Institutions launch initiatives, infrastructure project to support Indigenous archives, knowledge

Three initiatives supporting the preservation of Indigenous archival material and knowledge have been launched at postsecondary and research institutions. Mount Allison University has partnered with Membertou Development Corporation to return a collection of over 250 Indigenous artifacts and photographs to their home. The collection – which includes prehistoric tools, weapons, pipe bowls and stems, and beads – will now be part of Membertou Heritage Park’s collection where they will be used to teach about Mi’kmaw history. Nunavut Arctic College and Memorial University have partnered on research exploring Inuit Qaujimanituqangit (IQ) (traditional knowledge) in Nunavut institutional research. The project examines trends, needs, and outlooks in Nunavut and will work to gather, preserve, and digitize archival material about life in the north while helping community partners to become their own researchers and preservers of IQ. In Cape Breton, a new $4.8M, net-zero building will be constructed along Crane Cove and will house the Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources and the Mi’kmaq Environmental Learning Centre. The building will be used by the region’s Indigenous communities as they collect and preserve traditional Mik’kmaw knowledge.