[BCMA] Addressing Residential Schools in Museums

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv.]

Hi everyone,

For those of you who may be questioning how to address Canada's colonial
history in your galleries and programs, in particular, the legacy of the
Indian Residential School system, I wanted to pass along a link to my
doctoral thesis, *Reconciliation in Canadian Museums* (see below).

It focuses on developing practical methodology for museums in Canada, and
discusses the following subjects:

*Understanding the implications of Canada's Truth and Reconciliation
Commission for the museum field

*Understanding residential schools, the '60s scoop, and other key issues of
which museum staff should be made aware

*Understanding the effects of trauma on individuals and communities and how
trauma directly affects the relationships between museum employees and
Aboriginal communities

*Examining standard museum methods for handling traumatic subjects and how
these can have negative effects for those concerned

*Revising Canadian history to move past the 'Nation-building' or 'Progress'
model: developing integrated history galleries that can encompass both
Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal histories and worldviews

*The concept of Healing Exhibits: examining successful ways of displaying
trauma and assisting communities in recovery

*Using the Circle as an encompassing methodology for working toward
Reconciliation in museums


Most museum professionals that I have spoken with have felt at a loss as to
how to manage traumatic subjects within the gallery space and admit that
this is simply not something that museologists have expertise in.  Yet,
experimenting with what to do can be dangerous and risks re-traumatizing
those concerned.  Though this work is primarily targeted to museums that
collaborate with Aboriginal community groups, it may also be useful for any
small to medium sized museum focused on local history.

The full work is available for free download here:
https://www.academia.edu/7624879/Reconciliation_in_Canadian_Museums

Please address any queries to me directly at megpinto at gmail.com, and not
through the listserv.  Thanks!

Meg Pinto
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