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Friends of the BC Archives Newsletter July 2018 Vol. 17 No. 4

In this Issue: Ø Indigenous Research Fund Ø Terry Reksten Memorial Fund Updates Ø Recent & Upcoming Events Ø Congratulations to FBCA Members Ø Constitution & Bylaws

FBCA Indigenous Research Fund

In May, the FBCA launched the Indigenous Research Fund (IRF). This initiative was undertaken as a response to the 2015 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and is funded by the FBCA with support from the Royal BC Museum & Archives.

The IRF is intended to increase access to the collections of the BC Archives for Indigenous peoples and is open to any individuals (youth, student, adult, elder) who self-identify as Indigenous (, Metis, Inuit) or organizations with a mandate to serve the interests of Indigenous peoples.

Applications to the fund are now being received. The FBCA Board would like to thank Angie Bain, researcher with the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, and Dr. Keith Smith, from the Indigenous/Xwulmuxw Studies Department at Vancouver Island University, for participating in the IRF adjudication committee.

For further details about the Fund, please visit the FBCA website.

1 2 Terry Reksten Memorial Fund: Updates from 2017 Recipients

Simpcw First Nation Archives Two Simpcw First Nation contract workers are currently putting in time, between other work, into the Simpcw Archives photograph rehousing project funded by a $1,000 grant from the FBCA. Our Natural Resource Department summer student, Sadie Lawrence, has also just been trained to assist in accessioning and rehousing photographs as part of this project. A third Simpcw member was working on the project in April and May and I am assisting through training as well as rehousing, accessioning and data entry. Things are moving along well. We are aiming for a deadline of June 30th, 2018 to finish rehousing as many photographs as we can based on how many archival envelopes we were able to purchase using the grant (1000 small envelopes and other larger ones, files etc.) We are just finishing up rehousing the Clearwater Forest District Traditional Use Study (TUS) photographs (1997), about 300 images. We have begun rehousing the Robson Valley Forest District TUS photos (1998-1999), likely another 300 or more. Then we will begin working on another collection, the Marianne Boelscher anthropology images (1985 to 1988). These will be followed by Community Events albums (1970s to 2000s). The Terry Reksten Memorial Grant is greatly appreciated. Please visit our webpage for more information about our services: http://www.simpcw.com/archives-genealogy.htm - Submitted by Celia Nord, Archives Coordinator, Simpcw First Nation

Museum at Campbell River The Museum at Campbell River was honoured to receive a grant from the Terry Reksten Memorial Fund in 2017. This grant is helping us to digitize 21 aural histories from our collection. The old media are deteriorating so this digitization helps us to ensure the information is not lost. After sorting through our aural history collection, we've chosen our 21 cassette tapes and we're looking forward to being able to access them more easily once the transfer to digital format has been completed. - Submitted by Megan Purcell, Collections Manager, Museum at Campbell River

2 3 Recent Events

May 20: Spatial History: Locating Early Settlers in the Cowichan Valley We concluded our Spring 2018 series of monthly talks with a presentation by FBCA member Jim Ward. Jim is a retired petroleum engineer and a director of the Cobble Hill Historical Society. His illustrated talk provided us with an overview of his innovative research project that utilizes a geographical information system [GIS] to locate early colonial settlers in the south Cowichan Valley. As he explained, GIS is a computer system capable of capturing, storing, analyzing and displaying geographically referenced information. With GIS, attribute information (about people, places and events) is linked to spatial information (points on the earth). He demonstrated the power of GIS by showing multiple layers of information on a digital map of Shawnigan Lake. Among the settlers identified were 78 colonists who first came to the Cowichan Valley in August 1862 from Victoria on board the HMS Hecate. These settlers were allowed to pre-empt land from the Crown on condition that they “improved” the land by erecting buildings and by clearing the land of timber in preparation for agriculture. The Hecate colonists have been valorized in popular history, yet relatively few of them stayed in the area for more than a few years. However, some of their successors prospered in the valley for many generations. Jim illustrated his talk with records from the BC Archives and the Land Title and Survey Authority of BC. Following his presentation, he fielded many questions from an appreciative audience of FBCA members and guests, who were keen to learn more about colonial settlers, Indigenous peoples, and the potential of GIS.

Congratulations to FBCA members Ben Bradley and Wayne Norton

Recently, Dr. Ben Bradley received the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Historical Writing from the Historical Federation. The medal recognizes the author whose book has made the most significant contribution to the historical literature of British Columbia. Ben launched his award-winning book British Columbia by the Road: Car Culture and the Making of a Modern Landscape (UBC Press, 2017] to the FBCA in September 2017.

Wayne Norton recently received the Community History Award for his book Fernie at War: 1914-1919 (Caitlin Press, 2017). “This award recognizes the importance of preserving local histories as well as broader provincial histories.” Wayne gave a presentation to the Friends of the BC Archives on his book in February this year.

3 4 Upcoming FBCA Events

September 16: Lauren Buttle Lauren Buttle, paper conservator for the Royal BC Museum & Archives, will relate some of the historical background and conservation work leading up to a future exhibit on Frederick Dally, a UK-born photographer prominent in BC during the . Lauren will discuss conservation considerations for the display of Dally’s photographs. She will also provide advice on caring for your own historic records and photo albums. October 21: Michael Kluckner (and FBCA Annual General Meeting) Michael Kluckner, a well-known heritage activist, artist and writer, will be speaking about his new book, Julia, a graphic biography of Julia W. Henshaw, a writer-botanist war hero of a century ago. Michael is president of the Vancouver Historical Society and chair of the City of Vancouver Heritage Commission. He will be describing his research for the book and how archival records have informed his previous work, including Vanishing British Columbia, Victoria The Way It Was, and Paving Paradise: Is British Columbia Losing Its Heritage? For details about Julia visit http://www.michaelkluckner.com/julia.html November 18: Cliff Caprani Award-winning film maker Cliff Caprani will be describing the archival research behind his documentary on Sidney Rich, a BC resident who volunteered to serve in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War and who lost his life in a battle known as Sanctuary Wood. Cliff will describe the steps he took in researching the life and times of Sidney Rich and how his subject exemplified the war effort in BC. Cliff will show and narrate his documentary film at the event which will be held a week after Remembrance Day and a century after the Armistice of 1918. For more about Cliff visit https://sidneyrich.ca/podcasts/

Constitution & Bylaws

The FBCA was incorporated under the 1997 Society Act, a statute that has been replaced by the 2016 Societies Act. We are required to "transition" from the previous act to the new one before November 2018. The transition process was an opportunity for the FBCA Board of Directors to revise and update our bylaws and constitution. Instead of going forward with a boiler-plate document from the 1997 Act, we have crafted bylaws and a constitution that better reflect the aims and objectives of the Friends and the operations of our Board. We will be sending a draft of our new bylaws and constitution to FBCA members in the weeks ahead. Board members hope the membership will approve and adopt the

4 5 Friends of the BC Archives (FBCA) Membership & Donation Form

I wish to become a member of the FBCA

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Email:______Please make cheques payable to “Friends of the British Columbia Archives.” Membership Fees Send with form to: Student (full time) $15 Senior (60 plus) $15 Friends of the British Columbia Archives c/o BC Archives Individual $20 Royal British Columbia Museum Family $30 675 Belleville St. Victoria, B.C. V8W 9W2

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Add a subscription to British Columbia History, a quarterly magazine published by the British Columbia Historical Federation. Special discount price to FBCA members, $20. [The newsstand price of this illustrated magazine is $7.50 per issue, without taxes.]

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