Scope and Content Monthly ACA Newsletter
June 2021, Volume 2, Issue 6
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Click here if you are having trouble reading the newsletter.
Scope and Content is issued the first Tuesday of each month. If you have any comments or feedback, please contact the Communications Committee.
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One school. 88 years. 215 children lost.
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On May 27, 2021, after receiving the preliminary findings from a ground penetrating radar specialist, Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Kukpi7 (Chief) Rosanne Casimir issued a press release. With a heavy heart, she confirmed the undocumented oral testimony of survivors and community members: the remains of 215 children, who were former students of the Kamloops Indian Residential School, were found buried on Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc territory on the grounds of this former residential school. Now hundreds of families from over 30 communities are dealing with this heart-wrenching news which potentially confirms the untimely death of their missing brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, sons and daughters. The unending trauma of the residential school system continues. Our hearts go out to the families of these 215 children.
But more can be done. More must be done.
Invitation to act: Please join me in brainstorming how we, as an association of archival and records management professionals and practitioners, students, educators, and enthusiasts can affect change to our national legacy of shame through which systemic racism perpetuates the development of socio-political policies and practices aimed at violating the rights and freedoms of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples in Canada. Send me your ideas, and I will forward them to the Board and to our Public Awareness and Advocacy Committee: acapresident@archivists.ca.
Acknowledgement of vicarious trauma: I also invite you to join me in reaching out and offering your emotional and professional support to our archival colleagues at the Secwépemc Museum Archives, the Royal BC Museum, the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre, and Library and Archives Canada, who are now working tirelessly to identify any existing records documenting the deaths of these 215 children. Such heavy work is not only emotionally taxing, it can negatively affect the overall emotional and spiritual well-being of our colleagues in insidious ways.
Crisis Line for Survivors and their families: 1-866-925-4419 The Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line is available 24 hours a day for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of their Residential school experience. |
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History
According to the National Student Memorial created by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, the Kamloops Indian Residential School first opened as the Kamloops Industrial School, under Roman Catholic administration, in 1890. “It became the largest school in the Indian Affairs residential school system. Enrolment peaked in the early 1950s at 500. In 1910, the principal said that the government did not provide enough money to properly feed the students. In 1924, a portion of the school was destroyed by fire. In 1969, the federal government took over the administration of the school, which no longer provided any classes and operated it as residence for students attending local day schools until 1978, when the residence was closed.”
Children’s Home Communities
The Indian Residential School History & Dialogue Centre lists the home communities of students of this school as including: Neskainlith, North Thompson, Kamloops, Pavilion, Penticton, Adam's Lake, Bonaparte, Fountain, Douglas L., Okanagan, Quilchena, Shulus, Little Shuswap, Coldwater, L. Nicola, Bridge R. Enderby, Deadman's Cr., Hope, Leon's C., Cayoose, Salmon R., Canoe C., Lillooet, Mount Currie (Lilwat Nation), D'Arcy (Nquatqua), Seabird Island, Skwah, Kamloops, Union Bar, Head of L., Deroche, Spuzzum, Shalalth, Spalumcheen, Osoyoos Indian Band.
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New Digital Research Infrastructure Organization (NDRIO) Virtual Town Halls, May 4-7, 2021 According to the website of the New Digital Research Infrastructure Organization (NDRIO), “as part of the national DRI [digital research infrastructure] strategy, ISED [Innovation, Science & Economic Development Canada] has set aside up to $375M of its five-year funding to establish a new national not-for-profit organization. The New Digital Research Infrastructure Organization (NDRIO) will coordinate and fund activities in advanced research computing (ARC), research data management (RDM) and research software (RS) components of the DRI strategy, working collaboratively with all stakeholders across the country.” Over the course of four days in May, NDRIO held virtual town halls to gather DRI needs assessment information from stakeholders on the themes of: 1) Awareness & Accessibility; 2) Governance & Policy; 3) Operations; and 4) Support. Board and PAAC members attended these town halls. Our involvement was initially in response to an email by Jonathan Dewar, CEO of the First Nations Information Governance Centre, calling for voices in support of First Nations data sovereignty to participate in these town halls to encourage NDRIO to provide greater consideration to First Nations data sovereignty principles, tools, and services within DRI development.
However, through our participation in these events, we became aware that advocacy is also needed to convince NDRIO of the importance of archival concerns for the long-term preservation and access of data in this project. PAAC continues their work on this front.
