Proceedings of the First National Joint Conference of Librarians of Color - 153

using in building collections, in providing access to information resources, and in providing access to digital and web-based information resources. In addition to clearly communicating one’s theoretical framework, especially when providing information services, and reference and research consultations, a librarian is also obligated to keep up-to-date with collection development needs and trends in the field. Approaching the practice of librarianship from a theoretical stance such as decolonization opens interesting possibilities for a librarian. My collaboration with Barbara and other faculty in the NAS Program has been the foundation for my getting a research grant, presentations at library conferences and at a discipline-based conference. I have also been a strong advocate within the NAS Program for the inclusion of information literacy components in the curriculum and in the outreach programs we have provided to the Omaha Public Schools. In addition, operating from a theoretical stance has helped me understand the challenges and obstacles that a faculty member faces in the flow of scholarly communication. Common issues in NAS research activities BR Ideally, NAS is the result of interdisciplinary processes. However, that statement is subject to individual experiences with how one understands the borders of her own discipline and by extension, interdisciplinary goals, methodologies, and appropriate products. One typical way of approaching NAS is through the Social Sciences. However, this approach frequently restricts the role of the arts in interpretation of culture. Frequently, the arts are overlooked as anything other than a form of popular culture mirroring the attitudes within the dominant culture concerning the visual and performing arts. In this instance, ideas about the role of art in medical practice seem misplaced or the everyday arts are demoted to the world of “crafts.” For those in the humanities, including the social sciences or hard sciences can seem intimidating even though more indigenous scholars are calling for the interpretive skills of my field, literary criticism, to be applied to tribal governance documents and in turn, for works of fiction to be interpreted in the context of treaties, ecological concerns, or sovereignty. Maintaining strict disciplinary borders serves the colonial institution, not indigenous peoples. Daniel Heath Justice offers one example of this when he comments on the oft used phrase that we create ‘art for art’s sake.’ For Justice, this notion “…promotes ‘hypernarcissism’ and selfcentered conceit that contributes to the destabilization of basic values and kinship ties of tribal communities” (Justice, “Seeing” 108). Instead, he proposes we borrow Marilou Awiakta’s alternative adage of “art for Life’s sake” (Justice, “Seeing” 109). Justice elaborates by stating this philosophy defines his: …approach to Nation-building, sovereignty, self-determination, and decolonization: the creation and critique of ‘art for art’s sake’ within specific tribal tradition, and the extension of those efforts to broader pan-tribal understandings. While our survival and growth require strong economic and political activism, so too do they require an activism of the imagination, a dedication to realizing ourselves outside of colonialist lies and stereotypes. Art that speaks only to itself is of little help in this struggle. (Justice, “Seeing” 109) Donald Fixico confirms this necessity by remarking on the history of Indian/White relations in this hemisphere. “The Wars fought between Indians and Whites were more than just over land – they were wars of the minds” (Fixico 15). One of the biggest challenges to promoting this expansion of interdisciplinary research is making the issues and ground-breaking research accessible to readers. Those voicing the need for an expansion of Indigenous studies programs and resources frequently note that academic institutions need to be responsive to the needs of their regional Native American communities. Tackling complicated social concerns ranging from poverty and health care to issues of identity, enrollment and gaming requires a far greater investment than any single technique or research methodology. Expanding interdisciplinary research was recently explored in two special editions of American Indian Quarterly (AIQ), both published in 2004. Devon Mihesuah served as the serial editor. The Winter/Spring issue: 153

Proceedings of the First National Joint Conference of Librarians of Color

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