Thank you to all who attended, presented, and helped to organize the HME Mini Conference Museums and Climate Change.
Special thanks to our generous hosts at the Royal Botanical Gardens! The site was a perfect setting for the day.
Sustainability at RBG
Chris McAnally, EPt., Environmental Sustainability Coordinator, RBG
Chris McAnally, Environmental Sustainability Coordinator at
the RBG, presenting at the Mini Conference
He has also provided an answer to one of the questions asked at the Mini Conference:
"Waste diversion in Ontario is shifting towards a circular economy, meaning that the producers of items which become waste materials will become responsible for reusing/recycling/disposing of them. It is still in development with regards of exactly how that will look but the province has been taking this seriously even through the transition in provincial governments. I’ve attached the original policy which was brought forward by Minister Glen Murray back in 2017 and as far as I am aware seems to still be the most recent version. If possible it would be great if you could forward this along attachment and my blerb to the gentleman who was presenting alongside Ashley as I feel he would be interested to learn more about this upcoming change to how we handle waste in Ontario."
Plugshare
useful app for electric cars charging station
We touch briefly on this topic but were able to enjoy a hands on workshop to learn about a more eco-friendly form of printmaking that is accessible for folks of all ages. You can see it demonstrated here by its creator, Linda Germain.
HME Mini Conference attendee working on more eco-friendly
printmaking, as presented by Briana Palmer.
Getting Your Hands Dirty: Planting Seed and Taking Action
Sapphire Singh
Sapphire Singh presenting about the internationally recognized McQuesten Urban Farm.
Heather George - Public History and Research Services
Museums and Privilege
Indigenous Programming/Museums and Privilege As museum practitioners we often neglect to acknowledge the history of our institutions as representations of colonial thinking and collecting. This history combined with a lack of comfort or knowledge about Indigenous people often leads to poor programing, improper presentation of Indigenous people and mistreatment of culturally significant artifacts. By providing an overview of some of the challenges and opportunities for museums as well as some national and international policy I hope to assist museum practitioners in developing more inclusive and culturally sensitive programing.
INTRODUCE MYSELF
She:kon, Heather ni'i ionkiats, Kanien'kehaka ni wakohwentso:ten
Museum History 101
SLIDE 1
Where to start.... well lets start at the beginning...in the beginning the world was a big ball of water, one day a strange creature fell from the sky, this creature was a woman, a sky woman and she was rescued by a flock of birds and placed on the back of a huge sea turtle....ok maybe that is a bit too far back but the point is we all come to view the world around us through a set of values and beliefs and according to the National Household Survey in 2011 about Two-thirds of Canada's population — just over 22.1 million people — reported affiliation with a Christian religion. BUT WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH MUSUEMS?
Well lets move up in time a bit to 1452 and Pope Nicholas the 5th who issued to King Alfonso the 5th of Portugal the bull Romanus Pontifex, (more commonly known as the Doctrine of Discovery) declaring war against all non-Christians throughout the world, and specifically sanctioning and promoting the conquest, colonization, and exploitation of non-Christian nations and their territories. In fact this doctrine has never been repealed and not only legalized Colombes's whole sale murder of Indigenous people but was also most recently used by the US supreme court in 2005 in the City of Sherill v. Oneida Nation of Indians, you can guess who lost the case.
SO I REALLY AM HERE TO TALK ABOUT MUSUEMS
SLIDE 2
According to the Tate Museum "museums of today have evolved out of two apparently basic aspects of human nature – our curiosity and our desire to collect. A museum by today’s standards is formed from the sum of a building housing a collection, and the work of a staff in forming, preserving and interpreting that collection." Therefore museums are not without bias as they reflect the beliefs of the staff that run them; the boards that provide oversight and direction and the visitors and communities that access them.
From early cabinets of curiosity that displayed great collections to the public in Europe to P.T. Barnum, one of the first Americans to capitalize on the show business these cabinets in 1841, museums have reflected the views of predominantly white, educated, middle class, Christian members of society.
In her book Collections and Objections Michelle Hamilton explains that "Most Members of early historical and scientific societies (where many of the collections in our museums' come from) were educated men and women who followed Victorian Dictates of well-rounded self improvement through leisure learning. At each meeting, they presented and discussed papers on a variety of topics, including natural sciences, literature, classics, and history. Members favoured object driven lessons and spent a great deal of their time amassing and classifying artefacts in society museums that they believed contributed to scientific knowledge and spread patriotism thought the preservation of Canada's Past."
Many Victorians also adhered to a concept known as Social Darwinism the theory that persons, groups, and races are subject to the same laws of natural selection as Charles Darwin had perceived in plants and animals. According to the theory, which was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the weak were diminished and their cultures delimited, while the strong grew in power and in cultural influence over the weak. The theory was used to support laissez-faire capitalism and political conservatism. Class stratification was justified on the basis of “natural” inequalities among individuals, for the control of property was said to be a correlate of superior and inherent moral attributes.
SLIDE 3
British historian Stuart Laycock dug into the history of almost 200 nations and found only 22 that the England hadn’t marched into, so yes most Canadian museums and many European ones too really are reflections of this type of colonial thinking and occupation.
The issue of how Indigenous cultural items are displayed and interpreted came to the forefront of the public discussion in 1988, not at a museum, but at the Winter Olympics in Calgary. A cultural display called "The Spirit Sings" was meant to showcase Canada's rich Aboriginal culture. But it was sponsored by the shell oil company which was involved in a land claims dispute with the Lubicon Lake Cree. The Lubicon asked museums not to lend artefacts to the display and asked people not to attend. That boycott led the Assembly of First Nations and the Canadian Museums Association to jointly tackle the issue of Indigenous people and Museums and in 1992 they issued a report on their findings. Their recommendations addressed repatriation from a variety of perspectives, including the methods institutions used to acquire their artefacts. The final report also recommended that Indigenous Peoples have a greater role in how their history and culture is displayed.
