UBC’s Xwi7xwa Library is developing its collection of music by Indigenous artists. Known for its extensive and unique collections that focus on Indigenous peoples in British Columbia, the library has been focusing efforts to acquire recordings made by current musicians as well as recordings of publicly available archival material or more traditional materials, such as Métis fiddle music.
“Music, and songs specifically, is embedded in all Indigenous cultures, and in many, is a significant means of transmitting language, history, and cultural knowledge, “says Adolfo Tarango, former Acting Head, Xwi7xwa Library.
As Karleen Delaurier-Lyle, Information Services Librarian at Xwi7xwa explains, the process of acquiring the collection has been a thoughtful and deliberate one. “We started off by identifying Aboriginal Music Awards or Indigenous Music Awards. We prioritized Canada, but didn’t limit our search to exclude the United States, New Zealand and Australia to get a sense of artists we should be including in the collection.” The collection includes music by artists such as A Tribe Called Red, Tanya Tagaq and The Jerry Cans.
Made up of CDs, the collection allows library users to access album art and accompanying liner notes, which often provide significant information about the music. Sarah Dupont, Head of Xwi7xwa Library, notes that “while some might view CDs as a less popular playback format these days, we are starting with them as they are easier for libraries to acquire through regular acquisition processes and, importantly, at community events. ‘Collecting’ digital streaming music formats poses challenges we are seeking to overcome, but we recognize that many emerging and established artists are only distributing on these platforms.
The collection is meant both for enjoyment and for scholarly research, providing immense value to research in a number of fields including music, fine arts, art history, political science and beyond. “What I find really exciting about this collection is the way that music and in particular, a lot of the contemporary stuff, can really spark a renewed interest in language revitalization and preservation,” says Tamis Cochrane, Access Services Assistant.
Cochrane created a playlist from the collection for the Xwi7xwa library’s luncheon last fall.
Listen to the playlist: