ASU Library Book Collection Showcases Indigenous Stories

November marks Native American Heritage Month, a time to recognize and learn about the history and contributions of Indigenous peoples in America.

To celebrate the month, the ASU Library’s Labriola National American Indian Data Center has assembled collections of books that highlight the history and legacy of Indigenous peoples in six areas: education and history, law, literature. , language and culture, music and graphic novels, and genre. and sexuality.

The book collections are currently located at the Hayden Library on the Tempe Campus and the Fletcher Library on the West Campus. Both collections are located on the main floors of the libraries and will be on display until the end of November.

The collection of books focuses on the #LandBack movement, an effort to raise awareness of the history of Indigenous peoples, the history and significance of the land we live on, and to put Indigenous lands back into the hands of the people. indigenous.

The six categories of the book collection are not only related to #LandBack, but also play a vital role in Indigenous history.

Books in the collection, such as “We Are Still Here: A Photographic History of the American Indian Movement” and “Aloha Rodeo: Three Hawaiian Cowboys, the World’s Greatest Rodeo, and a Hidden History of the American West”, highlight the resilience of the Indigenous community.

Jeremia Johnson, a fifth-year applied computer science student and student at the Labriola Center, said this collection serves as a space to examine how Indigenous peoples can become centered in their own communities.

According to the ASU Library’s Indigenous Land Recognition, the four ASU campuses are “located in the Salt River Valley. on the ancestral territories of indigenous peoples, including the Akimel O’odham (Pima) and Pee Posh (Maricopa) Indian communities.

“It’s just a way to increase Indigenous empowerment and self-determination,” Johnson said.

Lourdes Pereira, a second-year major in forensic studies, said the purpose of the collection was to highlight this movement in light of Native American Heritage Month.

“Not many people even knew the land you reside on, let alone the entire #LandBack movement,” Pereira said.

The book collection offers a different perspective and side to American history than the current education system typically offers, which lacks the perspective and history of Indigenous peoples, Pereira said.

“It is a revitalization of who we are as indigenous people and a recapture of that space because the genocide of the indigenous peoples of the Americas did not simply stop and it is a continuation even with assimilation into the world. society today, ”Pereira said.

Pereira said she hopes people will learn more about the role of indigenous peoples in history through the collection.

“I personally hope that people can just take some of this knowledge and education with them,” Pereira said.

Elisabeth Johnson, a graduate student in healthcare delivery science, said Native American Heritage Month is a time for reflection.

“My three core values ​​are family, community and education, something NAHM stands for throughout the month,” Johnson said in an email. “I personally try to promote these values ​​in my everyday life and emphasize them during the NAHM. “

Johnson said the collection and Native American Heritage Month provide a space for Indigenous peoples to embrace their history.

“It not only helps Indigenous peoples celebrate their identity, (but) it also empowers non-Indigenous people to learn a story that has been taken from them,” Johnson said.

By making the collection available during Native American Heritage Month, Pereira said she hopes people will realize the importance of the history and traditions of the Native community.

“What I really hope with the collection is that people can first recognize that Native American Heritage Month is not just a month; it’s every day, ”Pereira said.

Contact the reporter at [email protected] or follow @ AnushaNat1 on Twitter.

Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on Twitter.