UBC IRSHDC Fall e-newsletter

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Fall 2020 newsletter

Although the Centre closed to the public in March due to COVID, staff have been hard at work remotely building more virtual programming and reaching out to communities and partners. As we navigate this different environment, we are remaining adaptive and flexible in preparation for the fall term at UBC. We expect to be open in some capacity later this fall, but in the meantime, please reach out to our staff or contact us with questions.

Update from the Academic Director

As the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic came to the forefront, the Centre has focused some of its energy on building understanding about the distinct impacts and intersections of emergencies and Indigenous rights. This focus on Indigenous rights in times of emergencies is part of the on-going work of the Centre to help Indigenous Peoples, governments, and the public move forward in a coherent and timely way with the work of implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
Read the full update on these initiatives

New discussion paper series highlights UNDRIP implementation in BC

The Centre launched a new Discussion Paper series to help inform understandings and dialogue about the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

“Recent events illustrate the increasing need for advancing public awareness and education, as well as building shared perspectives, regarding the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous governance, and establishing proper Crown-Indigenous Relations,” says Centre Director Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, Aki-kwe. “To advance this dialogue in British Columbia, the Centre has prepared a number of short commentaries on the implementation of the UN Declaration in BC, including in particular the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.”

The most recent paper on Indigenous rights in times of emergency outlines the affect of emergencies like COVID-19 on Indigenous Peoples. There are six articles to date, with more being added regularly.

Read and download the discussion papers

Centre awarded funding for multi-year exhibition documenting Indian hospitals in BC and Alberta

The Centre has received $218,000 from a Virtual Museums Canada grant for a forthcoming exhibition focusing on the history of the Indian and tuberculosis (TB) hospitals in BC and Alberta. This online exhibition will chronicle the history of Indian hospitals from the 1940s to the early 1970s, providing a crucial look at this forgotten chapter of Canadian history.

“This will be a multi-year project and will allow us to strengthen and deepen our connections with communities and researchers, such as the Snuneymuxw and other Nations who have advocated for this work for years,” says Aki-kwe. “I’m so grateful for every step we take to do this good work together with communities.”

Learn more

UBC launches Indigenous Strategic Plan

On Monday UBC unveiled its new Indigenous Strategic Plan (ISP), which takes a human rights-based approach to its framework. The plan is a response to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls' Calls for Justice, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action, and to implementing UNDRIP at the University.
Learn more

Remembering, honouring and celebrating Survivors on Orange Shirt Day

September 30 is an annual day to recognize and raise awareness about the residential school system in Canada, join together in the spirit of reconciliation, and honour the experiences of Indigenous Peoples. Between the late 1800s and 1996, more than 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit children attended Indian residential schools – Orange Shirt Day commemorates this legacy.

The Centre is raising awareness about Orange Shirt Day and its meaning, to affect positive change on the UBC Vancouver campus - show your support of Orange Shirt Day by talking about the day, learning about its origins and residential schools, and honour Survivors by wearing orange.

Learn more

Indian Child Caravan: 40th Anniversary Exhibition

The Centre, the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC), and Chief Kukpi7 Wayne Christian and the Splatsin/Spallumcheen community are collaboratively curating an exhibition to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the Indian Child Caravan and its longstanding implications for advocacy in child welfare. The exhibition will serve to educate the public about this pivotal event in the history of Indigenous child welfare in Canada.
Learn more about the exhibition coming in the fall.

The Centre stands against anti-Black racism, injustice, inequality and police violence and brutality. The past months have seen mass mobilization and protest in support of racial equality in the United States and globally, in response to the death of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and all Black people who have suffered due to white supremacy and institutional racism.
Read the Statement on Anti-Black Racism.

Interactive technology at the Centre nabs UX design award
The interactive technology at the Centre was recognized at the 2019 Vancouver User Experience (UX) Awards for its use of innovation. The Vancouver UX Awards annually honour the “elegance, clarity, innovation, impact and emotion in the experiences we create.” The Centre’s technology won in the “UX For Good” category, which recognizes user experiences that non-profit organizations are using.
Learn more.