SO WHERE ARE MUSUEMS NOW
SLIDE 4
Well many of us work at National Historic Sites with Nationalistic Narratives and we apply to granting programs like Canada 150 to celebrate and promote these narratives but how do we as Indigenous people talk about this??
Another great example from a few years ago was #SIRJAM i.e. Sir John A McDonald, I'm sure many Canadian History Nerds were thrilled to see Canada's First Prime Minister make a social media comeback but this is the same Prime Minister who ordered the execution of Louis Riel, played a pivotal role in the formation of the residential school system and signed off on the numbered treaties all while ordering the Department of Indian Affairs to withhold food from Indigenous peoples until they were forcibly moved to federally-designated reserves far from the path of the Canadian Pacific Railroad.
So that brings me to a question WHAT MAKES CANADA A NATION when I ask kids this they sometimes have a hard time answering it, a common language, political system, cultural practices and food? Well Indigenous Nations have all of those things too!
What narrative does your museum tell (what does it leave out?)
Indigenous Studies 101
SLIDE 5
So training a short break from museums studies I wanted to give everyone a bit of an Indigenous Studies 101
In his book Custer Died For Your Sins Vine Deloria Jr. explains what "Indians are like" He says "Indians are like the weather. Everyone knows all about the weather, but none can change it. When storms are predicted, the sun shines. When picnic weather is announced, the rain begins. Likewise, if you count on the unpredictability of Indian people, you will never be sorry. One of the finest things about being an Indian is that people are always interested in you and your "plight." Other groups have difficulties, predicaments, quandaries, problems, or troubles. Traditionally we Indians have had a "plight." Our foremost plight is our transparency. People can tell just by looking at us what we want, what should be done to help us, how we feel, and what a "real" Indian is really like. Indian life, as it relates to the real world, is a continuous attempt not to disappoint people who know us. Unfulfilled expectations cause grief and we have already had our share. Because people can see right through us, it becomes impossible to tell truth from fiction, fact from mythology. Experts paint us as they would like us to be. Often we paint ourselves as we wish we were or as we might have been. The more we try to be ourselves the more we are forced to defend what we have never been. The American public feels most comfortable with the mythical Indians of stereotype-land who were always there. These Indians are fierce, they wear feathers and grunt. Most of us don't fit this idealized figure since we grunt only when overeating, which is seldom. To be an Indian in modern American society is in a very real sense to be unreal and ahistorical.
Lets take a quick break for terminology.
I think I just used the word "Indian" about ten times, and many Indigenous people and even scholars do use the word "Indian" not only that but the law that defines who is a First Nations person in Canada is called the Indian Act. All of that aside I hate the word mostly because of the stereotypes that go along with it.
Aboriginal is also used a lot by the government, it encompasses First Nations, Métis and Inuit each group with its own relationship to the Federal government. I can safely say best of all is if you can use a Nations Name for themselves and recognize the uniqueness of the over 600 different Indigenous Nations residing in what we call Canada.
I did mention the Indian Act, it officially came in to effect in 1876 as a federal law that pertains to status, bands and reserves, currently it is the only Canadian Law that is made to apply to a specific group of people based on their ethnicity, and it's a doozey. Throughout its 140 year history the law has outlawed potlatch ceremonies (1884) taken away rights to legal council (1920s-1950s) prevented women from voting in band council elections until 1950 and removed their status if they married non-Indigenous men (until 1985) as well as plethora of other interesting restrictions about wearing of ceremonial dress, citizenship and land ownership.
Some other interesting figures include that there are over 3000 reserves in Canada and over 200 in Ontario about 50% of the population of "status" people live off reserve. A dramatic shift that has only taken place in the last 50 years or so and lastly although the closest Haudenosaunee (or Six Nations Community) is about an hour from here on the Grand River there are actually 20 different reserve communities (plus urban populations) that are home to Haudenosaunee people.
NO we don't get free education (there is limited post secondary education funding and primary schools on reserve receive about a third of the funding per capita as off reserve schools)
NO reserves aren't a burden on tax payers. Bands Money comes from two sources Capital Money (royalties from sale or surrender of land or assets like oil timber etc) and Revenue Money (which is everything else that a band self generates).
Yes we do pay taxes, the exemption is from PST and Employment income is exempt from income tax only if the money was earned reserve.
Voice and Authority in the Museum
SLIDE 6
LETS GET BACK TO MUSUEMS
So who has authority to speak on behalf of and for Indigenous people or teach about us for that matter? I would argue that the only ethical way to approach Indigenous programing in museums is to have it developed and delivered by and in collaboration with Indigenous people
The reality is we can't be afraid of difficult stories and political discourse in our museums. History and museologology is inherently political because we as museum practitioners don't exist outside of the culture and politics of current Canadian Society nor society of the time period our collections were amassed in.
Canadian author John Ralston Saul has spent much of his literary career as of late trying to assist Canadians in understanding this very idea and its application to Indigenous people. In his book The Comeback, Saul focuses on the Idle No More movement and argues that Sympathy (the lens through which most Canadians view Indigenous issues) is just soft racism, its a fine point of entry but obscures why things are the way they are. “The actual problem," He Says "is they have rights, and they’ve been removed. If they had their rights back in the full sense of the word, you wouldn’t have to feel sympathy. Sympathy is a way of not dealing with the central issues of the treaties.” (Globe and Mail Interview 2014)
I know that our own education is lacking but recent changes in elementary school curriculum will help future generations and we all have a responsibility to become more knowledgeable about Indigenous people as the Canadian government and thus it's citizens have a treaty relationship with Indigenous people.
SLIDE 7
SO QUICK QUESTON...how many people have actually been to a reserve?) This is a map of Six Nations of the Grand River Territory and it along with Mississauga's of New Credit are only about an hour away - so you should visit!
