T08: Connection to Kith and Kin: A Partnership Program That Supports Indigenous People Seeking Their Roots
Session Description
Knowing where we come from connects us to land and culture, and empowers us to make change. Recent judicial decisions regarding status have the potential to change lives for thousands of Indigenous people on and off reserve. Definitions have changed regarding who can access benefits and supports, and Indigenous people need to be able to access documents that can help prove their family connections.
Libraries need to make this information accessible in a trauma-informed, person-centred way. The 60s Scoop, residential schools, and the ongoing effects of the 1878 Indian Act (such as reserves and the current child apprehension process) have fragmented Indigenous communities and people’s connections to their cultures, kin, and land. Public libraries in particular have an obligation to make heritage information accessible to the communities they serve, especially considering that 80% of Indigenous people in BC live off-reserve.
In this session, delegates will explore why providing access to Indigenous genealogy materials must be a priority for public libraries, and will hear about a current partnership project between Our Place and Vancouver Public Library. This community-led project started as a request from young urban Indigenous leaders, and has blossomed into a robust collaboration based on recognition, restoration, and acts of restitution.
The Our Place/VPL Indigenous Genealogy project uses VPL’s collection, resources and spaces to host workshops that are supported by Our Place’s connection to Indigenous cultural supports. These cultural supports help people reconnect with people and places that have been lost due to colonial interference. Youth volunteers help information-seekers to use computers, to reduce barriers.
Delegates will learn from the experience of VPL and Our Place, as they navigated institutional and cultural differences in order to work together effectively.
Reconciliation takes many forms. True partnership begins with respect and trust, and this takes time and action to develop.
Speakers
Ariel Caldwell, Vancouver Public Library
Biography
Ariel Caldwell is a Teen Services Librarian at Vancouver Public Library, and works with youth and service providers in the northeast quadrant of the city. She believes that vibrant connections with community partners are the library’s most valuable assets. Ariel also teaches Services for Young Adults at UBC’s iSchool, with a focus on working authentically with marginalized youth.
Scott Clark, Aboriginal Life in Vancouver Enhancement Society
Biography
Scott Clark Scott is Coast Salish of the S’klallam (Strong People) from the Chewhaytsum village along Vancouver Island’s west coast. A founding member of the Northwest Indigenous Council, Scott served as its Vice President and as BC representative of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples. Today, Scott is the current executive director of Aboriginal Life In Vancouver Enhancement (ALIVE) society and a founding member, working to close the gaps between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Peoples.