SE Valley Times

Arizona State University's Labriola National American Indian Data Center is reshaping traditional archival practices by integrating Indigenous perspectives into its collections. The center, led by a Native team, aims to reflect Indigenous ways of knowing and storytelling in its archival applications.

Vina Begay, an assistant librarian and archivist at the Labriola Center, emphasized the importance of cultural inclusivity: "When dealing with our Indigenous collections, we must incorporate our perspective into our processes through a lens of cultural inclusivity and representation."

The Labriola Center, established in 1993, supports ASU's American Indian curriculum and provides access to Indigenous knowledge. It offers resources such as manuscripts, oral stories, political papers, photographs, ephemera, and contemporary books authored by Indigenous scholars.

Candace Hamana described the center as "a powerful reflection of the pride and resilience of Native communities." She highlighted how digital tools are integrated with Indigenous methodologies to preserve histories for future generations.

In November's observance of National Native American Heritage Month, the collection showcases influential Indigenous individuals and movements in Arizona and the Southwest. Notable collections include those of Jean Chaudhuri, Peterson Zah, Simon J. Ortiz, and records from the American Indian Movement (AIM) of Arizona.

Jean Chaudhuri's papers illustrate her life as an activist who broke barriers for Indigenous women. Vina Begay noted that her collection is arranged differently from Western practices: "In that storytelling, we are weaving a link rather than offering a beginning, middle and end."

Peterson Zah's collection documents his leadership roles within the Navajo Nation and his contributions to ASU. Jacob Moore praised Zah as "a visionary leader whose lifework included major positive impacts for the people and governance of the Navajo Nation."

Simon J. Ortiz's papers highlight his work as a poet and storyteller focusing on issues affecting Indigenous peoples. Begay expressed admiration for Ortiz: "He broke down walls for more Indigenous voices...in Native American literature."

The AIM records document their activism from 1954-1998 against police brutality and racial profiling. Begay remarked on AIM's evolution: "They continue to focus on Indigenous rights...and eliminate stereotype tropes."

The Open Stacks Collection features thousands of volumes on various Indigenous topics authored by or for Indigenous peoples. Begay stated that it shows "we are everywhere...not silent or extinct."

Begay emphasized meeting student needs while incorporating community voices: "The Labriola Center is setting the stage to become a model for all of those things." Nataani Hanley-Moraga found inspiration in documenting Indigenous history through storytelling methods used at the center.