The Feelings (Ethics) and Legalities of our Profession
SLIDE 8
So here's something to consider...try typing museum ethics into Google search bar this is what I came up with, granted Google has noticed my cultural values through its search algorithms but I was still a bit shocked.
So lets talk a bit about ethics or the touchy feely side of things.
First you should be ok with the idea of NO, not all knowledge needs s
to be or should be shared, the idea of knowledge as free and open to all fails to recognize that there are some things that are scared and shouldn't be shared, this might include elements of your collection, just because you have an Indigenous artefact that has been labelled in a certain way doesn't mean you should take for granted that that is what it is, consult with local communities find out if you have things in your collection that need to be cared for in a certain way or should be returned to the source community.
We as museums are making money from other people's history, this is especially important to recognize with marginalized groups, I know you're all thinking hey what money is she talking about we have a shoe string budget! But if you apply for a grant to develop an education program about Indigenous people the grant is a source of income as is the money you will receive from the program. The same can be said of developing exhibits.
When you develop programs, design exhibits, or do collections work you should ask yourself who benefits from this who am I empowering or for that matter taking power away from, what knowledge does my audience have, how can I give authority to the people who know this history best.
Because I have to ask what is the point in collecting things and keeping them in our museums if the living culture is threatened?
Over the last 20 years many museums have taken up the recommendations that came out of "The Spirit Sings" exhibit controversy. So now I would like to take a few minutes to bring you attention to some of those policies:
CMOG standards which most of us are required to adhear to due to funding require that museums demonstrate a commitment to ethical behaviour in collection development (e.g. repatriation, human remains) they also require within Interpretation and Education that museums Demonstrate commitment to ethical behaviour, and that museums ensures the relevance, accuracy and effective communication of its interpretation and education programs by: Using appropriate expertise, including staff, volunteers, community groups, or consultants.
At the national level the CMA ethics guidelines stipulate under section C3 that Museums should respect the world view of other cultures or communities, including oral history and traditional knowledge concerning culturally significant objects and human osteological material. Information about these culturally sensitive objects may not be readily available, and it is the responsibility of museums to actively seek it out, and to consult with knowledgeable members of the appropriate communities before using the material in any way
Most recently at the National Level the Truth and Reconciliation Commission investigating residential schools included museums in their recommendations for ways to move towards reconciliation under recommendation number 67 they "call[ed] upon the federal government to provide funding to the Canadian Museums Association to undertake, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, a national review of museum policies and best practices to determine the level of compliance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and to make recommendations. As well as stating that “there is an urgent need in Canada to develop historically literate citizens who understand why and how the past is relevant to their own lives and the future of the country. Museums have an ethical responsibility to foster national reconciliation, and not simply tell one party’s version of the past. ” (p. 308)
Across the border most reparation efforts are happening under NAGPRA The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, a Federal law passed in 1990. NAGPRA provides a process for museums and Federal agencies to return certain Native American cultural items -- human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony -- to lineal descendants, and culturally affiliated Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations.
Internationally organizations like ICOM and the UN have made statements pertaining to rights of Indigenous people in relation to collections and interpretation, and all of these recommendations and laws have relevance in our context but only if we review them and ensure that our facilities uphold the values we espouse to through our professional association with these organizations.
The Power to Create Change
SLIDE 9
Finally I want to summarize by reminding all of you that we are up against a few hundred years of colonialism, it is going to take time to change this but if we don't start now when will we?
Be an ally....help us tell our stories but don't tell them for us. Great examples of this kind of work can been seen in the permanent exhibit space at THEMUSEUM where they interviewed Indigenous community members and let them design their own area of the exhibits; Remembering the Pledge of the Crown event hosted by Dundurn Castle last April, The Art of Peace exhibit hosted by the McMaster Museum of Art this winter, and the Discovering Kanata outreach education program developed through a MAP grant with the Niagara Falls History Museum and Chiefswood National Historic Site.
SLIDE 10
It's time to change stereotypes and alter our historical narratives it's time to empower those whom we have written history about to write their own history.
Finally let me leave you with the thoughts of the fantastic author Thomas King who points out in "The Inconvenient Indian" that "In 1492, native people discovered Columbus:" He explains that "Most of us think that history is the past. It’s not. It’s the stories we tell about the past. That’s all it is. Stories. Such a definition might make the enterprise of history seem neutral. Benign. Which, of course, it isn’t.”
2014 marks the
centennial year of the beginning of the ‘Great
War’ or ‘World War
One’. This exhibit recognizes one story
unknown to many
Canadians, the part played by the British
Indian Army. At the
time it was the largest volunteer army in
the world.
the British Indian Army served in France in the
first year and a half of the war
consulted with the Sikh Heritage Organization of
Canada http://shmc.ca/, South Asian community
members and York University professor
exhibition includes magazines, artefacts, memorial to army at Gallipoli
idea suggested as part if the WW1 Centenary, why
not do something about Indian army, influenced by part of Peter's OMA course work
180 000 of Peel Region are of Southeast Asian descent,
so there is good community connection to fulfill M of M mandate to promote the history
of Mississauga
this was also a good Canadian connection
mobilizing the Empire, included Canadians and Newfoundlanders,
of course
photographs of soldiers from Streetsville (near
Mississauga) boarding a train and Indian troops getting on ships to go to Mumbai (Bombay)
also includes personal stories of Canadian Sikh
soldiers who served with Mississauga Battalion, Mississauga Light Horse
issue of how to describe Indian-Canadians?“British Indian Army” was best way to
describe these people, to not confuse Indian Military of today
issue around race, Sri Lankans, Indians,
Pakistanis and various other South Asian groups in the British Army, communities
which were not differentiated at the time but should be today
exhibition content focused on the factual and simplified
information rather than opening possible difficult issues when the information
might not be readily available
exhibition discusses new war technologies like gas
warfare, length of war, issue of no home leave for imperial soldiers and distance
from families, etc.
