Identities Classified: Indigenous Knowledge Management Systems and Gender in the “Age of Information”

Abstract

This paper explores the intersections of Indigenous knowl­edge management systems and gender in knowl­edge organization, reflecting on their potential to shape, challenge, and enrich our understanding of identity. We begin by reviewing the ways that Indigenous Knowl­edge Organization (IKO), knowl­edge management systems, and queer archival theory are converging in information spaces, before presenting two case studies of knowl­edge organization that highlight intersectional problems and tensions inherent in attempting to represent complex identities in archival and knowl­edge management systems. We discuss how two-spirit identities are challenging traditional categories of gender identity in traditional naming conventions. Second, we examine the complexity of Native American boarding schools, the inherent hierarchical structures in knowl­edge management systems, and the relational systems that can be used to create more inclusive and responsive knowl­edge structures. We explore how archival knowl­edge management systems can be made more relational, using the examples within the digital tool Social Networks and Archival Context (SNAC), and the challenges of relying solely on written structures to verify embodied knowl­edge and gender identity. We consider practical interventions to modify knowl­edge systems into being more adaptable, and the tension between deconstructing and building upon existing knowl­edge structures, using queering metadata as an example.