Indigenous Materials in Libraries and the Curriculum

Indigenous Materials in Libraries and the Curriculum: Latin American and Latinx Sources argues for a decolonial engagement with Indigenous peoples’ creative work to build awareness of divergent epistemologies and foster healing in the learning community.

This book explores how faculty and librarians can collaborate to develop inclusive library collections and curricula by supporting Indigenous peoples’ reclamation of lands and languages. The authors present practices to build and disseminate collections that showcase the work of Indigenous creators from Latin America and compensate for historical erasure and misrepresentation. Consideration is also given to developing a non-hegemonic curriculum in Indigenous languages and cultures for faculty and students from multicultural backgrounds, particularly Latinx students of Indigenous descent. Above all, the book aspires to facilitate the participation of Indigenous peoples in the scholarly conversation to counteract epistemic and material extractivism and transform the scaffolding of higher education in the current global climate crisis.

Indigenous Materials in Libraries and the Curriculum is inspired by a transhemispheric vision to elicit conversation between Indigenous peoples from Latin America (Abiayala) and North America (Turtle Island). The book will appeal to academics, librarians, students, and activists interested in Indigenous languages and cultures, decolonization, DEI initiatives, and library collection development policies that prioritize non-hegemonic narratives.

Javier Muñoz-Díaz is a literary and cultural critic. His research focuses on Latin American and Latinx cultural studies, Indigenous and Native American studies, Quechua/Kichwa languages and cultures, Queer/Cuir studies, and environmental humanities. A person of Quechua descent, Muñoz-Díaz is interested in the cultural history and contemporary processes of re-indigenization in the Andes and Amazon regions. Muñoz-Díaz is starting the position of Assistant Professor of Spanish at Farmingdale State College in August 2024.

Kathia Ibacache is assistant professor and Romance languages librarian at the University of Colorado, Boulder. She is interested in advancing collection development with a user-centered approach and focusing on inclusion and diversity. Her research interest encompasses digital accessibility within teaching and learning technologies, collection development, and representing Latin American Indigenous language materials in university libraries.

Leila Gómez is a professor of women and gender studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder. She is the author of Impossible Domesticity: Travels in Mexico (Pittsburgh UP, 2021) and several other books. Her recent research focuses on documentaries and films on land issues and environmental justice by Latin American women filmmakers. She started the Quechua Language Program as director of the Latin American and Latinx Studies Center (LALSC) at CU Boulder from 2017 to 2023.