Gene Joseph facts for kids

Gene Anne Joseph is a special librarian from the Wet'suwet'en First Nation. She comes from Hagwilget, a village in British Columbia, Canada.

Gene Anne Joseph helped start the Xwi7xwa Library at the University of British Columbia. She was also the very first librarian in British Columbia who was of First Nations descent. In 2018, she received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Vancouver Island University. A scholarship was even created in her name to help students.

Gene Anne Joseph's Education

Gene Anne Joseph started her college studies in 1972 at Langara College. At that time, she was one of only a few First Nations students there. Later, she went to the University of British Columbia. There, she earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees in library science.

Gene Anne Joseph's Career

Gene Anne Joseph began her work at the Union of BC Indian Chiefs Resource Centre. She worked there for three years. After that, she went back to school to get her master's degree.

She then worked at the Indian Education Resource Centre. This center was set up to organize important collections of information. When this center became the Xwi7xwa Library, Gene Anne Joseph became its first librarian.

How Gene Anne Joseph Changed Libraries

Gene Anne Joseph cared deeply about how First Nations people and their knowledge were shown in libraries. She spent her career working to fix wrong information often found in standard library systems. These systems sometimes did not properly represent Indigenous cultures.

Between 1978 and 1980, she changed the Brian Deer Classification System for the Xwi7xwa Library. This system helped organize library materials in a way that made sense for Indigenous knowledge. Gene Anne Joseph knew that how books were organized was very important to the library's culture. Using an Indigenous classification system was key to the Xwi7xwa Library's purpose.

In 1992, she published a book called Sharing the knowledge: a First Nations resource guide. This book shares information about First Nations culture, history, and important issues they face.

Helping with Land Rights Cases

Gene Anne Joseph also helped create resource libraries for First Nations groups. These groups were working to get their aboriginal title (land rights) recognized. She built a special legal research library for the Gitxsan Nation and Wet'suwet'en First Nation. This library helped them with a big court case called Delgamuukw v British Columbia.

For this case, Gene Anne Joseph organized and made oral histories available. Oral histories are stories and knowledge passed down through generations by speaking. She used new computer software to manage these important documents. Her work helped set a new standard for using oral histories and computer documents in court cases. She also helped create a detailed map showing traditional land use.

She also worked on the Haida aboriginal title case. Today, she still advises on research for the Haida Aboriginal Title Case at White Raven Law. From 2002 to 2006, she also worked with an organization called EAGLE. This group focuses on environmental protection through law and education for Indigenous communities.

Mentoring and Teaching

Gene Anne Joseph has been a mentor for many Indigenous librarians in Canada. She has especially helped students at the University of British Columbia's School of Information Studies. She also speaks at important events, like the International Indigenous Librarians' Forum. Gene Anne Joseph has also worked on a committee to create a Library Technician Program for First Nations students. This program is at the University College of the Fraser Valley.

Works

• Joseph, Gene. Sharing the knowledge: a First Nations resource guide. Vancouver: Legal Services Society, 1992.