Indian soldiers were allowed to wear turbans rather than
helmets, British Army was culturally sensitive at the time, food served to
soldiers was culturally sensitive as well
Infantry was recruited based on Victorian
notions of race and culture, soldiers from the north were preferred because of
their fighting skills and perceived “warrior culture,”
aftermath of war, wounds
Private Hari Singh: personal look at one of the
Mississauga Battalion members who returned to Peel Region after the war
Laal Singh, recruited from Ontario, died during
the war but his tombstone has a Christian cross on it, problematic for Sikh soldiers
Questions
conscious of Peter's background in how he is
portraying this history -- Peter sought partners immediately to put this exhibition
together
90% of artefacts are borrowed
wanted to get personal stories to tie to
Mississauga local history
these kinds of exhibitions will bring new
audiences, new insights and awareness of our community’s shared history (and
unknown history!)
All of their educational programs are available on their
website
The Elgin Settlement, also known as Buxton, was one of four
organized black settlements to be developed in Canada.
The black population of Canada West and Chatham was already
high due to the area's proximity to the United States. The land was purchased
by the Elgin Association through the Presbyterian Synod for creating a
settlement. The land lay 12 miles south of Chatham.
In case you didn’t
know… Simcoe Day (August 1) holiday in Ontario, the holiday was renamed Simcoe
Day in Toronto effective 1969 in honour of the first Lieutenant-Governor of
Upper Canada and the promulgator of the Act Against Slavery (the Scotiabank
Caribbean Cultural Festival, formerly known as Caribana, is held this holiday
weekend in Toronto, coinciding with Emancipation Day)
Buxton is a community museum with small
population, descendants of settlers from the Underground Railroad are majority
of the community
Buxton was the largest Black settlement in
Canada West, totally Black owned and operated
Shannon is a descendant, the ability to share
stories that are very personal and intriguing
in the past, visitors had issue with
interpretive staff being of white, Dutch background -- why do we have these
problems? (she married into Buxton family so this was her history, too)
context and understanding of history is
necessary – there was slavery in Canada and Canada was not welcoming to slaves
who tells the story needs to be okay because
story needs to be told and it’s all part of our shared history
William King, a white Presbyterian minister who
owned slaves was founder of Buxton – he believed slavery was wrong and Buxton
is where he took his slaves so they could be free
9000 acres was given to him, nobody wanted it
opened it to Underground Railroad slaves to
settle and offered education and religion here as well
important to note that people in area didn't
like Blacks settling there
King built a school, opened to everyone who wanted
to come
taught Classical education and a great school,
turned minds of opposed settlers who ended up sending their children to the
school which solidified the community
alumni of Buxton school include Anderson Abbott,
Canada's first Black doctor, met Lincoln, surgeon in the Civil War, became
Chatham's first coroner
Buxton school has taught many – must remember
that Blacks were not allowed to go to school in the south, and it was illegal
to educate them as well, many went north to Buxton
Buxton still exists as a school, where the
museum is (grades 1 to 10, 100 students taught at one time)
teachers bring classes here now because they are
uncomfortable teaching this history themselves
have replica of slave ship at Buxton to get a good
sense of history
engaging in living history is great learning
resource
objects such as iron neck collars and objects
that can be handled or worn for good lessons
difficult task in how to talk to small children
about slave history and the Underground Railroad, suggest a book Barefoot Underground to Freedom book http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-06-027137-4
games like Jeopardy for older kids to engage
them in learning
tackling this difficult history with education
and entertainment
role playing for older kids gets discussion
going and problem solving scenarios to get young people to try to understand
hardships
allows teaching for schools that are afraid of
teaching difficult history
Buxton website has personal stories of past
students at Buxton School over the past century, students will role play these
students, researching them to prepare for visit, research allows visitors to imagine
a future as well, since some became family members, married, etc. (link to cemetery
there as well to find the students buried there)
get about 40 classes per year at Buxton from
Canada and the US (lots from Chicago)
commemorate milestone, history of pride, social
programs and timeline of political and social history of queer and out
individuals in Canada
positive feedback from press and community,
museum visitors
developing the idea -- Dillon approached Bev at
Guelph Museums who were welcoming of the idea
how the exhibition aligned with Guelph Pride and
Civic Museum missions, was an easy process
who was involved -- community members and
organizations, Museum staff
conducted interviews with LGBQ community and organizations,
looked at newspaper records, articles, especially history of the University of
Guelph LGBQ groups who formed in the 1960s, one of the first in Ontario and the
Grand River Rainbow Historical Society
information- based exhibition, not a lot of
artefacts/objects
Out on the
Shelf Queer community in Guelph http://www.outontheshelf.ca/s
supplied a lot of resources and original articles
Museum didn't have anything in their collection
to make it more visually appealing (for lack of
objects) Dillon used lots of colour, vibrant exhibition boards to make it
engaging
reaction was very positive, lots of people came
specifically to see the exhibition andregular
visitors to the museum loved the exhibition as well
allowed for different community voices to be
heard and benefitted both parties
advice --be open to suggestions for exhibitions, there are interesting stories to
be told about your community
ensure you have Board support for exhibitions
Guelph Museums keen on celebrating anniversaries
in the community
proposals are taken to curatorial meetings for
discussion and approval
reflections- - before this project, Dillon didn’t have much experience writing
text for exhibits, but taking the time to work with him through the
editing process was worth it.
