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In this episode we are joined in conversation by Shannon LaRance (Dine'/Hopi/Assiniboine). Founder of Indigenous Empowerment, Indigenous Empowerment's mission is to ensure culturally sensitive counselors and social service agents are accessible to those in need. Their goal is to train human service organizations across the nation on the complexities, nuances, and beauty of Indigenous people. Social Worker, Counselor, So’oh Story Time.

So'oh, meaning "Grandmother" in Hopi, embodies the essence of our storytelling traditions. It reflects the nurturing and educational atmosphere created on her Youtube channel - “So’oh Story Time”. LaRance reads books for our children and grandchildren - with an emphasis on books written or illustrated by Native American/Indigenous authors and illustrators.

Date of interview: September 6, 2024
Host(s): LaRee Dominguez & Joan Vigil

Additional Info. & Links:
Shannonlarance.com
So'oh Story Time - YouTube

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In this episode we are joined in conversation by scholar, academic consultant, librarian and educational game designer, Fobzi Ettarh, who notably coined the concept of "vocational awe" in 2018. Ettarh shares how vocational awe operates at both the micro and macro levels, contributing to problematic hiring, onboarding, and retention practices in the library profession, and illustrates how this concept directly ties to workplace inequities and burnout.

Additionally, Ettarh provides actionable ways to escape the trap of vocational awe by prioritizing mental health and rest, achieving work-life balance, reframing how we are showing up for community, and urging administrators to lead by example.

Date of interview: July 17, 2024
Host(s): Ericka Brunson-Rochette & Rodrigo Gaspar-Barajas


Additional Info. & Links:

Vocational Awe- “the set of ideas, values, and assumptions librarians have about themselves and the profession that result in beliefs that libraries as institutions are inherently good and sacred, and therefore beyond critique.” (Ettarh, 2018)

• "Vocational Awe and Librarianship: The Lies We Tell Ourselves" (January 2018 article from, In the Library With the Lead Pipe)
• Ettarh's Webpage/Blog
• Follow Ettarh on Twitter @Fobettarh
• Latanya Jenkins' story
• ALA Memorial Resolution Honoring Latanya N. Jenkins

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Anne Heidemann & Melissa Isaac from the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan join us to share about Maawn Doobiigeng, a new classification system for the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Library.

In 2019, The Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Libraries were awarded the IMLS National Leadership Grant to facilitate the creation of a new classification system by members of the community. As of April 2024, this new system, titled Maawn Doobiigeng (Gather Together), has been created and is being implemented into the libraries.

Heidemann and Isaac share about the process, from idea to implementation, and explain why this new system was imperative for accurately describing and providing access to Native Topics.

Date of interview: June 12, 2024
Hosts: LaRee Dominguez & Gene Iparraguirre

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Libraries--Maawn Doobiigeng
Maawn Doobiigeng Press Release