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Associate Professor or Professor, Tenure-Track in Native North American Indigenous Knowledge (NNAIK), University of Washington, (Seattle, WA)

Posted November 30, 2022

Description

The University of Washington’s (UW) Information School (iSchool) is seeking a candidate for the position of a full-time 9-month appointment at the rank of Associate or Professor in Native North American Indigenous Knowledge (NNAIK) with an anticipated start date of September 1, 2023. The iSchool is located in Seattle, Washington, on the homelands of the Coast Salish peoples whose land touches the shared waters of the Suquamish, Tulalip, and Muckleshoot nations. 

The successful candidate will join a broad-based, inclusive Information School, whose faculty members pursue their research, teaching, and service across multiple degree programs and are committed to leadership, innovation, social justice, and upholding tribal sovereignty.

The iSchool has spent the past 20 years building the NNAIK Initiative, whose current faculty represent a broad range of research areas, from Indigenous librarianship to museum studies to tribal water security. Their collective research centers the protection and advancement of Indigenous Knowledge Systems among American Indian, Alaska Native (AIAN), and First Nations people. The NNAIK iSchool faculty teach across four of the iSchool’s degree programs: Bachelor of Science in Informatics, Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS), Master of Information Management (MSIM), and Doctor of Philosophy in Information Science (PhD).

The iSchool is the home of the iNative research group, which seeks to raise the level of discourse concerning information and Native American communities through an Indigenous Knowledge lens and with a focus on social justice. Working as co-creators, members of iNative analyze the institutions, community practices, philosophies and policies around knowledge, information, and technology in support of tribal sovereignty and Indigenous empowerment.

The iSchool also houses the Tribal Water Security and Ethics Research Group. This is a multidisciplinary research team aiming to better understand environmental health and water security challenges among AIAN, First Nations and other Indigenous peoples to promote health equity, cultural revitalization, Indigenous knowledge and Tribal sovereignty. They also examine the research ethics process implemented by Tribal Nations across the United States and other countries.

The UW is the home of wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House, a gathering space. UW also has a number of resources forAIAN and First Nations faculty and students, including the American Indian Studies Department, Center for American Indian and Indigenous Studies, Native American Advisory Board, Office of Tribal Relations, Native American Graduation (formally known as Raven’s Feast), UW Powwows, and several AIAN student groups. In addition, the Pacific Northwest houses several active Native American-led programs and initiatives that support the broader Native Community. These include the Chief Seattle Club, Daybreak Star, Potlatch Fund, Seattle Indian Health Board, and Urban Indian Health Institute.

The UW Information School is dedicated to hiring faculty who will enhance our inclusion, diversity, equity, access, and sovereignty (IDEAS) mission and vision through their research, teaching, and service. As information systems and institutions serve increasingly diverse and global constituencies, it is vital to understand the ways in which differences in gender, class, race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, national and cultural boundaries, national origin, worldview, intellectual origin, ability, and other identities can both divide us and offer us better ways of thinking and working. The Information School faculty are committed to preparing professionals who work in an increasingly diverse and global society by promoting equity and justice for all individuals, actively working to eliminate barriers and obstacles created by institutional discrimination.

The successful candidates will join a broad-based, inclusive Information School, whose faculty members pursue their scholarship, teaching, and service across multiple degree programs and are committed to the values of leadership, innovation, and diversity. The University of Washington is an institution that encourages inclusive research and community outreach, situated between the Puget Sound and Lake Washington, in the city of Seattle, on the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. Seattle is a rapidly growing, dynamic, and diverse metropolitan area with a leading technology sector and vibrant civic sector. Applicants may find further information about the Information School at: ischool.uw.edu.

Job Duties

The successful applicant will be expected to employ Indigenous research methodologies and work with qualitative, quantitative, mixed and/or design methods.

The NNAIK senior faculty will be expected to teach and engage in research in one or more of the following areas:

  • Cultural heritage management in libraries, archives, and museums
  • Digital archives and curation for cultural heritage
  • Indigenous environmental health or science
  • Indigenous health and wellness
  • Indigenous futurisms
  • Indigenous knowledge and new media technologies
  • Intellectual and cultural property rights
  • Language and revitalization
  • Social movements such as NoDAPL or MMIWM
  • Tribal governance
  • Tribal sovereignty, self-determination and treaty rights

The successful applicant will be expected to seek and acquire extramural funding for research.

Qualifications

Applicant requirements:

  • Earned doctoral degree in Indigenous Knowledge or another related field (or foreign equivalent). Degree must be conferred by appointment start date. 
  • Background of working in arts and humanities, computational sciences, natural sciences, or social sciences, including but not limited to these disciplines: Data Science, Environmental Health, Game Studies, Internet and New Media Studies, Law and Science, Library and Information Science, Museology, Technology, and Society Studies.
  • Demonstrated record of successful research with AIAN and/or First Nations peoples and working with Tribal sovereignty and the Indigenous knowledge held by AIAN and/or First Nations peoples.
  • Minimum 4 years of experience with mentoring undergraduate and/or graduate students from diverse backgrounds.
  • Demonstrated record of supporting the intergenerational holistic health and well-being of Indigenous individuals and communities in their research and teaching.

How to Apply

Please go to the following link for more information and to apply: https://apply.interfolio.com/116995 .

Application package should include: CV, letter of intent, teaching statement, research statement, diversity statement*, and names and contact information for three references. Letter writers will be contacted once candidates are shortlisted. Please contact Dr. Michelle H. Martin, NNAIK Search Chair, with questions ([email protected]). Preference will be given to applications submitted to Interfolio by Monday, January 16, 2023.

*iSchool Diversity Statement Guidelines

Inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility, and tribal sovereignty are core values of the University of Washington’s Information School, as described on our website: https://ischool.uw.edu/diversity. The Diversity Statement provides an opportunity for applicants to reflect on their research, teaching, and service accomplishments and goals that contribute to those values. We expect about a one-page statement that describes the applicants’ IDEAS efforts. 

Applicants may find further information about the UW iSchool at the following websites:

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