Symposium went along with the exhibition,
programming is important to exhibition success
exhibition held near education area of the
Museum
exhibition also included books, lots of
literature and information pamphlets
participatory aspect for visitors to share a
Guelph Pride memory on post it notes, no trouble, only positive notes left and
will be kept in exhibition archive
Problematic Exhibition at Guelph: Falun Dafa exhibition
they rented programming space – not
Museum-created/supported
artworks were images which were gruesome because
they are tortured and persecuted in China, problematic exhibition because it’s
a public space, mostly for children’s programs
covered up images during school programs
Falun members were in the gallery during the day
speaking to visitors but trying to get them to convert and sign petitions
this exhibition actually pushed Museum to change
policy- problem of Museum associated with the exhibition -- policy for how to use
space had to change to avoid anything like this again
must have risk management for exhibitions to avoid
problematic groups
visitors’ privacy issues need to be taken into
account
John Keeshig, Sandra
and Art Lucs
Region of Peel Art
Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA)
“We Are Here: The
Story of Aboriginal People in Peel Region: A Case Study in Inclusive
Consultation”
Sandra and Art from design company asked to develop
an exhibition on Aboriginal history for Peel Region
vision for the role of a museum to benefit the
public and create a setting for the authentic voice
2.5 year process, Peel Aboriginal Network was
active in planning and consultation -- took on life of its own, became guided
by the Aboriginal advisory committee which included members of the
Haudenosaunee, Inuit, Metis and Anishinaabe communities
intense active role, etiquette evolved, meetings
began with smudging, ended with a prayer very much like aboriginal council meeting,
properly paced, lots of time spent at meetings and always sought consensus
not necessarily smooth running meetings, but
consensus was always achieved
offered tobacco and smudging to ancestors to
join us
talked until we reached the "good
mind"
tables are not used in lodges so everyone can be
open – belief that tables, podiums hide the truth
the term “aboriginal” seems to be the most
inclusive and a goal was to not exclude-- includes all Indigenous people
exhibition decided to include section on genocide
(residential school system as genocide) despite possible controversy
never use the term "pre-history" as
history has always been
“pre-history” assumes a privileged view and assumes
a written history not an oral history as is Aboriginal tradition
Advisory Committee created core statement for then
exhibition to guide their work – one which recognizes the uniqueness, diversity
and identity linked to land as creation of Aboriginal people, recognized
ancestors and families and to honour them (presence of ancestors is important)
ancestors gallery was included in the exhibition
personal stories are included throughout the
exhibition, John Keeshig’s is one of them
Vision quests and animal guides you can choose
with their meanings, use as a feedback forum to open discussion and give feedback
at the end of the exhibition for audience participatory engagement
activity kits for school groups, want to be
family friendly exhibition
terminology was a major consideration for the exhibition,
chose “Aboriginal” as an umbrella word and a wordmost on the Advisory Committee could live with
although not all agreed on it but did reach consensus
exhibition focuses on living history
Peel Region is artificial geographical construct
items are not referred to as “artefacts,”
another problematic word which suggests Aboriginal objects are from a “dead
culture”
Peel Region is regarded as traditional territory
of the Mississauga and New Credit
Land claim settlement just signed, highlight of
the exhibition working process and acknowledged in the exhibition
talking thumb touch screens, original film
footage created for the exhibition and designed to be viewed by many people at
once
videos are candid, emotional and allows for face
to face interaction with the viewer
“a world in balance,” the term balance is used
to discuss the role of the teaching lodge, John's poem is here
the teaching lodge is a place of healing, part
of the exhibition which follows the genocide sections
enter the exhibition through the eastern doorway
and exit through the west, like you would the teaching lodge
John wondered why he was asked to come to the
Advisory Committee
who was going to tell the story? who's version
gets told?
where would we go if we wanted our story to be
told? recognized problem of our grandparents, our elders who are leaving us and
we need to reach back and find our words
our history is not in books
where would we go to learn our history and
continue our story telling?
history and storytelling traditionally happened
in the winter in the teaching lodge
we have to go to the lodge to learn from our elders,
elders do not discriminate and always listen carefully, they will never talk
badly and always have a gentle way
the Creator taught us to be gentle
dancing is mindful and remembers the first one
who walked carefully
structure of the teaching lodge could be a house,
anywhere teaching and storytelling happens which tells us of our language,
culture, and tradition
path the creator gave us is East to West, and as
we walk forest protects the pathway
four races of man in the Creators image, how could
he bring life into them, a voice came to him, “how can I help you?” which was
the little shell speaking to the creator who used the little shell to blow life
into the humans
shell has two doorways, dome shaped like the
lodge
the Creator gives us nothing by mistake – all
nature is planned and has meaning
John carries the shell as a reminder of who we
are and whose words are better than those who have come before us?
life is a trail that we walk
policies of residential school, attack our
culture, language and history, the lodge will bring it back, we take ownership
of it -- this is why I came to talk here, I was led to these people
I was speaking for those who have left, have
passed through the Western doorway
true value of any gift is in the sharing of that
gift and our history is the greatest gift to be shared
exhibition opened a year ago, lots of attendance
and programming
Peel Aboriginal Network has a weekly drumming
group and is now looking into exhibiting artwork and beadwork
PAMA is successful with this exhibition, they
weren't shy about presenting this difficult history as a way to accept history
and move forward
through our path in life we have obstacles, we
have to see the real truth in what is placed in front of us but it is a gift
and we must find the value of obstacles
taking of our culture through residential
schools ensures we'll never lose them again, taught us value of our culture
Questions
who does the interpretation? John does some
presentations there and throughout the GTA
wanted to create a chronological path through
the exhibition and incorporated the story ofthe time when the Creator wanted to take humans away, the animal guides
asked, “who they would now be able to
live with as their human partners?”
the Creator agreed with the animals and the
animals became the clans, different than the spirit animals but also very similar
diversity of population in Peel region was the
reason to do such an exhibition – the issue of hidden Indigenous people
need for cultural space to seek out their culture,
titled "We are here."
exhibition design captures twists and turns of
the forest leading to the lodge, sacred walk
Monday saw a fantastic PLC at the RBG. We had a great turn out. This topic is very popular!
