University of Washington, The Information School
Application Deadline: January 16, 2023
The University of Washington’s (UW) Information School (iSchool) is seeking a candidate for the position of a full-time 9-month appointment at the rank of Associate or Professor in Native North American Indigenous Knowledge (NNAIK) with an anticipated start date of September 1, 2023. The iSchool is located in Seattle, Washington, on the homelands of the Coast Salish peoples whose land touches the shared waters of the Suquamish, Tulalip, and Muckleshoot nations.
The successful candidate will join a broad-based, inclusive Information School, whose faculty members pursue their research, teaching, and service across multiple degree programs and are committed to leadership, innovation, social justice, and upholding tribal sovereignty.
The iSchool has spent the past 20 years building the NNAIK Initiative, whose current faculty represent a broad range of research areas, from Indigenous librarianship to museum studies to tribal water security. Their collective research centers the protection and advancement of Indigenous Knowledge Systems among American Indian, Alaska Native (AIAN), and First Nations people. The NNAIK iSchool faculty teach across four of the iSchool’s degree programs: Bachelor of Science in Informatics, Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS), Master of Information Management (MSIM), and Doctor of Philosophy in Information Science (PhD).
The iSchool is the home of the iNative research group, which seeks to raise the level of discourse concerning information and Native American communities through an Indigenous Knowledge lens and with a focus on social justice. Working as co-creators, members of iNative analyze the institutions, community practices, philosophies and policies around knowledge, information, and technology in support of tribal sovereignty and Indigenous empowerment.
The iSchool also houses the Tribal Water Security and Ethics Research Group. This is a multidisciplinary research team aiming to better understand environmental health and water security challenges among AIAN, First Nations and other Indigenous peoples to promote health equity, cultural revitalization, Indigenous knowledge and Tribal sovereignty. They also examine the research ethics process implemented by Tribal Nations across the United States and other countries.
The UW is the home of wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House, a gathering space. UW also has a number of resources for AIAN and First Nations faculty and students, including the American Indian Studies Department, Center for American Indian and Indigenous Studies, Native American Advisory Board, Office of Tribal Relations, Native American Graduation (formally known as Raven’s Feast), UW Powwows, and several AIAN student groups. In addition, the Pacific Northwest houses several active Native American-led programs and initiatives that support the broader Native Community. These include the Chief Seattle Club, Daybreak Star, Potlatch Fund, Seattle Indian Health Board, and Urban Indian Health Institute.
The UW Information School is dedicated to hiring faculty who will enhance our inclusion, diversity, equity, access, and sovereignty (IDEAS) mission and vision through their research, teaching, and service. As information systems and institutions serve increasingly diverse and global constituencies, it is vital to understand the ways in which differences in gender, class, race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, national and cultural boundaries, national origin, worldview, intellectual origin, ability, and other identities can both divide us and offer us better ways of thinking and working. The Information School faculty are committed to preparing professionals who work in an increasingly diverse and global society by promoting equity and justice for all individuals, actively working to eliminate barriers and obstacles created by institutional discrimination.
The successful candidates will join a broad-based, inclusive Information School, whose faculty members pursue their scholarship, teaching, and service across multiple degree programs and are committed to the values of leadership, innovation, and diversity. The University of Washington is an institution that encourages inclusive research and community outreach, situated between the Puget Sound and Lake Washington, in the city of Seattle, on the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. Seattle is a rapidly growing, dynamic, and diverse metropolitan area with a leading technology sector and vibrant civic sector. Applicants may find further information about the Information School at: ischool.uw.edu.
Job Duties
The successful applicant will be expected to employ Indigenous research methodologies and work with qualitative, quantitative, mixed and/or design methods.
The NNAIK senior faculty will be expected to teach and engage in research in one or more of the following areas:
Cultural heritage management in libraries, archives, and museums
Digital archives and curation for cultural heritage
Indigenous environmental health or science
Indigenous health and wellness
Indigenous futurisms
Indigenous knowledge and new media technologies
Intellectual and cultural property rights
Language and revitalization
Social movements such as NoDAPL or MMIWM
Tribal governance
Tribal sovereignty, self-determination and treaty rights
The successful applicant will be expected to seek and acquire extramural funding for research.