Community Archival Practice: Indigenous Grassroots Collaboration at the Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre

Abstract

Community-based archives can provide a voice for marginalized groups, add new viewpoints to the traditional historical record, and preserve heritage that has been left out of traditional archives and museums. Canada's colonial roots have greatly affected the relationship between archives, libraries, museums, and Aboriginal communities. The archival record in traditional repositories has often presented a fragmented, one-sided version of Aboriginal history. Indigenous community archives have the potential to correct this bias and include Indigenous voices in the historical narrative. The Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre was founded in the hope of creating an archival space that is rooted in residential school survivor narratives. This case study analyzes the importance of archival practice that is informed by cultural and ethical best practices, offering a model for Indigenous community archival practice.