What follows are some notes from the five presenters. Here is the description of all their presentations and biographies.
Thanks everyone for making this a success! Special thanks goes out to the RBG for providing a great space and being such wonderful hosts.
Dr. Joyce Zazulak, Associate professor, McMaster University Department of Family Medicine The Importance of Curiosity in Adult Learning As a medical professional and medical school instructor, it is important to foster curiosity in my students, who as family medicine practitioners are embarking on a lifetime of learning. Curiosity is a valuable skill not often fostered in the medical school culture that values perfectionism in its students. Curiosity and a willingness to maintain an open minded approach to problem solving and tolerating ambiguous subject matter do in fact make physicians better diagnosticians. Arts-based learning opportunities for medical students and increasing medical humanities programs in Canada’s medical schools aim to further develop curiosity and tolerance to ambiguity in adult learners.
Example: doctor’s process in a case of "low-level decision making"
Thinking about why we quickly come to decisions in medicine, instead of looking at other possibilities
How does uncertainty and ambiguity affect medicine?
An arc of tension, resolution, and then relaxation occurs when doctors are first in the exploratory, and then resolution phase of diagnosis.
Premature closure: critical tension threshold, you may be motivated to come up with a plan that will lead to an incorrect diagnosis
How do you reduce the problem of premature closure?
Curiosity is about an urge to continue to investigate, comfortable with not knowing; it engages both imagination and intelligence
Curiosity in medicine: gives the best critical thinking
Mosaic, not linear thinking
Narrows down and then re-expands
Convert patient into a person, know more about who they are
Efficiency can suppress curiosity
Visual literacy, teaches doctors how to look, observant/interpretive skills, reflective, tolerant of ambiguity, use richer language, empathy
VTS, push through aesthetic stages of development, guided observation, evidence based looking
http://vtshome.org/
Art of Medicine 2013: This session included the aspects of art therapy, (small t therapy, just using art therapy techniques to use other side of their brain), organizational ethicist
It is important to honour curiosity, sometimes it gets squashed
Consider multiple perspectives
Use inquiry-based learning
Questions:
Do residents revisit artwork later?
Suggestion: try exercise where participant spends 3 hrs with one work of art, note observations as they unfold, provide insight to how we quickly make judgements, we see what we think we're supposed to see
Dr. Gregory Davies Student Collaboration, Curatorship and Educational Outreach: ‘Worldly Possessions’ at the McMaster Museum of Art This talk will outline the design of the current ‘Worldly Possessions’ exhibition at the McMaster Museum of Art and focus on student involvement in curatorship and educational outreach through research, tours, activities and electronic media.
Student collaboration, curatorship and educational outreach
Worldly Possessions exhibition video
Context for understanding
Overarching theme: visual culture plays a role in mediating two conflicting ideologies
How did visual culture recognize the conflicting problems of belief system and strong economics?
Moral/ethical concerns
Issue in organizing: breadth of material: places, people, things
Had to change organization of work, viewer has to make connections between work themselves
ROM denied request: complications with display
Instead secured rights to display images
Wall text
Students could choose how they could be involved, designing exhibition, creating media, had two students who wrote wall descriptors
Problem: have to heavily edit some student text
Sensory experience (spices)
Interactive (microscope), alternative sensory experience
Blog monitor in exhibition space
He currently has some students writing papers that will go up on the exhibition blog
Travel exhibition to schools
5 students: open invitation, different courses, be more strategic next time, hand pick students, qualitative issues with writing
Not for credit (original 5)
Nicole Neufeld Seniors in the Studio: Education Programs for an Aging Population Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery For over two years, KW|AG has partnered with the Alzheimer Society Kitchener-Waterloo to jointly deliver gallery programs for individuals living with early onset Alzheimer and their caregivers. This talk will run through program delivery, reveal some of the findings and benefits of delivering programs to seniors, and offer insights into future opportunities and challenges facing this kind of initiative.
Initiated by KW Alzheimer society "Gather at the Gallery"
Based on “Meet me at Moma” program, launched in 2006 moma.org/meetme
Early stages of Alzheimer and their care partner (sometimes couple, child, sinling, friend)
Hosts 4 times a year, 12-20 participants per year
Seven partner institutions
Helps couples develop their relationship in new ways
Both entering unfamiliar space, levels the playing field, both not the expert, both vulnerable and unfamiliar
Under-served demographic
Partnering with service organizations, both bringing something to the table the other can't offer: care workers, skills/tools to support this demographic
Visual literacy and hands on art making programs
Elderly demographic is growing, need to connect in meaningful ways
Mobility, health, cognitive challenges impede participating in events outside the home
Objectives: social engagement, opportunities for self-expression and participation in creative process
Foster a sense of community. Bring vulnerable populations into the gallery in a safe and productive environment
Gallery becomes their space, individuals feel comfortable and believe the gallery would understand their circumstances
90 minutes in 2 parts, good for this demographic
Part one exhibition tour, 10-15 min break for socializing (drink, food), Part two hands on art making
Exhibition tour: 10-15 minutes in front of each artwork (comfortably!!) good chairs
Encourage discussion on what they see with each other, formal qualities, looking at contemporary work, don't assume they don't want to connect with contemporary work
Inquiry based discussion, ask questions, ask for opinions, use works that can create a narrative, try to generate conversation, more so than teach
Ask questions that encourage participants to make a connection with the work, connect to memory, storytelling does this remind you of something...
