Saginaw Chippewa Tribe Receives Library Grant

The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe is the recipient of a grant for $238,420 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)-FY19 National Leadership Grants for Libraries.

Anne Heidemann, Tribal Librarian says they “are delighted to have been awarded this prestigious grant from the Institute of Museums and Library Services. This project will give the community the opportunity to determine what system of organization best reflects Anishinaabe ways of being, and to be leaders in efforts across Turtle Island to decolonize and Indigenize library services. We are so excited to see what happens”.

This grant will address the question: How can tribal libraries use traditional ways of knowing and being to break free of the colonialist epistemology of existing library organizational systems that reinforce a damaging worldview? As part of the dominant power structure, libraries carry symbolic weight, even for those who do not use them. In order to benefit from and use a library, one must feel comfortable and know the protocols.

This project aligns directly to the IMLS agency-level goal to build capacity by making the Tribal Libraries a community catalyst to improve the well-being of the community. The projected outcomes of this project are that community members are more invested in the libraries, library materials are easier to find, the systems are easier to learn and navigate, the libraries are used more and are known as trusted, respectful source for quality resources, and community members are satisfied with the system of organization.

Please contact Frank Cloutier, Public Relations Director at (989) 775-4076 or at [email protected] for further information on the announcement.