Presentation

Power to the People: Building a Collaborative Digital Project of Indigenous Community Protest Materials

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Abstract

Loyola University Chicago (LUC) Libraries was approached to help the Lakota People’s Law Project (LPLP) and the Romero Institute build a public-facing digital collection using audio-visual materials documenting pipeline protest movements on Indigenous lands. For several reasons, this project was unique: there were privacy, access, and ownership questions as the material both depicted indigenous communities and documented protest. Furthermore, the material had already been used in the classroom, due to a previous collaboration between LPLP and an LUC faculty member, and knowledge about successful curriculum integration presented both a benefit and a challenge to determining the project’s scope, deliverables, and timeline. Finally, the LUC project team lacked previous experience with Indigenous collections, and therefore research and education needed to be incorporated into the project timeline. The Mukurtu CMS offered a technical solution for many of these challenges: varied access levels, community collaboration, and metadata fields that support multiple perspectives and contexts. But, sustained efforts towards relationship building and project management, especially during periods of shapelessness, were critical (non-technical) components of this digital project. This presentation will share key learnings related to planning and building an Indigenous community-oriented digital project, the use of Mukurtu CMS to accomplish and refine our project goals, and considerations when working with outside (and internal) partners to manage and maintain these projects.

How to Cite:

Martin, G. & Howdeshell, A., (2022) “Power to the People: Building a Collaborative Digital Project of Indigenous Community Protest Materials”, MAC Annual Meeting Presentations 2022(1).