Jennifer Kramer has authored Switchbacks : art, ownership, and Nuxalk national identity that can be found here.
Hoobiyee 2025
For the first time ever, our team was a vendor at Nisga’a New Year to promote UBC Library’s community borrower card. This card is free for Indigenous patrons and increases community access to research about themselves. Over two days, we interacted with a total of 736 members of the community and signed up an astounding 42 people for library cards.
Community-Centred Controlled Vocabularies (3CV) Workshop
Our technical services team attended the 2nd 3CV workshop on March 18th! This open workshop was on software for controlled vocabulary work. Not only did our team attend, but our Indigenous Metadata Librarian (Taya Jardine) and our Student Librarian (Carolyn Pires) contributed to this important work by giving a presentation.
NITEP 50th Anniversary
Our team attended the 50th anniversary celebration to hear from 5 decades of teachers from the program. It was a wonderful night of laughter, storytelling, remembering, and feasting. With the help of our new Archivist, we were able to bring items from our collection to the event where folks assisted us in identifying the people in our photo albums. Stay tuned for future initiatives related to this important work!
For more information about NITEP and their 50 years see here.
Provost’s All Faculty Forum
Our team attended the Provost’s All Faculty Forum where we had the opportunity to hear from, and connect with, Dr. Gage Averill (Provost and Vice-President, Academic, UBC Vancouver).
What’s our Acting Head up to:
In addition to ongoing administrative duties Lar-Son gave two important keynotes this winter! At OERizona Network they presented on uplifting Indigenous voices. And, with over 470 participants, she presented at the annual T4K12 Conference!
The branch’s Head (On Special Projects outside of Xwi7xwa) Sarah Dupont, presented on a panel at the Charleston Conference: Indigenizing Library Collections: Strategies for Inclusive Curriculum Representation
And with that, we are excited for the important changes that come with a new growing season. See you this spring!