Stacy Allison-Cassin, an assistant professor in Dal鈥檚 Faculty of Management, and Camille Callison, university librarian at University of the Fraser Valley, have received a $1.8-million grant from the prestigious Mellon Foundation. They are pursuing the next steps in a decades long journey to remove antiquated, racist, and harmful language found in libraries, archives, museums, and data-systems worldwide.鈥��
Dr. Allison-Cassin, a citizen of the M茅tis Nation of Ontario, and Callison, a member of the T膩艂t膩n Nation, are co-leading the Respectful Terminologies Platform Project (RTPP) with the National Indigenous Knowledge and Language Alliance (NIKLA), in collaboration and with the support of the University of the Fraser Valley.聽聽
Shown right: Camille Callison
The RTTP is a dynamic and open online platform to create and share appropriate and respectful multilingual terminologies. That terminology will then be used in places such as libraries, museums, and other knowledge-based organizations with archival management systems.鈥��
Dr. Allison-Cassin and Callison explain the significance of the project like this.鈥��
To be called by one鈥檚 name is a fundamental mark of respect that should be extended to everyone. However, the stark reality is that many are denied this basic human right... people are compelled to use harmful language to conduct a search for one鈥檚 own history, heritage, language, or culture.鈥����
鈥疌hange is 鈥榝rustratingly slow鈥櫬�
Elaine MacInnis, associate dean of library services at Dal, is dismayed that 鈥淎merican Indians is still a subject heading in the library catalogue system.鈥� Not only is the language incorrect, she says, but it also inflicts harm and continues the cycle of trauma.鈥�
Cataloguing and descriptive work in libraries and archives uses international standards intended to ease data exchange and guide practitioners. Many of these standards were developed by colonial institutions. Some, like the U.S. Library of Congress and the Canadian government, have tried to address disrespectful, incorrect, and harmful words, but Dr. Allison-Cassin calls the change 鈥榝rustratingly slow鈥�, and such efforts are typically not led by Indigenous peoples themselves.聽聽
Drawing on years as a librarian, she says, 鈥渋t鈥檚 impossible to decolonize these systems.鈥� Changing terms within a colonial system is not enough, she adds, 鈥渂ecause the underlying structures remain the same 鈥� it鈥檚 time to create something new.鈥濃���
Dr. Stacy Allison-Cassin.
A collective approach, no more working in silos聽
The RTPP imagines a different reality where, as Callison puts it, 鈥渨hen people search for information about Indigenous and other marginalized communities, they would see appropriate and correct terminology describing themselves and others, which subconsciously creates respect toward them and their identity, leaving an imprint of reverence.鈥濃����
It鈥檚 taken nine months of intense work to do the invite-only application to the Public Knowledge Program at Mellon. But as Dr. Allison-Cassin explains, the project has long roots. The RTPP was launched through NIKLA in May 2022 and follows decades of advocacy and research by Indigenous librarians, archivists, and museum professionals across North America.聽聽
The grant will be used for the design of practices, workflows, and systems to create the capacity for systematic change. Dr. Allison-Cassin says, 鈥渋t鈥檚 also about Indigenous Data Sovereignty having the right to own, control, access, and steward data about their communities, lands, and culture.鈥濃��
W. Dominika Wranik, the Faculty of Management鈥檚 associate dean of research, says it鈥檚 an honour for the university to be associated with the project.聽聽
"It鈥檚 in direct alignment with H漫画 University鈥檚 Strategic Research Direction, specifically in the area 鈥楻econciliation & Indigenous Peoples鈥� that supports the building of inclusive and resilient communities,鈥� she says, adding that Dr. Allison-Cassin's research "also lies at the core of our faculty鈥檚 strength in the advancement of Indigenous paradigms for management and the decolonization of knowledge.鈥� 鈥�
We want to fulfill the dreams of our elders聽
Callison acknowledges the broad support the project has gathered with contributions coming from across Canada and beyond. 鈥淚t is important to gathering together in a concerted, overarching efforts to address these historical harms enabling local adaptations rather than continue to work in silos ensuring that our efforts at creating and mobilizing efforts move forward into the future in a good way," she says. 鈥���
As a scholar who has volunteered hours writing and editing material for Wikidata and Wikipedia, Dr. Allison-Cassin admits she鈥檚 passionate about documenting cultural materials that don鈥檛 fit easily into standard systems of description or are ignored entirely. She says knowing 鈥榟ow information is structured鈥� helps her think about 鈥榯he power in structures.鈥�
Dr. Allison-Cassin says that the work of so many people over past decades is what enabled the RTPP to come into being. Callison emphasizes, 鈥淥ur desire is to acknowledge and honour the work of those who came before us who worked tirelessly at the grassroots and in community for their whole careers to advocate and create changes that is a foundation that we can build. It is critically important to elevate the voices of First Nations, M茅tis, Inuit peoples who have been and continue to work to create change for future generations to come.鈥濃���