OCADU Archives, May 2021 In response to the abrupt and disturbing staff layoffs at the Library of the Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCADU), the Board received requests for advocacy from ACA members looking to offer support to the OCADU Archives and its staff. In response, the Board reached out to the OCADU Archives to speak with Archivist Jessica Zimmerman about their current situation and the existence of any threats to their position or their department. Fortunately, despite the restructuring being undertaken by the OCADU Library as a result of these staffing cuts, the Archives and its staff are presently secure. The Board and PAAC will continue to monitor this situation and reach out again with an offer of support should things change.
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ACA 2021 Virtual Conference
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Coming very soon to a home near you: the 46th Association of Canadian Archivists annual conference! United by the theme “Home Improvement: Building Archives Through Change,” the 2021 ACA Conference will take place online via the Whova platform from June 7-11, 2021. The conference Program and Host teams are immensely excited to welcome you to this dynamic virtual event. We've got an outstanding program of over 100 speakers, facilitators and instructors participating. You can find all the details at archivists.ca/2021, including the schedule and a conference guide. Registration will remain open until June 8. Newly added to the program: A special
session on June 8 at 11:00 am (EDT) will highlight valuable hands-on knowledge
and experience from four conference exhibitors. Speakers representing Iron
Mountain (Scott Pitol), Indixio (Jasmine Boucher), Lucidea (Rima Ghanem), and
B3K Digital (Rod Macleod) will be giving a set of diverse presentations on
digital collections management and access, records and document management
solutions, digitization strategies, and preparing for relocating
collections.
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Conference app: We're excited to announce that again this year, ACA 2021 has a free, official app via the Whova platform. Once you download Whova to your desktop or mobile device, you will be able to:
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View the event agenda and plan your schedule
- Access live sessions and recordings and utilize the session Q&A
- Set up virtual meet-ups with your fellow attendees to connect remotely
- Converse through various discussion topics in the Community board
- Access presentation documents and slides
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Conference registration rates -
ACA Members and Members of AAQ and ARMA: $100.00
- Non-Members: $200.00
- Students and Precariously Employed Members: $50.00
- Subsidized (see below):
There are still subsidized (free) spots available to students and
precariously employed members facing financial hardship. A huge thanks to the
support of the ACA Board and donations from members to fund these spots. These are offered
on a first come, first served basis by contacting the ACA Secretariat at executive.director@archivists.ca.
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Note that the conference registration form asks you to select sessions you plan on attending. This information will help the team plan for session and event attendance. Unless otherwise noted in the form, you will be able to attend any of the listed sessions on the day of. |
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And a special thanks to our 2021 Conference sponsors, vendors, and exhibitors
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Conference Social Events and Activities
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Not only is the conference packed with inspiring and thought-provoking sessions, but it also comes with an exciting series of synchronous and asynchronous social events and activities brought to you by the 2021 Host Team.
During the conference, make some new connections at the First Timers' Session, and then chat with fellow pet lovers and craft enthusiasts during the Paws for Coffee and Craft Circle breakout sessions. After you've stretched your mind, treat your body to some gentle yoga provided by Ro Nwosu from WILDROGA. Get your popcorn ready and join the Moving Images Special Interest Section at the ACA Archival Screening Night, and then get a team together and test your mental mettle at the IQ2000 Trivia Night, which will close out the conference.
There are also lots of activities to keep you entertained and engaged throughout the conference. Re-create the archives pub at home with the Official ACA 2021 Cocktail and Mocktail Recipe Book. Help us reach our collective goal of moving 100km during the conference as part of the Run/Walk Challenge, and if you need something to occupy the kids while you focus on the conference, check out the official ACA 2021 Colouring Book.
You can find details about all these incredible activities in Whova. Check out the Agenda section for access to synchronous events, and head over to the Documents section for access to the Cocktail Recipe Book and Colouring Book as well as the instructions for the Trivia Night and the Run/Walk challenge. While you're perusing Whova, why not submit an icebreaker question in the Community section and introduce yourself to your fellow attendees.
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The ACA has an exciting lineup of pre-conference workshops from June 7 to 9.
Workshop registration fees (per workshop, including taxes)
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ACA Members – $50.00
- ACA Student Members / ACA Members Precariously Employed – $25.00
- Non-Members – $75.00
- Subsidized / Supported ACA Members – If you require support to attend these workshops, please contact the ACA office.
