AALA Column, February 2026
Indigenizing the Architecture Library: Lessons from ISAPD Yale 脳 Haas Arts Library
Across higher education, there is growing recognition that decolonization and the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge systems must extend beyond course content to transform the institutions that support learning. In 2025, the International Indigenous Librarians鈥� Forum (IILF) published , a white paper offering strategies for incorporating and elevating Indigenous perspectives within libraries, led by Indigenous librarians themselves. This framework has informed our own reflections on a collaboration between the (ISAPD Yale) and the Haas Arts Library. Building on IILF鈥檚 important work, we share examples from this partnership that illustrate ongoing efforts to strengthen Indigenous knowledge within Yale and the broader academic community.
Rethinking 鈥渃redible sources鈥� through Indigenous Knowledge Systems
Our collaboration began in 2019 when Anjelica joined Haas Arts Library as a student employee. At the time, she was a M.Arch I student and a founding member of ISAPD, a collective student group founded in 2018 that focused on increasing the knowledge, consciousness and appreciation of Indigenous architecture, planning and design at the Yale School of Architecture and the Yale community at large. It quickly became clear that her work at the library would extend beyond typical student tasks to include projects directly connected to Indigenous scholarship. Over time, the relationship evolved into a partnership that influenced collection development, outreach, and curriculum support.
At the center of this work was an ongoing conversation about what counts as a 鈥渃redible鈥� source. Western academic standards often prioritize written, peer-reviewed, and quantifiable materials. By contrast, encompass cumulative bodies of knowledge rooted in long-standing relationships with land, language, and community. IKS may be transmitted orally, embedded in ceremony, or held within community protocols that do not fit neatly into traditional library formats. Recognizing these differences required us to think critically about how libraries define authority, evidence, and expertise.
Building a guide and exposing gaps
One of the first shared projects was the, designed to support students and researchers who were new to working with Indigenous architects, artists, and histories. The guide brought together books, journals, e-resources, digital collections, and archival materials that highlight Indigenous practitioners and perspectives, serving as a practical entry point for students navigating unfamiliar terrain.
Creating the guide was also an act of community-based knowledge building. Anjelica drew on her own research and on recommendations from ISAPD Yale members, while Tess contributed knowledge of existing collections and library systems. The result was not a comprehensive bibliography, but a curated starting place that made Indigenous materials more visible within the architecture school鈥檚 research ecosystem. After Anjelica graduated, Tess continued to consult with ISAPD Yale to keep the guide responsive to student and faculty needs.
The process also surfaced gaps. Reviewing the collection through an Indigenous and decolonial lens revealed missing voices, including works by Indigenous architects and designers and publications from smaller presses. Addressing these gaps required new strategies: seeking out independent or community-based publishers, navigating beyond standard acquisition platforms, and budgeting for items that might be rarer or more costly. Through that work, the library acquired several new resources, including the publication Voices of the Land: Indigenous Design and Planning from the Prairies by the Indigenous Design and Planning Students鈥� Association (IDPSA), a student association founded in 2019 in the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Collaboration with ISAPD scholars and community members was crucial in identifying key authors, organizations, and themes.
Outreach, visibility, and design pedagogy
Collections alone are not enough if students and faculty do not know they exist. To draw attention to Indigenous architecture and art resources, ISAPD Yale and Haas Arts Library co-organized a week-long social media 鈥渢akeover鈥� of the library鈥檚 Instagram account in spring 2021. The series highlighted materials across formats, from Vincent Scully鈥檚 photography in Pueblo: Mountain, Village, Dance to contemporary works such as New Architecture on Indigenous Lands and the North American Indian Drama database. The takeover increased visibility for collections and amplified ISAPD Yale鈥檚 leadership and perspectives.
One of the Instagram posts from the ISAPD x Haas social media takeover
The collaboration also extended into teaching and design practice. In 2022, the Indigenous Society of Architecture, Planning, and Design (the expanded parent organization of ISAPD Yale) was invited to lead an 鈥淚ndigenous Presence in Architecture鈥� workshop for YSoA students. The session focused on countering the absence of Indigenous history and knowledge in conventional site research. Anjelica introduced mapping tools that help participants understand land occupation and tribal territories, while Tess highlighted relevant library resources.
This workshop built on earlier efforts, including a that produced statements for both the Yale Jim Vlock Building Project and YSoA, as well as an interpretive land acknowledgment map.
The Indigenous Presence in Architecture workshop for YSoA students, with Anjelica (one of the authors) presenting at the podium.
Starting where you are: questions for reflection
The ISAPD Yale 脳 Haas Arts Library collaboration reminds us that libraries are living spaces shaped by the choices we make about what to collect, how to describe it, and whose stories we choose to foreground. The work of elevating Indigenous knowledge systems within these spaces unfolds slowly, through relationships built on trust, reciprocity, and the ongoing willingness to listen, learn, and reimagine long-held practices.
For those looking to begin or deepen similar efforts, a few questions can help guide reflection:
- Does your institution have an actionable tribal land acknowledgment, and how is it connected to library and curricular practices?
- Who are the Indigenous communities, organizations, or student groups connected to your campus, and how might you collaborate with them in ways that are mutually beneficial rather than extractive?
- Where in your existing collections, research guides, or course supports are Indigenous voices missing, and what processes could you create to invite suggestions and shared decision-making?
By starting with what is already at hand, including existing guides, courses, collections, and relationships, and building momentum through small, carefully crafted initiatives, librarians, students, and faculty can help ensure that Indigenous knowledge systems are not an add-on, but foundational to how we learn, teach, and design.