Imagining a National Research Centre: Decolonization, Commemoration, and Institutional Space A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Faculty of Arts and Science TRENT UNIVERSITY Peterborough, Ontario, Canada (c) Copyright by Megan Kathleen Hull 2015 Canadian Studies and Indigenous Studies M.A. Graduate Program May 2015 ABSTRACT Imagining a National Research Centre: Decolonization, Commemoration, and Institutional Space Megan Kathleen Hull The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) convened in 2008 and focused on the impact of the residential school on Indigenous people in Canada. It was intended to initiate healing in Indigenous communities while contributing to new understandings between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians. In 2015, the TRC’s mandate must be completed, and its final task is creating a National Research Centre (NRC) at the University of Manitoba that will hold all of the documentation generated and collected throughout the TRC’s tenure. In this thesis I examine many of the challenges the NRC faces, such as lack of funding, institutional oversight, and the enormity of balancing the needs of Indigenous survivors and their communities against building an accessible archive. At a broader level, questions remain about how successful the TRC has been in achieving reconciliation between Indigenous and non- Indigenous Canadians, and how the NRC can work to fulfill this goal. KEYWORDS Indigenous; Canada; truth and reconciliation; residential schools; museums; archives; memorial centres ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis was a project interrupted by the birth of my daughter, and I would like to thank my supervisor, Julia Harrison, for her patience and support as I dealt with all the challenges of motherhood and writing a thesis part time. Thanks for sticking with me, Julia. Thank you to my committee, Michael Eamon and John Milloy for their time providing thoughtful insight and direction. I would also like to thank my external examiner, Cara Krmpotich, for her insightful thoughts on my thesis. I was part of an inspiring cohort at Trent, and learned so much from my fellow students. I will always be grateful for the experience of learning with each of them. I gratefully acknowledge the financial support I received for this thesis from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada in the form of the Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship. My family and friends were instrumental in the completion of this project. My partner Brandon Vickerd and our daughter Beatrice have been immeasurably supportive and patient with my work on this project. Thank you to my parents, Mel and Judy Hull, and my sister, Stephanie Hull, and my best friend, Sam Docherty, for their support. Thank you all so much. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................ vi CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 Methodology ................................................................................................................. 13 CHAPTER TWO .............................................................................................................. 20 Colonialism in Canada .................................................................................................. 20 Residential Schools in Canada ...................................................................................... 25 Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada ........................................................ 30 Transitional Justice ....................................................................................................... 32 Truth and Reconciliation Commissions ........................................................................ 34 The National Research Centre ...................................................................................... 46 CHAPTER THREE .......................................................................................................... 50 Decolonizing Museums and Archives .......................................................................... 50 Museums in Canada ...................................................................................................... 51 Archives in Canada ....................................................................................................... 63 Indigenous Museums .................................................................................................... 70 Memorial Centres.......................................................................................................... 73 Thoughts on the National Research Centre .................................................................. 75 CHAPTER FOUR ............................................................................................................. 78 The National Research Centre ...................................................................................... 78 The National Research Forum ...................................................................................... 79 Building the National Research Centre......................................................................... 83 Name and Funding ........................................................................................................ 84 Location ........................................................................................................................ 87 Electronic Accessibility ................................................................................................ 90 Privacy Act.................................................................................................................... 91 Education ...................................................................................................................... 93 The Trust Deed and Administrative Agreement ........................................................... 94 CHAPTER FIVE .............................................................................................................. 98 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 98 The Goal of Reconciliation ........................................................................................... 99 iv Decolonization ............................................................................................................ 104 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................... 118 APPENDIX A ................................................................................................................. 130 APPENDIX B ................................................................................................................. 132 APPENDIX C ................................................................................................................. 144 APPENDIX D ................................................................................................................. 158 v LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS All abbreviations refer to Canadian institutions, organizations, acts, etc., unless otherwise noted. AHF Aboriginal Healing Foundation CMC Canadian Museum of Civilization CEP Common Experience Payment CMHR Canadian Museum of Human Rights FIPPA Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Manitoba) GSC Geological Survey of the Province of Canada HREOC Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (Australia) HRV Human Rights Violations Committee (South Africa) IAP Independent Assessment Process IRSSA Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement IRSSC Indian Residential School Survivor Committee LAC Library and Archives Canada NRC National Research Centre NMC National Museums of Canada NWAC Native Women’s Association of Canada RCAP Royal Commission on Aboriginal People SNAP Systemic National Acquisition Program SAS State Archives Service (South Africa) TRC Indian Residential School Truth and Reconciliation Commission U of M University of Manitoba vi 1 CHAPTER ONE Introduction A cornerstone of the Indian Settlement Agreement is the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission. This Commission presents a unique opportunity to educate all Canadians on the Indian Residential Schools system. It will be a positive step in forging a new relationship between Aboriginal peoples and other Canadians, a relationship based on the knowledge of our shared history, a respect for each other and a desire to move forward with a renewed understanding that strong families, strong communities and vibrant cultures and traditions will contribute to a stronger Canada for all of us. Prime Minister Stephen Harper Statement of Apology to Survivors of Indian Residential Schools June 11, 2008 In 2008, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, on behalf of both the Canadian government and the nation’s citizens, offered a formal apology