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Digital File Transfer App and the National Accession Standard
June 7, 2021 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm EDT Zoom Webinar |
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As more of our archives become trusted digital repositories, archival functions must be executed in a digital environment. In this workshop, attendees will be presented with an open-source digital record transfer application the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) has designed to ingest new accessions into the NCTR's digital holdings. It collects descriptive metadata from donors through a web form before allowing them to upload their records. The collected metadata is based on the 56 fields in the Canadian Archival Accession Information Standard (CAAIS), of which the donor is only required to fill a few vital fields; the rest are automatically generated. The records and metadata from the completed transfer are captured according to the BagIt protocol. The metadata is also stored in a database, which can be exported as a CSV or HTML file. The exported CSV can be used to import records into an archival database, and the HTML file presents the completed transfer in an easily readable format for review.
More information on the workshop here.
About the instructors: Daniel Lovegrove is a software developer working at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. He graduated with a B.Sc. in Computer Engineering in 2019, with a focus on Software Engineering. Daniel is focused on working on narrowing the gap of software development and traditional archives. The software Daniel writes at the NCTR is used to help preserve and accession digital material. Daniel is proudly aboriginal, with family from Long Plain First Nation near Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. Raymond Frogner is the Head of Archives for the NCTR. In this position he is responsible for the Centre's archival policies, archival projects, and management of human and technical resources for the archives. He has an MAS degree from UBC. He has published multiple articles on the relationship between archival records and Indigenous Peoples in Canada. He is co-Chair of the ICA's Indigenous Matters Committee.
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Description and Access for Anti-Black Archival Materials
June 8, 2021 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm EDT Zoom Webinar |
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This
workshop will address anti-Black racism in archival records by
providing methods on how to create inclusive descriptions and provide
access to these materials while minimizing harm. This workshop will ask
participants to think critically about the impact of descriptive and
access practices for racist archival records. The workshop will include
interactive activities and discussions with time for reflection. More information here. About the instructor: Melissa J. Nelson is
a second-generation Jamaican Canadian from Toronto, Ontario. She holds a
Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in History, with a minor in Sociology, from
Carleton University. She also completed a Master of Information Studies
at McGill University. Her experience includes working at George Brown
College Archives, The Presbyterian Church in Canada Archives, the Law
Society of Ontario Archives, and Clara Thomas Archives and Special
Collections at York University. Melissa conducts research and produces
content on history and archive related topics for her website melissajnelson.com.
Her blog post “Archiving Hate: Racist Materials in Archives” has been
cited in "Anti-racism Educational Resources" by the Archives Association
of Ontario, "Resources: Archives, Anti-racism, and Black Lives Matter"
by the Association of Canadian Archivists, "Language in archival
descriptions changes" by the University of Waterloo Special Collections
& Archives, and “United Church of Canada Archives Equity Statement”
by The United Church of Canada Archives.
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Incorporating Indigenous Ways in Archival Policy and Procedure Development: Panel Discussion with Yukon Presenters
June 9, 2021
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm EDT
Zoom Webinar |
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This panel will explore the policies and procedures developed by the Yukon Council of Archives' (YCA) Yukon Self-Governing First Nations members. With the increasing awareness of Indigenous records through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's (TRC) Calls to Action and other Indigenous activities across the world, YCA would like to take this opportunity to create a safe space to share some of our members' archival policies and procedures. This workshop will invite discussion on current practice in Indigenizing Canadian archives and how we can move Reconciliation efforts forward. YCA hopes by sharing our members' experiences in policy-making, it will encourage others to share similar efforts. Together, we can create policies that honour Indigenous perspectives relating to the care of their Nations' records.
An opening statement acknowledging the workshop's location in the Traditional Territories of the KwalinDün First Nation and the Ta'anKwä'chän Council will be given.
More information here.
About the mediator: Angela Code is a member of the Sayisi Dene First Nation. She was born in Churchill, Manitoba, and spent her childhood in her home Indian reserve at Tadoule Lake, Manitoba. There, she was surrounded by denesuline (Chipewyan Dene) language, culture, family, and community of her people. The Sayisi Dene are caribou people – much of their identity is directly linked to their traditional territory and living off the land.
Panelists: Mary Jane Johnson, Sheila Greer, Nancy Vanden-Eykel, Roberta Nakoochee, Sue Parsons, Tahyah Van Bibber, and Karly Leonard.
