The Basis of Tribal Library Development in the United States
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“Let Me Tell You About Indian Libraries”: Self-Determination, Leadership, and Vision— The Basis of Tribal Library Development in the United States Sandra D. Littletree A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Washington 2018 Reading Committee: Cheryl A. Metoyer (Chair) Allyson Carlyle David Levy Program Authorized to Offer Degree: Information School ©Copyright 2018 Sandra D. Littletree ii University of Washington Abstract “Let Me Tell You About Indian Libraries”: Self-Determination, Leadership, and Vision— The Basis of Tribal Library Development in the United States Sandra D. Littletree Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Dr. Cheryl A. Metoyer Information School Tribal libraries in the United States have become sites of cultural and language renewal, gathering places, and places to collect, preserve, and share Indigenous knowledge. After more than forty years of development, tribal libraries have become important sites of decolonization, where sovereignty and self-determination are paramount. These libraries are relatively recent tools that Native (and non-Native) people have begun to employ to collect, preserve, and transmit Indigenous knowledge for current and future generations. Despite the important role these institutions play in many Native communities, their presence is relatively unknown in the scholarly literature. This research traces the history and development of tribal libraries using qualitative research methodologies informed by Indigenous approaches to knowledge. Interviews with early designers as well as with current tribal library designers were conducted to tell the story of tribal library development. Analysis of archival documents provided additional iii information on the development of tribal libraries. This research addresses the question, What was the basis for the development of tribal libraries? The result of this examination reveals that the basis for tribal library development included the following: 1. Inadequate library services for American Indians; 2. Federal responsibilities to Indian education; 3. The activism, leadership, and advocacy of the early designers of tribal libraries; 4. The era of Self-Determination; 5. Opportunities for American Indian library leaders, educators, community members, and allies to collectively send a message to the U.S. president and congress regarding American Indian library services; 6. A strong vision for tribal libraries; and 7. Linking American Indian culture to libraries. An understanding of these historical and current intersections is crucial to provide context to design and support information systems from Indigenous positions. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................... III 1. INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................1 1.1 Statement of the Problem ..............................................................................................3 1.2 Statement of Purpose and Research Question ............................................................9 1.3 Significance and Motivation .......................................................................................12 2. LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................................14 2.1 Contemporary Tribal Libraries .................................................................................14 2.2 History of American Indian library services .............................................................17 2.3 Evolution of Library Services to American Indians .................................................32 2.4 History of Library Services to Minorities ..................................................................39 3. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................40 3.1 Research Approach ......................................................................................................40 3.2 Research Procedures ...................................................................................................44 3.2.a Data Collection Procedures ...................................................................................45 3.2.b Ensuring Authenticity and Credibility ....................................................................54 v 3.3 Ethical Considerations ................................................................................................55 3.4 Limitations ....................................................................................................................56 4. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION .......................................................................................57 4.1 Definition of Tribal Libraries .....................................................................................57 4.2 Inadequate Library Services .......................................................................................66 4.2.a Books .......................................................................................................................73 4.2.b American Indians, Libraries (and the Written Word) .............................................75 4.2.c American Indian Librarians ....................................................................................80 4.2.d Funding ...................................................................................................................82 4.3 Government Responsibilities and Tribal Libraries ..................................................90 4.3.a American Indian Education and Libraries .............................................................90 4.3.b Federal Responsibilities, Libraries, and Indian Treaties .......................................94 4.3.c State Responsibilities and Tribal Libraries ............................................................99 4.4 Activism, Leadership, and Advocacy .......................................................................105 4.5 Self-Determination .....................................................................................................114 4.6 White House Pre-Conference on Indian Library and Information Services .......125 4.7 Vision for tribal libraries ..........................................................................................135 vi 4.8 Linking American Indian Culture and Libraries ...................................................150 5. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ..............................................154 6. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................156 REFERENCES .....................................................................................................................159 TERMINOLOGY AND ACRONYMS ..............................................................................183 APPENDICES ......................................................................................................................184 Appendix A: National Indian Omnibus Library Bill ...................................................184 Appendix B: Title IV funding .........................................................................................187 Appendix C: Current IMLS Funding legislation ..........................................................189 Appendix D: Goals for Indian Library and Information Service ...............................190 Appendix E: Strategic Plan for the Development of Library and Information Services to Native Americans, 1991 ..............................................................................................191 Appendix F: The People of Tribal Library Development ............................................194 Appendix E: Timeline ......................................................................................................198 vii LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1: Landmark Activities and Projects ................................................................................... 28 Figure 1: "Let Me Tell You About Indian Libraries" Button…………...………………………...2 viii Acknowledgements This dissertation has been a long time coming and was not done alone. Ever since I was young girl, I knew that I wanted to earn a PhD. However, being a first generation college student, I really had no idea what earning a PhD entailed until I was in the midst of the process. Thank you to my family who were always supportive of my educational pursuits, no matter what. Thank you to my husband, Joe Seymour, who believed in me, encouraged me, and loved me unconditionally throughout this journey. I wish to thank my friends and colleagues in the Indigenous Information Research Group (IIRG) for the support, encouragement, inspiration, and intellectual stimulation. Thank you to Dr. Cheryl Metoyer, Dr. Marisa Duarte, Dr. Miranda Belarde-Lewis, Dr. Sheryl Day, and Dr. Juan Carlos Chavez. The fact that we are all Indigenous and we are all now PhD-holders is a testament to the strength of IIRG. A sincere and heart-filled acknowledgement to our IIRG sister, Allison “Ally” Krebs whose energy and love kept me going. Ally, you are missed, but your enthusiasm and spirit lives on through us. Thank you to Dr. Clarita Lefthand-Begay for your support and for joining us at the iSchool. Thank you to Dr. Harry Bruce and the