Second part: art making
Connect with themes in exhibitions, logistical details: accessible materials and supplies, have examples to follow. Activity eg: photos of buildings from the city, can colour them, trace them, experiment with paints/materials
Write out instructions, explain what will be created and how
Introduce to supplies and how to use them
Give time so participant can share their work with others, thoughts
Provide reminders and assurance, humour and encouragement, adapt the program as necessary, give very step by step instructions
Alzheimer society has an end of the year show of their work, exciting for participants
Results
Forum for explorations and exchange of ideas without relying on short term memory
Opportunity to share personal experience and access long term memory, chance to share stories
A learning experience for participants and educators
New insights into peers interests (even if negative towards certain artworks)
Respite from day to day challenges, alternative space
Meaningful intellectual activity, opportunity for personal growth at any age diversification of support networks
Program that includes a concrete, physical piece is helpful
KWAG will be carrying forward this program to long term care facilities, retirement residences
Funding challenges, community foundation grant
Dr. Debra Antoncic, PhD Associate Curator at RiverBrink Debra Antoncic will be speaking on RiverBrink Art Museum’s series of LearnMore Adult Education Courses.
Fine art museum in Queenston, country location (challenging sometimes)
Inability to attract school kids to 1812 exhibit, even with free bussing
Personally interested in adult education, seniors (active, travelling)
First started with "road show", go to the people, but changed to on site
Traditional art history lectures,
Canadian art in Seven
Very popular, more than 40 people signed up
Why popular? Cost: $30 for whole series, 1.5 hours each
A lot of that demographic might not be able to commit to seven, might go to warm place in winter, have dr appt
Also: popular because of lecturer
Supported by Niagara-on-the-Lake by discretionary grants
Workshop component: don't have studios, started with artist demonstrations, another avenue for getting adults interested in art to the museum (jewellery making, painting workshop)
Learn from looking at the actual works of art
Key for their success: keeping it at a modest fee
Artist fees are modest, participants pay to cover materials and artist fee
Coffee/social time: leave it casual, informal discussion question. Gives opportunity for people to ask speaker a question they may not have been comfortable asking in group
Wednesday morning is a good time
Leslie Furness Hamilton Artist and Teacher's College Graduate 2013 Leslie Furness will be doing an interactive presentation about the New Ontario Curriculum for grades 7 to 12 and how museums and galleries can apply this curriculum to learning that happens outside of the classroom setting. In particular, Leslie will speak about her experience leading grade 12s through the McMaster University School of the Arts graduating class exhibition at the McMaster Museum of Art in order for the students to look ahead to opportunities and expectations at the university level.
Teachers have to implement new social studies curriculum by September 24
Leslie is OCT: Ontario College of Teachers certified to teach art and English; she is a Visual and scenic artist
She struggled in school as a visual and spatial learner
One of 9000 newly graduated teachers in Ontario: the course will be changing from one year to two year. The hope is that this will halve the number of graduates each year and create a higher number of job opportunities for new graduates
Teachers can volunteer in schools, to get their name out there
Curriculum: history of policy in Ontario
Give students opportunity to choose programs that suit their skills and interest
Broader range of learning options outside traditional classroom instruction
Students are expected to plan and direct their life and schooling very early (before high school)
Inquiry based learning: a method and strategy for 21st Century learners
Practice critical thinking
Sound opinions and discuss intelligently
Difference between fact and opinion
Learn how to listen to others and respect other's thoughts, ideas, opinions
Student centred learners are presented with problems or issues to be explored and solved
Should be sensitive to learners experiential background
Smaller groups, more eager to talk amongst themselves
Give them a job, student centred learning, don't just talk at them
Teacher led inquiry based learning: teacher is question asker, not answerer (facilitator and guide)
Do have to reinforce content
Process of inquiry: 8
Observe, classify, predict, infer, interpreting data, experimenting, communicating, questioning
Reflecting, responding and analyzing: the emphasis on this is NEW
Share information, make connections between their own experiences and what they're analyzing
Ultimate goal to have students question ideas, concepts, and their opinions
Experiential learning: a field trip
It wasn't easy to get time to get students out: lots of bureaucracy, money, sign forms, teacher has to be an advocate for the trip, they have to push, had to make a meeting w the principal, show curriculum proof, no money to bus them there
Teachers need curriculum connections
Sometimes schools are blogging about their field trips: google your institution to see!
Yesterday was a perfect, warm, sunny day for our Environmentalism and
Sustainability: How our sector is promoting green awareness at Ruthven Park National Historic Site. We had four presenters. Notes on their presentations follow. Natalie Campbell, Education Coordinator At Ruthven Park National Historic Site.
In the bird banding lab at Ruthven Park.
Natalie Campbell is a certified teacher, a
museum lover, and a lifelong learner.She loves the fact that her job involves both Historic Education and
Environmental Education. You are more likely to find her in a pair of mucky boots
than in a pair of stilettos – and that’s the way she likes it! After three
years of working with the bird banders at Ruthven and learning all about birds,
she has finally decided to learn to fly herself. If she is not on a trail,
exploring a new gallery, or enjoying fantastic food, she is probably up in the
air…trying to remember what all the controls do!
Natalie presented on her work as Educator at Ruthven, and included a great trip to the Bird banding lab and wonderful lunch time hike around some of the grounds.
Ruthven Park has 1500 acres of land on both sides of the Grand River, some of which is farmland, trails, Carolinian forests, and even an island with protected species.
Education at Ruthven began with a focus on history; Natalie has a background in environmental education, and so was able to add this very important dimension to Ruthven's programming. Programs cover all the grades; specific focus in grade 4 on habitats, grade 7 on species at risk, and grade 9 on stewardship.
With the diversity of Ruthven's property, programs include information on reptiles, insects, mammals and birds. The Butterfly Meadow is an area of future focus for the site.
With a trip to the Bird banding lab we got a hands-on experience of the birding program at Ruthven. The banders have been working there for 19 years, and received 2800 visitors last year. Data collected at the lab is internationally available for researchers. Answers to frequently asked questions for the bird banders can be found here.
