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Indigenous Art

Search Tips

The library catalogue handles straightforward simple searches as well as more complex combinations of keywords, terms and Library of Congress subject headings (a specific list of words and terms used to describe library resources used by most academic and other libraries in North America). Refresh your search strategies by reviewing some basic or advanced search tips in Using Library Primo.

Remember that the words you are using to describe a topic may be slightly or very different from the way librarians have described library resources in the catalogue. Over time, the spelling, words or terms used to describe people, cultures, subjects, events and trends may also change. Sometimes these changes are a response to culturally insensitive or offensive language. For example, many older library catalogue records include the subject heading Indians of North America -- Canada, to describe content about First Nations, Inuit and Metis people. Newer and updated records may include updated subject headings such as: 

  • Indigenous peoples -- Canada
  • First Nations peoples -- Canada
  • Kainai Indians -- Alberta and other Indigenous community names to better reflect how Indigenous people currently prefer to refer to themselves
  • Indigenous art
  • First Nations 
  • Métis
  • Inuit

Brainstorm additional keywords, subject headings or ask library staff to review words and phrases you can use in your catalogue search.

Terminology Resources

First Nations, Metis, and Inuit - Indigenous Ontology (FNMIIO) - Produced by the  Canadian Federation of Library Associations' (CFLA-FCAB) Indigenous Matters Committee's Red Team - Joint Working Group on Classification and Subject Headings and the National Indigenous Knowledge and Language Alliance of the, the FNMIIO (first draft) is a compilation of Indigenous Names to better reflect how Indigenous peoples currently prefer to refer to themselves. 

Terminology Guide: Research on Aboriginal Heritage (Library and Archives Canada) - List of historical and contemporary terms that may be useful for research, published 2012.