Open AccessResidential School Community Archives
Author(s) -
Krista McCracken,
Skylee-Storm Hogan
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of critical library and information studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2572-1364
DOI - 10.24242/jclis.v3i2.115
Subject(s) - indigenous , grief , colonialism , government (linguistics) , historical trauma , sociology , political science , history , media studies , law , psychology , medicine , nursing , ecology , linguistics , philosophy , biology , psychotherapist
Colonial archives are sites of trauma, erasure, and grief for many marginalized communities. In Canada the vast majority of archives relating to Indigenous peoples are held by government, church, and non-Indigenous archives. Colonial archives have actively taken Indigenous culture and heritage away from communities and made it inaccessible to those who the records are about. Many archives containing information relating to Residential Schools have just begun to grapple with the ethical and professional obligations that come from holding records that document colonial violence, abuse, death, and assimilationist practices. This article explores the practices of the Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre (SRSC) community archive and the ways in which the SRSC supports community healing and navigates traumatic archival records. Since its establishment the SRSC archives has been a place of raw emotion and grief, but also a place of tremendous community strength, healing, and resilience. This article will explore the trauma associated with archives of Residential Schools and the ongoing navigation of archival spaces which embody loss and community.Pre-print first published online 09/28/2021