The OCAD University community can now access an array of journals and publications focused on Indigenous perspectives, artworks, languages, storytelling, histories, and ways of knowing.
“I am pleased to announce that the Wapatah: Centre for Indigenous Visual Knowledge is funding access to three Indigenous Database research collections for all OCAD students and faculty members for the next three years,” says Dr. Gerald McMaster, the centre’s director and Tier I Canada Research Chair. “We thank the Canada Foundation for Innovation for their support in making this happen.”
He also thanked Alex Homanchuk, Head of E-Resources and E-Learning, and Leila Talei, Research Project Officer, for theircontinued help in securing access to these resources.
“I encourage all our students and faculty to engage with the three databases as research resources and teaching tools, as well as a way to extend knowledge building and sharing,” says Dr. McMaster.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE THREE AVAILABLE DATABASES
Informit Indigenous Collection
This collection covers both topical and historical issues within Indigenous studies and encompasses multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research in anthropology, colonial and post-colonial studies, cultural studies, history, human geography, law and land rights, and visual and performing arts. This database includes more than 20,000 full-text articles, conference papers and reports from the United States, Canada, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and New Zealand, published between 1973 and the present.
EBSCO Bibliography of Native Americas
This bibliographic database covers a variety of subjects pertaining to the culture and history of Indigenous communities in North America, and includes more than 140,000 citations from books, essays, journal articles, and government documents of the United States and Canada.
ABC-CLIO The American Indian Experience: The American Mosaic
This database includes over 2,000 primary and secondary sources, including treaties, biographical narratives, stories, speeches, maps, and images, that highlight the historical and contemporary cultural practices and perspectives of more than 150 Indigenous communities across North America.
How to access the databases through OCAD Library
- Access the OCAD Library
- Find the database by name. For example: Informit Indigenous Collection
- Log-in using your OCAD U ID
- Search using relevant keywords. For example: Northwest Coast Art
- Discover new sources and begin exploring Indigenous histories and cultures
For students and faculty who are excited to access these databases but are not sure where to start, OCAD University offers a How Do I Research? Guide and an introduction to Indigenous History and Futures by Indigenous creators and storytellers.