About Us
RavenSpace was founded by UBC Press and developed with the participation and contributions of our partners. RavenSpace is dedicated to a model of publishing that embraces collaboration, respects Indigenous protocols, and uses digital tools in imaginative ways to make knowledge accessible and shareable across communities and generations.
Based on the Northwest Coast, RavenSpace draws inspiration from its birthplace. Raven appears in many Indigenous cultures and is a well-known and -loved figure in this region. Raven is a creator who brings light to the people and is a trickster who takes many shapes. Raven made the world by swapping and switching things around. He is a keeper of secrets, a guardian spirit, a mischief maker, and a teacher.
Our Values
RavenSpace is dedicated to a model of publishing that embraces collaboration, respects Indigenous protocols, and uses digital tools in imaginative ways to make knowledge accessible and shareable across communities and for future generations. These core principles are nested at the heart of what we do.
Indigenous Voices
We publish Indigenous content produced by and with Indigenous people. We provide digital tools and methods for Indigenous communities and scholars to work together, and with other creators, to achieve their vision for sharing knowledge and stories.
Reciprocal Relations
We are committed to relationships of trust and reciprocity with Indigenous authors, co-creators, and partners. We embed transparency and respect for the diversity of Indigenous ways of knowing in all our processes.
Dynamic Solutions
We bring inventiveness and energy to publishing in Indigenous studies, embracing new technologies and different ways of working. We fuse best practices, thoughtful risks, and imaginative solutions to ensure digital knowledge and cultural expression can circulate, grow, and thrive.
Engaged Audiences
We are committed to providing access to a wide range of audiences to foster dialogue, learning, public engagement, and reconciliation. We invite audiences locally and around the globe to interact in meaningful and respectful ways with a rich array of Indigenous topics.
Our Story
RavenSpace was born from the desire to overcome the limitations of print and extend collaborative relationships between scholars and Indigenous peoples into the publication process.
In 2010, UBC Press embarked on an intensive process of consultation with Indigenous partners and the academic community to pursue these goals, articulate the issues, identify priorities, and define the features that a new publishing model could provide. We then did the technological research to figure out how to create a digital space to improve the presentation, accessibility, and reach of Indigenous studies materials and facilitate the reciprocal flow of knowledge and ideas across Indigenous, scholarly, and educational spheres.
As a longstanding publisher of Indigenous studies, we recognized the need to move beyond conventional models to facilitate more flexible forms of research and publication. When it comes to providing material in a digital format, however, the responsibility to respect protocols governing Indigenous intellectual and cultural heritage raises complex issues.
The RavenSpace publication process enshrines Indigenous cultural frameworks and self-determination in a digital environment. The result are dynamic research publications that are produced by, with, and for the benefit of Indigenous communities, using collaborative processes that ensure integrity of content and quality of presentation.
With our authors and partners, we have laid the groundwork for scholars, Indigenous communities, educators, and publishers to engage in collaborative, inclusive work. Born on the Northwest Coast, RavenSpace takes inspiration from its region and is open to new works and publishers across North America and beyond.
RavenSpace represents our promise to the communities we serve. We support respectful access to and use of Indigenous knowledge in the digital domain. We transform existing technologies into a cohesive platform to make culturally sensitive research, writing, and publishing accessible. We help bring knowledge to light.