Ruthven has models of about seven of the species that can be found on its property. These are highly detailed, life sized replicas, used for school groups and other visitors, and are particularly useful in teaching visually-impaired students.
Ruthven has four staff members, complemented by about 4 or 5 summer students seasonally.
Karen Dearlove was born and
raised in Cambridge, Ontario.She
received a PhD in History from McMaster University, and while in graduate
school was active in public and local history.She worked as an interpreter and supervisor at McDougall Cottage, a
community museum owned and operated by the Region of Waterloo.She also served on the steering committee for
the recently opened Waterloo Region Museum in Kitchener.Karen chaired the City of Cambridge Archives
Board for several years, and with the archives board spear-headed two local
history symposiums held in Cambridge in 2007 and 2009.After graduating from McMaster University,
Karen worked in the Brantford area as Executive Director of the Canadian
Industrial Heritage Centre and Executive Director of the Living History
Multimedia Association.Karen is a managing
editor and regular contributor to the Active History website.Since May 2011 Karen has worked as Curator
for Chiefswood National Historic Site on the Six Nations of the Grand River
Territory.
Karen presented on the restored tall grass prairie program and how environmental education has been built around it at Cheifswood.
Chiefswood is a 4.5 acre property (originally 225 acres), first owned by George HM Johnson, a Mohawk chief. He married Emily Howles, and began building the home you now find on the property in the 1850s. He worked as an interpreter for an Anglican missionary. The youngest daughter of Emily and George was the famous poet Pauline Johnson, born in 1861. The home has gone through several restorations, and was designated as a national heritage site in 1992.
In the late 1990s, a study was completed of the natural ground, and a proscribed burn was recommended for the property on the north side of the house. This readied the area for the reintroduction of natural species of the tall grass prairie, found throughout the Carolinian forest and Grand river plains areas. There is less than 1% of these tall grass prairies left due to agriculture, development, and invasive species. These areas are very important, as they support many animal and insect species native to this area.
A wonderful tie in between the history of the property's residents and the natural history/resources on the site, the tall grass prairie program, including 1 full acre of land, has educational material which illustrates Native American uses for these plants. Detailed brochures are available which outline these different plant species throughout the seasons. Find links to these brochures here. Karen has noted Native American Ethnobotany as a very good resource for this research. About every five years they preform a prescribed burn to keep the tall grass prairie acre healthy. Future plans are to build raised bed gardens, focusing on the three sisters traditional Native planting methods.
Katie is
the Supervisor of Energy & Environmental Conservation with the Grand Erie
District School Board. Katie graduated from Laurier and Nipissing University
Brantford’s Concurrent Education Program with minors in History, English and
Religion. Her role as the Environmental Officer involves energy monitoring and
conservation, water regulation and conservation, coordinating waste (solid and
hazardous), recycling, environmental education, school ground greening, and
other environmental initiatives.
Katie presented on
environmental education within the public school board and other opportunities
for cross-curricular (esp. historical) involvement. A brief overview of the
GEDSB’s Environmental Symposium and programs was also discussed.
In her work with the GEDSB, Katie covers many topics in regards to environmentalism and sustainability, including energy reduction, solar generation, waste management, water conservation, school ground greening, and more.
The school in the board are outfitted with green products (with much research gone into custodial products that are safe to use), but all teachers, staff and students need to know how to properly use these resources. A great example of this is recycling. If people don't understand what goes where, or if bins are not placed alongside of garbage cans, then the green-ness of the school is affected.
All this environmental education is cross-curricular, and mandated, Ontario-wide. Find here grades 1-8, and grades 9-12.
http://www.ontarioecoschools.org/
Ontario EcoSchools: a K-12 program, which teachers/schools can enter into voluntarily. Twenty of GEDSB are certified. This self-assessed program has categories including Energy Conservation, Waste Management, School Ground Greening, Environmental Stewardship and Environmental Education.
To note for museums: field trips count towards this certification.
The Environmental Youth Symposium also offers museums a way to partner with school boards. In recent years, the Bell Homestead has participated with a workshop involving ideas surrounding "make do and mend", with accompanying activities (such as "re-glue the broken pot" and "sew up this shirt").
A helpful resource for environmental education teachers: Project Wild, from the Canadian Wildlide Federation.
Merri Fergusson, Education Program Supervisor and Lindsay Doren, Lead Historic Interpreter at the Museums of Mississauga.
Merri
Fergusson longs to own a heritage home, live off the land and preserve time
honoured ways of doing everything!Till
then she works at the Museums of Mississauga as the Education Program
Supervisor helping visitors connect their own experiences with the past and
sometimes pretending she lives in Bradley House!
Lindsay is the Lead Historic Interpreter at
the Museums of Mississauga. She started with the Museum’s 4 years ago as
a historic interpreter and has held a variety of roles there including Acting
Collections Assistant. She is a graduate of Fleming’s Museum Management
& Curatorship program. Feel free to ask about her zombie apocalypse
survival plan.
Merri and Lindsay presented a program at the Museums of Mississaugua which explores an early settler’s life to discover how they embraced ‘Reduce, Reuse &
Recycle’.This program offered to
Overnight Groups meets some of the requirements of Guiding & Scouting
badges.
An interesting activity that they have used is the "recycled shirt". Like a scavenger hunt, visitors are introduced to the idea of reuse: what would you do with a shirt that is beyond mending? What do you *currently* do with a shirt that needs mending? Throughout the house there are reuse example: aprons, dolls, potholder, braided rug.
Food is also part of this reuse activity. Some programming allows children to cook with "leftovers", making dishes such as soups and bread puddings. Other resources which are reused: water, light, and even (theoretically!) urine. This factoid is a big hit with the small kids.
All these reuse examples spark discussion with the visitors as to what they do at home. Do you turn on lights during a sunny day? Reduce your water usage? Hang clothes up on a line to dry? Save and reuse leftover food?
