I am thrilled to be working with the West Vancouver Memorial Library as the climate writer in residence for the next few months. I believe that this is the first position of its kind in Canada and I hope that other libraries will follow the lead especially public libraries across the north. It is important that libraries work to showcase the amount of talent there is in the north with both emerging and seasoned writers but also to ensure that the conversation is flowing about global warming.
Funds from the GNWT should support this type of important programming and make sure there is a priority on inviting Elders and knowledge keepers to speak on their witnessing of changes in the north as global warming is being felt drastically more and more.
Libraries are meant to be engaging places where people can learn in a safe and welcoming atmosphere. Every time I come home I visit the library and utilize the writing room and I see a large population of the homeless seeking refuge from the cold. It is good to see that the library is open to the homeless population as a safe haven but there was a time when libraries weren’t that welcoming. I know of a woman here from the tradition territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən speaking peoples who was discriminated against by the library when she was a child because she was from the reserve.
She had gone on a class field trip to the library back in the 70’s and was told to wait outside while the rest of her class went in and got to sign up for library cards and borrow books. The libraries poor reasoning was that she wasn’t allowed in because she didn’t pay the taxes that funded the library because she lived on the reserve. It’s such a shame that this has happened to children across the nation when all they wanted to do was read a book or look at the illustrations.
As a result of this experience, the woman has struggled with literacy ever since. Policies have since changed thankfully and libraries are making efforts to incorporate Indigenous content and it is equally important that libraries have a large selection of Indigenous voices so that children can see themselves in story.
People like my friend Tyra Moses, who is Liidlii Kue Got’ine in the Dehcho region is doing great things out of the Fort Simpson public library. She is the new part time librarian and is looking to put on some great programming. She hopes to showcase Indigenous Northern authors, set up a reading with tots session, host book clubs, and run seasonal activities such as spring time reads or winter curl up with a book.
Aside from her role in the library, she is also studying anthropology and business management focusing on Dene kinship and epistemology. I hope to see her important research published in the library one day as well.
In all of this upcoming talk about my northern homeland that I will be doing as the resident writer here in BC, I find myself missing home. I miss the connection that I have with my friends, family and Elders and the connection to the land and water. I can’t wait to come home this summer where one of my first stops will be the library.
Katłįà Lafferty is a columnist for NWT News/North.