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TAATU: The Archives and Technology Unconference
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Monday, June 7, 2021 11:30 am - 2:30 pm EDT / 8:30 am - 11:30 am PDT / 3:30 pm - 6:30 pm GMT
TAATU is back! As the ACA conference is online once again this year, the Technology and Archives Special Interest Section will be following with an online version of TAATU (The Archives and Technology Unconference). TAATU is a yearly, casual, and informative event about archives and technology. Come present new ideas and work, and geek out about archives, tech, and digital culture! ACA has graciously set up a zoom meeting for up to 100 attendees – just like last year’s TAATU. All are welcome – there is no need to be an ACA member or registered for the rest of the conference to attend! If you'd like to check it out and join us, please see this document for details. |
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ACA Mentorship Meet-Up
Thursday, June 17, 2021 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm PDT / 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm EDT On Zoom
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Join us at the Mentorship Program Meet-Up event, a virtual gathering to get to know other mentees and mentors from across the provinces in a casual, friendly environment. Hosted by the Membership Committee, we'll have some prepared questions to get the conversation started, but folks are also welcome to pose their own questions/topics and we'll see where the conversation takes us. The event is free, but registration is required to attend.
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ACA Annual General Meeting
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Join the ACA Board of Directors on Tuesday, June 22, 2021, 12:00 pm EDT / 9:00 am PDT for the ACA Annual General Meeting. The meeting agenda will include board reports and updates on ACA activities, including the work of committees, SISes and student chapters. Members will also have an opportunity to review ACA audit documents and the ACA 2022 budget.
This meeting will take place online, via Zoom. The agenda and supporting documents will be sent out in advance of the meeting. The results of the 2021 election will be announced, and members will be able to meet the new ACA 2021-2023 board members. The ACA Awards ceremony will again take place online this year in September. Stay tuned for more information and calls for nominations. Institutional members are reminded to ensure that a designated delegate has been entered into your membership profile to ensure your delegate receives the online voting link and information regarding the AGM. Members will have an opportunity to share their input and ideas during this meeting
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In the Field: The ACA Blog
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In the lead-up to the ACA 2021 Conference, the ACA blog, In the Field, is featuring interviews with conference presenters. Four interviews are available now.
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Annaëlle Winand, PhD candidate at the École de bibliothéconomie et des sciences de l'information de l'Université de Montréal. Annaëlle's presentation is called "What’s in Between? Archive(s) and the Unarchived and Unarchivable Space of Found Footage Cinema."
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Greg Bak, Associate Professor at the University of Manitoba. Greg is part of two ACA presentations. The first is “Reflecting and Imagining Visions for Archival Education,” a roundtable discussion among students, recent graduates and archival educators from several archival Master’s programs across Canada. The second is a traditional paper given as part of the panel “We Sing the Archive Electric: A/accessible and Open Source Digital Archives on Indigenous Lands.”
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Isabel Carlin, Master student at the University of British Columbia iSchool. Isabel's talk at the conference is entitled "Home Archives: Online Political Record-keeping in the Diaspora."
- Michelle Phan, recent graduate from the University of Toronto iSchool. Michelle's talk at the conference is titled "Towards the Rebel Archive: Seeing Prison Abolition through embodiment, 'value', and process.
Keep an eye out for more interviews in the coming days.
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Have something to say? In the Field is always looking for new contributors. In line with the ACA's Strategic Plan and Progress Toward a Diversity & Inclusion Action Plan,
the ACA blog focuses on publishing posts that explore “frameworks,
strategies, initiatives, programs and actions” undertaken across the
archival realm to “address issues of inclusion, access, diversity,
multiculturalism, and regional, national, global, and intercultural
engagement.”
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Archivaria: Call for Dodds Prize Nominations
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The Dodds Prize recognizes superior research and writing on an archival topic by a student enrolled in a Master's level archival studies program at a Canadian university.
To be considered, a faculty member or instructor associated with the program must submit a student paper and verify that it was written within the context of an archival studies program between May 1, 2020, and April 30, 2021. Papers must be between 5,000 and 8,000 words and written on an archival topic (broadly understood). Papers written in French or English are eligible.
Submissions must be received by June 30, 2021.
Submissions will be judged by the Dodds Prize Adjudication Committee on the quality of their scholarship, creativity, and clarity of writing. The Adjudication Committee comprises the General Editor of Archivaria (or delegate), the ACA Board Liaison to Archivaria (or delegate), and two additional ACA members chosen annually by the General Editor. Delegates will be used in cases where a conflict of interest exists.
Winners will receive a certificate, a cash prize, publication of the winning entry in Archivaria, and a listing on the ACA website.
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Submit your job opportunity here and it will be posted to the ACA website. We will also share this opportunity on our social media channels.
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Media Librarian (English Services), CBC/Radio-Canada Deadline: June 15, 2021
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Do you have news you’d like the ACA to share via its social media channels? The Communications Committee has created a form you can use to give us the details!
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Contact Us
Suite 1912-130 Albert Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4
Tel: 613-234-6977
Email: aca@archivists.ca
www.archivists.ca
The ACA office is located on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
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