Situating the Author: Bronte Chiang

Situating the self (Wilson, 2008) is a practice that acknowledges the relationships, histories, and perspectives that shape how knowledge is produced. By situating myself within this work, I aim to be transparent about my positionality and to approach this research with humility and respect. I understand my perspective as one of many, and I recognize that credibility in Indigenous contexts is grounded in accountability, listening, and relational responsibility.

I am a non‑Indigenous librarian of settler descent. I grew up in the United States and completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Montana. I moved to Canada in 2018 and currently live and work on Treaty 7 territory in Calgary, near where the Bow River meets the Elbow River.

I completed my Master of Library and Information Studies at the University of British Columbia, where I undertook the First Nations Curriculum Concentration focused on Indigenous knowledge keeping practices. Through this program, and then my work at Xwi7xwa Library, UBC’s Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology: Indigenous Initiatives, and the University of Calgary, I was guided by Indigenous educators and colleagues who shaped my understanding of what it means to work respectfully in Indigenous‑related spaces. I am deeply grateful for the mentorship and generosity of those teachers and colleagues who continue to support my learning.

I want to be explicit that I am not Indigenous and do not speak for Indigenous communities. While my professional work intersects with Indigenous studies and librarianship, I approach this work as a learner and supporter rather than as an authority. I do not have lived Indigenous experience, and I understand my role to be that of a careful listener: learning from Indigenous scholarship, stories, and teachings shared through books, research, and relationships.

By situating myself in this way, I aim to acknowledge the limits of my perspective while remaining accountable for how I engage with Indigenous knowledge, scholarship, and communities within librarianship and academic institutions.