Gathering Knowledges to Inform Best Practices in Indigenous Publishing

Indigenous community members—including Elders, storytellers, writers, poets, artists, scholars, activists, editors, and publishers—have worked for decades to increase Indigenous representation in publishing. They know that storytelling is at the core of Indigenous knowledge systems and ways of life. Many feel a responsibility to share their stories, knowing that publishing in a good way—committed to Indigenous values and protocols—can promote healing and strength among Indigenous cultures and address a lack of understanding among settler Canadians about Indigenous people's lives and experiences. By conducting interviews, reading widely, and reflecting on my own experience, I gathered knowledge about some themes, subjects, and concerns that are repeatedly raised in discussions around publishing for and by Indigenous people; this is one model for learning about sharing stories in a good way in the publishing industry.