Centre participates in 2020 iConference

Centre staff Dr. Tricia Logan, Head of Research and Engagement, and Emily Larson, Digital Systems Consultant, hosted a session for interaction and engagement at this year's 2020 iConference. The session, entitled “Innovations in Archival & Information Practices: Colonialism, Indigenous Peoples and Supporting the Respectful Use of Records,” introduced participants to ongoing work at the Centre to create better systems, policies, and protocols in support of Indigenous communities and the complexities of providing access to colonial records.

Learn more

Focus on People

David McAtackney is the Research Engagement Strategist at the Centre. His previous work experience with Indigenous communities and organizations, includes Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the Musqueam First Nation, and the First Nations Health Authority. With an interest in research on day schools and “Indian” hospitals, David hopes that as the Centre’s materials grow, an expansion of understanding and dialogue will also occur. Learn more about his work at the Centre.
Read more

Kim Lawson is the Research and Community Liaison Librarian at the Centre. A member of the Heiltsuk Nation, Kim is involved in community governance work. Her Master’s thesis, “Precious Fragments: First Nations Materials in Archives, Libraries and Museums,” was written to acknowledge Indigenous cultural professionals (archivists, librarians, and knowledge keepers), doing important memory, information and cultural work that was largely unknown outside their communities and undocumented in LIS literature.
Read more

Historica Canada raises awareness about residential schools

Historica Canada has launched a Residential School Awareness campaign which highlights experiences of Survivors, along with perspectives of researchers such as the Centre’s Tricia Logan. The campaign includes a podcast series, a three-part video series, an education guide, and new entries on The Canadian Encyclopedia. Dr. Tricia Logan, the Centre’s Head of Research and Engagement, spoke on Métis experiences for the podcast series. The three-part series is hosted by Cree and Gitsxan journalist Shaneen Robinson-Desjarlais and comprised of Survivor testimonies and interviews with academics. All the resources are available online.
Learn more

What's on during COVID

Things to do
More than 200 Indigenous made films, documentaries and shorts are available to stream for free from the National Film Board's online library. Watch a film or browse a list of recommendations from CBC.

James Makokis and Anthony Johnson became the first two-spirit Indigenous couple to win The Amazing Race Canada in 2019. Learn about their transformation into two-spirit educators, leaders and activists in an upcoming UBC Connects speaker series event on September 23.

Every year on September 30, we wear orange shirts to honour residential school Survivors, as part of a movement started by Phyllis Webstad. Listen to her speak about her experiences and recent publication of her children's book in this Learning Circle event on September 22.

Books to read

Tanya Tagaq's first novel, Split Tooth, about a young girl coming of age in 1970s Nunavut, combines memoir with fiction. The book won the Indigenous Voices Award for English-language fiction.

Seven Fallen Feathers tells the powerful story of the deaths of seven Indigenous youths in Thunder Bay. Touching on residential schools, intergenerational trauma, and child welfare, Tanya Talaga's book was awarded the Indigenous Literature Award in 2017.

Sites to see
The "Our Stories, Our Strength" collection features a selection of Survivor stories gathered by the Legacy of Hope Foundation between 2004 and 2008. Explore Featured Collections on the IRSHDC website to learn more and listen.

The Museum of Anthropology at UBC has released the first video in their "Knowledge Keepers: A MOA Original Video Series," which looks at cedar harvesting practice and culturally modified trees (CMT) with the guidance of two Knowledge Keepers located in Sechelt, BC.

The "Enduring Faith" online exhibition from the United Church tells the story of Vancouver’s Japanese United Church from the late 1880s to internment, to today's thriving community.

Keep in touch!
You can check our website or follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram for updates.

Interested in receiving print newsletters? Let us know at communications.irshdc@ubc.ca.

UBC Residential School History and Dialogue Centre
1985 Learners' Walk
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1
Currently closed to the public due to COVID-19.

irshdc.ubc.ca

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