<div dir="ltr">Hi everyone,<br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><div><div><div><br></div>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, <i>Reconciliation in Canadian Museums</i> (see below).<br><br></div>It focuses on developing practical methodology for museums in Canada, and discusses the following subjects:<br><br></div><div>*Understanding the implications of Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission for the museum field<br><br>*Understanding residential schools, the '60s scoop, and other key issues of which museum staff should be made aware<br><br></div><div>*Understanding the effects of trauma on individuals and communities and how trauma directly affects the relationships between museum employees and Aboriginal communities<br><br></div><div>*Examining standard museum methods for handling traumatic subjects and how these can have negative effects for those concerned<br><br></div><div>*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<br><br></div><div>*The concept of Healing Exhibits: examining successful ways of displaying trauma and assisting communities in recovery<br><br></div><div>*Using the Circle as an encompassing methodology for working toward Reconciliation in museums<br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>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. <br><br>The full work is available for free download here:<br><a href="https://www.academia.edu/7624879/Reconciliation_in_Canadian_Museums" target="_blank">https://www.academia.edu/7624879/Reconciliation_in_Canadian_Museums</a><br><br></div><div>Please address any queries to me directly at <a href="mailto:megpinto@gmail.com" target="_blank">megpinto@gmail.com</a>, and not through the listserv. Thanks!<span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br><br></font></span></div><span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><div>Meg Pinto<br></div></font></span></div>
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