The library realizes that some of the subject headings from the Library of Congress Classification system, used to find materials in our catalogue, are problematic, outdated, and inappropriate terminology to refer to Indigenous peoples and topics. Please note that work is underway in libraries across Canada to change and update this terminology. This process is expected to take some time due to the millions of records impacted by this change. For more details about this issue, please see the Library and Archives Canada page on Canadian Subject Headings for Indigenous Peoples, and the SFU Indigenous Terminology Guide.
**UPDATE as of September 2023**
Progress has been made in terms of the Riel Rebellion subject heading. Library of Congress has changed Riel Rebellion to Northwest Resistance, Canada, 1885! Our library will be working on changing to the new subject heading.
The terms you use to find books and articles on Indigenous People will depend on the type of tool you're using, for example, the library catalogue, OneSearch or a specific database.
When you're searching in the Library catalogue for books or streaming videos, the library uses subject terms to classify books by topic. Below are the list of terms that are used for research focused on Indigenous peoples.
Subject headings in the Catalogue: Native peoples, Indigenous peoples, Native, Inuit, Métis
When you're using OneSearch, you can use keywords such as: Indigenous, Aboriginal, First Nations, Inuit, Métis, Native, First Peoples, Indian.
If you're using a particular database, like Academic Search Complete, you can start with known keywords, like the ones listed above for OneSearch, but once you get your results, take a look at the specific subject terms assigned to that article. The subject terms used in Academic Search Complete, for example, include: Native people, First Nations, Métis, Inuit, Native Americans, Aboriginal Australians, Indigenous peoples, names of specific nations.