User:Vizjim/IndigenousWikipedia

Explanation for this page

The academic journal Transmotion is dedicating an issue to discussion of Indigenous presences on social media. The special issue editors have provisionally agreed to accept a collaborative article written by members of the WikiProject Indigenous peoples of North America reflecting on the ways that Wikipedia provides both a hostile environment for people interested in overcoming the settler mythos, and also (paradoxically) a highly welcoming space for people wanting to improve the world’s knowledge of tribal histories. The article would also include some basic guidelines for people interested in either becoming volunteer editors themselves, or in running Wikipedia-based projects in the classroom. The aim would be to encourage newcomers to sign up for the wikiproject, to find academic collaborators, and to create a more welcoming environment.

The full draft would need to be ready by the end of December 2022. There are no limitations as to length as the journal is online only. The journal is also open access and published under Creative Commons, so a version could be simultaneously published on the Wikiproject if members so decide.

Editors might choose whether to credit their real name, their user name, or if the credit should be entirely collaborative. If you are interested in helping with this project, please add your name below this line:

Some suggested sections

(These are *very* provisional)

Structural issues with Wikipedia and editing Indigenous articles

The small number of Indigenous editors on Wikipedia has been an issue, as consensus on Wikipedia, in practice, often means majority rule. Many non-Indigenous editors are unaware of what are and are not reliable sources for Native issues, including which individuals are reliable sources on Indigenous topics. The Wikiproject has been helpful for presenting consensus decisions on how to handle various issues on Wikipedia, as well as educating non-Indigenous editors about how to evaluate sources and understand topics they may have never before encountered.