Repairing the Catalog: Using Reparative Description for Indigenous Subjects

Abstract

I was really inspired by The Tribal Nations in Oklahoma Metadata presentation during the 2023 Metadata Justice in Oklahoma Libraries and Archives Symposium. I was inspired to add proper tribal names to all records with “Five Civilized Tribes” as a subject heading. But then, as I read more about subject headings, I realized that Indians of North America was a problematic heading, and I wanted to help mitigate the harm that that subject might do. So, I began adding subject headings “Indigenous people of North America” to all records in Cameron University Library's catalog with Indians as a subject heading. And then, during the 2024 Metadata Justice Symposium, I was inspired by the Searching the Past, Finding the Present: Identifying Contemporary Tribal Communities in Gilcrease Museum's Rare Books Collection presentation, and I went back to the beginning and started all over again, with a more detailed and nuanced spreadsheet. I will explain my process, showing before and after records in the ILS and OPAC, and explaining my spreadsheet. I will explain how I created an alternate vocabulary to use in place of subject headings with "Indian" -- I'm adding Indigenous people to the subjects of each record in the catalog with "Indians" as a subject heading, and then I've been adding the correct tribal names for any tribal nation specified in the subjects (like, Navajo Indians, gets subject headings: Diné Indians (Navajo) ; Navajo Nation) I will ask for feedback on how to continue the work after the project itself is done. How do I "train" anyone following me to keep up the practice?