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Focus on Native Americans

Winter-Spring 1999, 99-01/02

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Guidelines for evaluating and identifying Native American web sites

The spring 1999 issue of Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) News, v. 31: 36-38, has an article by Elaine M. Cubbins, of the University of Arizona, "Tips for Students and Researchers: Techniques for Evaluating Native Web Sites." The purpose of the article is to provide "some useful guidelines for evaluating and identifying web sites that contain accurate information and that are not exploitative of American Indians. There is no one American Indian culture or people, so what is correct for one tribe or nation is not automatically correct for another tribe or nation." The author breaks the guidelines into categories, such as general web site, authority, and content. She gives an in-depth analysis for each of the following questions:

• Is the site well-organized and easy to move around in? Does it take a long time for the site to load onto your computer?
• Is the site kept up to date, with current links, new material added from time to time, and a creation or revision date?
• Is the purpose of the site clear? Does the stated purpose match the actual content?
• What links are included to other sites? How well do these links meet criteria for quality web sites?
• Who is the web builder for the site? Is an e-mail address included?
• Does the site's URL give you any information as to the authority and validity of the site?
• If the site claims to represent a tribe or a tribal view, is there information supporting the claim that it is an "official" or authorized web site for the tribe?
• If the site builder self-identifies as Indian, is tribal affiliation identified? Is the word used to identify the tribe accurate?
• Is the site marketing something, persuading or informing you of something, providing information, or introducing something personal about the web builder?
• Is the content for the site presented from the Native or non-Native point of view?
• Are the images and icons used on the site accurate and respectful or neutral, or are they inaccurate and caricatures or disrespectful in other ways? If photographs are used, has permission to use them been given?
• Is the content accurate (e.g., Indian people no matter what tribal group, incorrectly depicted as living in tipis)?
• Is there anything about the content or presentation that makes you feel uncomfortable?

New web sites

The American Indian Library Association's (AILA) web page lists four new web sites added within the past three months. They are:

A Critical Bibliography of North American Indians for K-12

from the Anthropology Outreach Office of the Smithsonian Institution

Index of Native American Electronic Text Resources on the Internet: Lakota Electronic Texts

presents books in full text by Charles Eastman, Zitkala-Sa, and others

Storytellers--Native American Authors Online

 

The AILA web site is: http://www.pitt.edu/~lmitten/aila.html

Grants

The Chicago Public Library was recently awarded a $50,000 grant from Library Services and Technology Act funding to increase its collection on Native American literature and fund a program, "Expanding Horizons of North American Indian Literature," to present readings by North American Indian authors.

The Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) has received funding from the Canadian government to put materials about the indigenous population into English braille.

New books

The Center for Museum Studies of the Smithsonian Institution recently published a directory of the 150 tribal museums in North America with a brief description of each museum. Tribal and Museum Directory is available for purchase (print) ($15) from the Center for Museum Studies, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560-0427, (202) 633-8991, Attn: Karen Cooper.

Rockeller-MacArthur, Elizabeth, et al. American Indian Library Services in Perspective: From Petroglyphs to Hypertext. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1998. 156p. $29.50. (P.O. Box 611 28640). This book examines the history of library services to Native Americans and the use of technology to preserve American Indian heritage.

Reminder

During the Western Conference of Librarians Serving Blind and Physically Handicapped Individuals in Santa Fe, New Mexico, June 6 - 9, a panel will discuss services to Native Americans on Tuesday, June 8, 1999. Moderators will be regional librarians Dan Boyd ( South Dakota Braille and Talking Book Library), John Brewster ( New Mexico Talking Book Library), and Christie Briggs ( Montana Talking Book Library).

American Indian Library Association

The American Indian Library Association (AILA) will present a program entitled "Traditional Wisdom/Contemporary Knowledge: Developing Indigenous Community Web Projects" on Saturday, June 26, 1999, from 2-4 p.m., as part of the American Library Association's Annual Conference in New Orleans. A business meeting is scheduled for Sunday, June 27, 1999, from 8-10 p.m.

Updated December 24, 2002