Contract Position Description December 10, 2020
Position Title
Archival Assistant – Ridington-Dane-zaa Digital Archive Repatriation Project
Project Background
The Ridington-Dane-zaa Digital Archive (RDA) project is a collaborative digital repatriation initiative between:
• The Ridington family ethnographers and their Dane-zaa heritage collection(s)i, • The Dane-zaa (Dene peoples indigenous to the Peace River region) communities whose culture is documented by the Ridington Collection: o Blueberry River First Nation o Doig River First Nation o Halfway River First Nation o Prophet River First Nation • University & industry partners including: o UBC CEDaR Lab as interim platform/portal host and steward o BC Hydro as community archive capacity development funder o Nation Governance Initiative, grant issued to Doig River First Nation by New Relationship Trust to help define Athabaskan / Dane-zaa specific protocols for stewardship including access, use, attribution and sharing (2020-2021) https://www.newrelationshiptrust.ca/funding/nation-governance/ o (potentially) UNBC as interim archival storage for physical master materials. Place for final storage to be determined. Options being explored at this time include: § Tse Kwą̂ Heritage Centre at Charlie Lake, BC § Dene Heritage Centre (in proposal/development stage for Indigenous communities of the Peace River Region)
Goal
The goal of this project is to digitally archive and catalog the entire Ridington collection so that it can be returned (repatriated) to communities for their use and stewardship.
Ridington-Dane-zaa Collection History
The Ridington Collection of Dane-zaa audio recordings, images, video recordings, and texts began in 1964 after Robin Ridington and Antonia Mills (Antonia Ridington at the time) had met at Harvard University in 1963 as students, married, and began their field work with the Dane-zaa. Since their initial fieldwork, which included extensive periods of time living with the Dane-zaa, they have been joined by collaborators who have contributed to the collection over time (see endnote).
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The Ridington collection is highly valued by the Dane-zaa communities. It contains over 4000 images, 600 hours of audio, and an as-yet uncalculated (estimated to be over 100) number of hours of digital video recordings, along with textual documents, transcripts of recordings, and genealogical charts. The archive documents Dane-zaa culture over a 56-year period (as of 2020) and represents the largest existing collection of materials about a sub-Arctic group.
The collection is maintained by Dr. Robin Ridington and Jillian Ridington (Robin’s collaborator and wife) at their home, and has never been deposited with an archival institution. The majority of the collection has been digitized, thanks to support from the First Nations and a number of granting agencies (see endnote).
The Old Series (1964-1971) has been catalogued, but needs updating with georeferences, identification of some individuals and places, and Indigenous subject categories for organizing content.
The New Series (1979-present) has not been systematically catalogued and digital files have not been consistently named.
Skillset / Experience Required
• Archive or library science degree / training • Experience working with Indigenous collections and repatriation initiatives and/or sensitive content • Digital File Formatting & Management (accessioning) • Database data entry experience • Familiarity with Microsoft Excel, Adobe Creative suite, object oriented database system(s) • Research • Workflow documentation / training
Duties and Responsibilities
The work will involve the following duties as assigned by the supervisor.
1. Data Entry Transferring information from word catalogues and logs into a metadata spreadsheet (the fields for the Metadata sheet have already been defined)
2. Quality Assurance Standardizing digital asset naming (unique IDs), accession workflow, and error identification/rectification
3. Media Formatting Reformatting digital media so that there are Digital Masters & Low Resolution Use Copies associated with each media asset (knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite would be an asset)
4. Media Upload Uploading media and metadata into the archival platform
5. Recontextualization Associating related materials that may have become fragmented within the Ridington Collection 2
a. translations associated with differently-formatted media files such as cassette tape copies or DAT copies of original Reel to Reel audio recordings b. images with audio recordings taken at the same time/event by reviewing original catalogues and field notes
6. Digital Tools / Platform Customization Research Researching options for displaying heritage in timelines, themed maps, kinship/genealogy charts, etc.
7. Reporting Documenting methodologies and identifying challenges and successes encountered during the project.
Learning Opportunities
This position will provide the successful applicant with experience working with an interdisciplinary team of professionals, ethnographers, and Indigenous stakeholders as they develop and optimize a digital archive system for Indigenous heritage materials tailored to the particular social organization and needs of Dane-zaa/Athapaskan peoples, as regards database categories and Dane- zaa/Athapaskan-specific principles for ownership, use, attribution, circulation, and protection of physical and digital heritage materials.
