First-year UArizona Law student Shania L Kee (Diné) has been crucial in cataloging the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources Library for digitizing.
The Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources (NNDWR) Library Preservation Project is quickly advancing in the cataloging and digitizing of one-of-a-kind documents that include an immeasurable amount of Indigenous knowledge specific to the Navajo Nation's water resources. The Library Preservation Project, supported by the Haury Program, the Center for Research Libraries, and the UArizona College of Law, aims to preserve documents, some dated back to the 1930s, that were housed in a 90-year-old building in Ft. Defiance, Arizona that suffered significant flooding over the years.
After securing more than 8,000 documents from the NNDWR library, by moving them safely to the UArizona College of Law, Jessica Ugstad, project lead and Collection Management Librarian of the Daniel F. Cracchiolo Law Library at the UArizona James E. Rogers College of Law, sought expert help. She recruited Shania L Kee, a first-year law student at UArizona Law who has library and archeological knowledge and an interest in metadata. Shania, a member of the Navajo Nation, holds a B.A. in Classical Studies from Dartmouth College, along with a minor in Anthropology. Shania learned about the Library Preservation Project while working with the Library Advisory Council, LAC –a group of staff and students who talk about ideas, issues, and concerns regarding the Law Library. There, Shania connected with UArizona Law Associate Dean Teresa Miguel-Stearns and Jessica Ugstad.
When Jessica Ugstad asked Shania if she wanted to join the project, she didn't think twice. Her experience in cataloging & metadata services and her interest in connecting with her hometown in the Navajo Nation fit perfectly with the project. Together with Kristen Cook, Cataloger/Library Associate at the UArizona Law Library, Shania assists in preparing the collection materials for digitizing, which involves cataloging and in-putting metadata information on the resources from the NNDWR library. Shania and Kristen have processed 17 boxes up to this point, equaling 181 reports. Once the documents are appropriately cataloged, they will be sent to Backstage Library Works in batches for their digitization.
"I really enjoy going through all the resources with a metaphorical fine-tooth comb. To capture the needed catalog and metadata information, I look at every page and see all the images and maps. When I see the maps, I like to look for my hometown of Pinon, AZ, since most of the maps are of the Navajo Nation. Seeing these documents have Pinon on their maps is always heartwarming. It reminds me how this work will help many of the communities on the reservation, not just mine," mentioned Shania.
Shania is meticulous and always makes sure the data is captured in detail to facilitate digitization. Once the documents are digitized, and with the approval and under the terms of the Navajo Nation, the goal is to share this information to help the public understand the complexities of the history, legislation, and scientific studies regarding water resources that are crucial to the Navajo Nation and surrounding areas. "Even in a small role, I hope to help the Navajo Nation work towards data sovereignty. Many of these documents are 50+ years old and are in good condition, considering where they were housed. And now, through digitization, the documents will be preserved," said Shania.
Shania spent her first year at UArizona Law taking introductory legal doctrine classes. She now hopes to take more courses concerning federal Indian Law and indigenous topics. Shania also has plans to apply to the Law Librarian Fellowship program after graduation. In addition, Shania enjoys hiking –or, as she calls it, "taking walks on trails" in Tucson, watching science fiction movies, and drawing. Shania encourages other students interested in pursuing this type of work to reach out to Jessica Ugstad or Associate Dean Teresa Miguel-Stearns. Jessica Ugstad is currently recruiting additional paid interns from the UArizona iSchool to speed up the process.
To honor the university's commitment to tribal data sovereignty, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and the University of Arizona signed a Memorandum of Agreement guaranteeing complete data control, management, and access to the members of the Navajo Nation. The Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources (NNDWR) will administer the information and control its access.