Core Voices: Infusing Indigenous perspectives across the curriculum - Ginny Blackson

In 2015, the Washington State Legislature passed SB5433 requiring the Since Time Immemorial Tribal Sovereignty curriculum be taught in every public K-12 classroom. This new mandate provides both collection development challenges and opportunities all types of libraries. As part of the Brooks Library’s plan to meet this challenge, Ginny Blackson applied for and received the 2016 Smithsonian Libraries’ Neville-Pribram Mid-Career Educators Award. The award provided the opportunity to conduct research at the National Museum of the American Indian and Vine Deloria Jr. Library.
This presentation will focus on the results of that research. Attendees will learn about tools to build outstanding collections that include indigenous perspectives. The session will explore ways to identify and evaluate Native American and Alaska Native resources. Additional, the presentation will discuss Ms. Blackson’s experience as a Smithsonian Fellow and information on Smithsonian Fellowships available to librarians.

Ginny Norris Blackson is the Director of Libraries and Educational Media Services at Linfield College in McMinnville, OR. Raised in the foothills of the Appalachians in central Kentucky, she holds a Masters of Library and Information Science from the University of Kentucky. Her research interest focuses on Appalachian culture, feminism, and multicultural children and young adult literature.