A successful applicant will finish with a strong portfolio showcasing their contributions to: Indigenous- Dane-zaa-centred digital asset management protocols, indigenization/decolonization practices, and interactive media display research and development.
Timeline: ¾ time over 3 months
• Start January 2021; End March 31 2021. • 365 hours are budgeted, which is approximately 3/4 time over a 3 month period. • There is possibility the project and position will be extended, depending on funding.
Compensation
Base rate starting at $25/hr, with compensation to be assessed according to experience.
Contractor and Supervisor
Project coordinator: Amber Ridington, MA. Folklorist & Heritage Consultant. www.amberridington.com
Contract Working Environment
• Work will be conducted from the successful applicant’s home/office. • The successful applicant must provide their own computer and act as an independent contractor or freelancer. If specialized software is needed, that can be charged as a project expense.
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Application Deadline and Contact
Please send inquiries and applications (resume and cover letter/email) to:
Amber Ridington (Project coordinator) E: [email protected] C: 604 516-9977
(Applications will be reviewed on Dec 24, 2020, however the position will remain open until filled)
i Ridington Collection Bios:
- Dr. Antonia Mills (previously Antonia Ridington) is Professor Emeritus in First Nations Studies at UNBC. She has studied with the Dane-zaa since 1964 when she began her doctoral work with them in conjunction with her husband at the time, Robin Ridington, who was also studying with the Dane- zaa. Antonia holds a PhD from Harvard University (1982), has conducted research with numerous other Athapaskan communities in BC, and served as an expert witness for the Witsuwit’en during their Delgamuukw Land Claims Case. She has authored three books and numerous articles on Athapaskan culture. https://www.unbc.ca/first-nations-studies/faculty
- Dr. Robin Ridington is Professor Emeritus in Anthropology at UBC and is the leading expert on Dane-zaa oral traditions. He has been documenting culture with Dane-zaa communities since he began his doctoral work with them in 1964 in conjunction with his wife at the time, Antonia Mills (previously Antonia Ridington). Robin holds a PhD from Harvard University (1967) and has authored four books and numerous articles about the Dane-zaa as well as collaborating on radio and digital productions about Dane-zaa culture and history. https://anth.ubc.ca/faculty/robin-ridington/
- Jillian Ridington: In 1978, Dr. Robin Ridington was joined by his wife, ethnographer and writer Jillian Ridington, who holds an M.A. in Sociology from the University of British Columbia . Robin and Jillian Ridington continue to work with Dane-zaa peoples, to collaborate on radio and digital video productions about Dane-zaa culture and history, and to curate an extensive archive of Dane-zaa audio and video recordings, images, fieldnotes, texts, and genealogical charts. The genealogical work integrated information from the Ridington/Dane-zaa Archive with Department of Indian Affairs and baptismal records, corroborating the data through consultations with the Dane-zaa, then creating a comprehensive computer database with information about families from all the Dane-zaa First Nations, and reaching back to the 1700s.
- Howard Broomfield: Howard Broomfield was a sound artist who worked with R. Murray Shafer at SFU as part of his World Soundscape Project. Howard Joined Dr. Robin Ridington and Jillian Ridington in 1979 as a sound documentarian. He helped document everyday activities and became a valued friend of the Doig River community.
- Amber Ridington: Amber Ridington is a folklorist and heritage consultant. She is the daughter of anthropologists Antonia Mills and Robin Ridington, has spent extended periods of time in Dane-zaa communities since she was born in Dane-zaa territory in 1969, and has continued to work with the Dane-zaa communities as an adult. Along with her knowledge of Dane-zaa culture and communities, Amber has academic training in anthropology, archaeology, and folklore. Amber holds an MA in Folk Studies from Western Kentucky University (2002), and began a doctoral program in Folklore at Memorial University of Newfoundland in 2004. She has worked extensively on collaborative digital heritage projects with Dane-zaa and Tse’khene groups in BC. www.amberridington.com
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Amber’s participatory / collaborative projects of note with the Dane-zaa include:
o 2020: We Are The People of The Peace: From Wǫlii Nachíí (Giant Animals) to Mega Dams. Travelling Exhibit developed by the 13 communities affected by the Site C Dam. o 2007: Dane Wajich: Dane-zaa Stories and Songs – Dreamers and the Land (virtual exhibit) o 2004: Hadaa ka naadzet: The Dane-zaa Moose Hunt o 2003: Ridington / Dane-zaa Digital Archive portal (old series materials only)
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