Committee Member Profiles
Sarah Dupont is of Métis-settler heritage and uses she/her pronouns. Formerly the inaugural Aboriginal Engagement Librarian at The University of British Columbia (UBC), Sarah became the Head Librarian of the X̱wi7x̱wa Library in 2019. In this role, she provides leadership on complex collections, programming, and community engagement work from this small-in-size-but-mighty-in-mandate branch, which is the only Indigenous branch library at a post-secondary institution in Canada. She proudly oversees the dynamic work of the incredible Xwi7xwa team of four full-time employees and a number of student librarians.
As a Head Librarian, Sarah works on Indigenous initiatives in the Library, campus-wide, and beyond the university. To build community capacity Sarah helped develop, and now chairs, the Indigitization Steering Committee which focuses on the digitization and preservation of community cultural heritage. Recruitment and support for Indigenous graduate students in their journeys to becoming information professionals is another priority for Sarah: she previously served as the UBC iSchool’s First Nations Curriculum Concentration Coordinator and adjunct instructor. She is currently the Council of Prairie and Pacific University Libraries’ (COPPUL) Chair of the Indigenous Knowledge Standing Committee and is proud to have recently been awarded its Outstanding Contribution Award.
Anne Carr-Wiggin coordinates Indigenous Initiatives at the University of Alberta Library, including the First Nations Information Connection (a collaboration with First Nations college libraries), the Indigenous Internship, and the NEOS Decolonizing Description project. Her work with the Canadian Federation of Library Associations Indigenous Matters Committee includes contributions to the CFLA Truth and Reconciliation Report. Her interests include the decolonization of libraries and the role of cultural learning in staff training. She is of Scottish and English heritage, and since moving to Canada as an adult has been grateful to learn from Indigenous colleagues and friends.
Lisa O’Hara (she/her/hers) is of mixed Métis and European heritage and is vice-provost (libraries) and university librarian at the University of Manitoba. Her current research focus is on service support for Indigenous research and scholarship and on ways to transform libraries with an emphasis on technology. During her tenure as a university librarian, she has supported an Indigenous Cultural Competency Training program for all UML staff and the launch of an Indigenous Library Internship program.
Michael Shires is a white settler whose paternal great-grandparents of Austrian, Irish, and English descent settled in Treaty 6 near Edmonton (ᐊᒥᐢᑿᒌᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ or Amiskwacîwâskahikan) in the early 20th century. He believes there is an urgent need for settlers to recognize their relationships with and obligations to Indigenous peoples, better understand the history of these lands, and why they’re an important part of everyone’s future. A path to restorative justice includes self-education and learning about the true spirit and intent of the Treaty based on Indigenous ways of knowing. Michael works in Treaty 4 at the Univ. of Regina Dr. John Archer Library.
Lindsey Whitson (MA, MLIS) is a settler librarian gratefully residing in ᐊᒥᐢᑿᒌᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ amiskwacîwâskahikan Edmonton in Treaty 6 Territory and the Métis Homeland. Her ancestors made their way to Canada from England, Scotland, and various central and eastern European countries. Since 2015, Lindsey has had the privilege to be kihêw waciston Indigenous Centre's librarian at MacEwan University. She thanks her many teachers across these years. With honesty, patience, and laughter, they have helped her learn in good ways from the First Peoples of these lands. In kind, Lindsey prioritizes being present, listening, growing relationships and community, and following through with intentional, collaborative, and accountable actions and initiatives across MacEwan and beyond.
Ashley Edwards has Métis, Dutch, and Scottish heritage, and is a citizen of Métis Nation British Columbia. She was raised on Stó:lō land, in the Fraser Valley, BC, and currently lives on the shared lands of the Tsleil-Waututh, Qayqayt, Stz’uminus, Musqueam, and Kwikwetlam First Nations, colonially known as Burnaby, BC. Ashley is the Indigenous Initiatives and Instruction librarian with Simon Fraser University Library, where she works on bringing orality into library collections, and supporting faculty with decolonizing pedagogy initiatives.
Rachel Chong (she/her) is of mixed descent and a member of the Métis Nation British Columbia. She was raised on Coast Salish lands and currently lives and works on the traditional territories of the xwməθkwəyə̓ m (Musqueam), qi̓ cə̓ y̓ (Katzie), SEMYOME (Semiahmoo), scə̓ waθən (Tsawwassen), qiqéyt (Qayqayt), Kwikwetlem, and qw̓ ɑ:nƛ̓ ə̓ n̓ (Kwantlen) First Nations. Rachel acts as the Indigenous Engagement and Subject Liaison Librarian at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU). During her time at KPU, she created the Indigenous Information Literacy OER to support respectful engagement with Indigenous sources and developed the χʷəχʷéy̓əm Indigenous Collection which features Indigenous voices.
Kaia McLeod, a member of the James Smith Cree Nation, is the Indigenous Cataloguing Librarian for the University of Calgary. She received her MLIS from the University of Alberta, as well as a BA majoring in Film Studies.