The goal of this exploratory research study is to better understand how students in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta relate to terminology for Indigenous peoples in Canada, namely Indian, in controlled vocabulary subject headings. The language used in controlled vocabularies to describe resources about Indigenous peoples does not always reflect terms Indigenous peoples use to describe themselves, leading to a disconnect between users and subject headings. Although this issue is beginning to enter academic discourse alongside reconciliation efforts, to date no research study has examined how students react to this issue. In this study interviews were conducted with five students from the Faculty of Native Studies to better understand how they relate to terminology. Students reported feeling uncomfortable at being forced to use language they saw as racist or insensitive. Future research should be conducted to better understand student relationships with subject headings, particularly at different institutions

This paper involves an analysis of histories of national parks in Canada, specifically the changing relationship between Parks Canada and Indigenous groups. A specific examination of the history of Banff National Park and Riding Mountain National Park demonstrates that the economics of sport hunting and tourism, not conservationism, was the major contributor to the creation of these parks. In addition, it highlights the ways in which Canadian national parks erased or coopted the legacies of Indigenous groups who previously inhabited the region. However, in examining attention to the recent moose culling in Cape Breton Highlands National Park one can see a shift in policy towards cooperation that allows Parks Canada to maintaining maintain national parks while simultaneously respecting the hunting rights of Indigenous groups. This would demonstrate a shift in official policy towards recognition of Indigenous rights and reconciliation for past injustices committed.

In this short introductory piece I outline some of the struggles faced by MLIS students, ultimately to highlight their resilience in the face of these issues.