Recognizing Relations: Taking Museum Archives Home
![Tom Simeon is now properly identified in this photo.[Tom Simeon, Stoney Nakoda], Peter and Catharine Whyte fonds (V683/III/B/NS-371-2), Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies](https://banffcanmorefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/V683-III-B-NS-371-2-191x300-1.jpg "V683-III-B-NS-371-2-191x300")
There are projects that, by nature, expect to see their process change with time. Throw a pandemic and an evolving sense of urgency for Truth and Reconciliation in the mix on a multi-year project like The Whyte Museum’s Recognizing Relations, and there’s little choice but to pivot. It’s a project that crosses generations, after all.
Started in 2014 as an effort to change the colonial way that history has often been represented in museums, specifically with the prevalence of historic “outdated and inappropriate” photo captions, The Whyte invited the Stoney Nakoda Nation, consisting of three bands, Wesley, Chiniki and Bearspaw, to work with museum archival staff. Together, they aimed to identify family members and friends who appeared in photographs from the archives but weren’t properly named or identified.
![An image that is part of Phase 5 of Recognizing Relations. [Unknown], Archives General File collection (V8/accn.6443/PA-7), Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies](https://banffcanmorefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/v8_accn_6443_pa_07-300x183-1.jpg "v8_accn_6443_pa_07-300x183")
Over the past few years, Recognizing Relations held in-person community events on the Stoney Nakoda Reserve and also invited Elders to visit the museum so they could look through the hundreds of old photographs and help identify and properly label the individuas in the images.
Through Recognizing Relations - which has been supported by a Banff Canmore Foundation Community Grant for many years running - The Whyte aimed to update descriptions, restore names and remove inappropriate language in photo captions, credits and descriptions.But when community events and museum visits were paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, the project found "the time to address issues with the physical materials and to re-examine how we respond to the community with Recognizing Relations," says Dagny Dubois, project lead.
This supports our goal of sharing the materials that represent Indigenous people and culture with them, with as few barriers as possible."
- Dagny Dubois
Mobile Kits Ready to Go
Up to 100 images have now been packaged together as ‘kits’ which will be taken by an Indigenous facilitator directly into the community for a more personalized process. And although the kits arose as an effort to be “COVID-safe” (versus hosting in-person gatherings), The Whyte also accepted that, as a colonial institution, it’s “not always helpful or appropriate for us to be in the middle of interactions that Indigenous communities have with materials that represent them. We see that it may be more meaningful for them to do this on their own terms,” Dubois said.
Another benefits of the kits is that there will be copies of all the photographs, sound recordings, and films that the facilitator will be presenting. So, if participants are interested, Dubois said they will be given copies to keep.
“This supports our goal of sharing the materials that represent Indigenous people and culture with them, with as few barriers as possible,” she said.
Community Trust and Respect
This year, The Whyte is hiring an Indigenous facilitator who is known by the community to take the kits of archival photos directly to Stoney Nakoda families.
“This will truly put the collection into the hands of the Stoney Nakoda community, and create a safe and comfortable venue by which to view these photographs and other archival materials,” Dubois said. “We can take them to their homes, meet outdoors and do it on their own terms.”
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission identified four Calls to Actions pertaining to the role of museums and archives in the process of reconciliation. This includes repatriating information pertaining to Indigenous Peoples held in a colonial institution like the museum, and identifying and removing barriers to access. Having an Indigenous facilitator is essential to fulfilling these goals.
“It is crucial this kind of work be taken on by a Stoney Nakoda community member as they will have built relationships with family clans on the reserve, and know how to show honour through traditional protocols,” said Corleigh Powderface, a Stoney Nakoda cultural consultant who has been with the project since the beginning. “This means they will be trusted by the community which is very important. It is easier to have a conversation with someone if they trust and respect you.”
Previously identified photographs are now being labelled, helping to bring acknowledgement and respect to the individuals and families represented.
