Indigenous advisors will be hired to help rewrite a 1990 museum policy to promote “equity, diversity and inclusion,” the Department of Canadian Heritage said yesterday..Payments include $100 per hour to elders and “knowledge keepers” for comment on Canada’s colonial past, according to Blacklock's Reporter..“Given Canada’s colonial past, the department recognizes First Nations, Inuit and Métis see themselves as distinct from Canadians and colonial history and assimilation efforts by Canada, including museums, has affected indigenous culture, language and heritage,” the department wrote in a notice to contractors..“Recognizing the unique challenges and perspectives of indigenous peoples in relation to their heritage and the historically colonial museum sector, this contract seeks to gather observations and recommendations on issues related to indigenous heritage,” said the notice Engaging Indigenous Partners Towards The Renewal Of Canada’s Museum Policy..The consultation was budgeted at $75,000..“Advisory services will be paid as appropriate and primarily to elders, knowledge keepers or wisdom keepers for participation in an interview, meeting, focus group or equivalent, and preparation time, at the following rates: $100 per hour,” said the notice..“The engagements will seek indigenous perspectives on the role of museums in society, resilience and sustainability in the heritage sector, preservation and access to collections and promoting equity, diversity and inclusion,” wrote staff. “The findings and report from the contractor will be used to inform the renewal of the museum policy.”.The museum policy rewrite comes after a 2019 Framework For History And Commemoration issued by cabinet that proposed an overhaul of historical interpretation..“In Canadian history colonialism, patriarchy and racism are examples of ideologies and structures that have profound legacies,” said the Framework. “There is a need to be cognizant of, and to confront, these legacies. This contributes to the ongoing process of truth telling and reconciliation.”.So far, revisionism has resulted in the federal Historic Sites and Monuments Board review designations of 24 forts due to “colonial assumptions.” The list includes Fort Steele in British Columbia, Fort Whoop-Up in Alberta, Fort Qu’Appelle in Saskatchewan, Fort La Reine in Manitoba, Fort Malden in Ontario, Fort Laprairie in Québec, Fort Howe in New Brunswick and Fort Edward in Nova Scotia..Anti-colonial revisions also saw Library and Archives Canada in 2021 scrub its website of essays commemorating Fathers of Confederation, John A. Macdonald, the War of 1812 and other Canadiana. The purge was ordered by Chief Archivist Leslie Weir following emails from one complainant, Toronto Star reporter Jacques Gallant..“Indigenous scholars have said the government should acknowledge it was wrong to keep the web pages up until this time and the government should apologize,” reporter Gallant wrote in a June 8, 2021 email. “Does Library and Archives Canada believe it was wrong to keep these pages up all this time?”.“Does Library and Archives Canada plan to apologize?” asked the reporter. Weir then apologized.
