Inspired by the experiences of Survivors, this upcoming online exhibition chronicles the history of the Indian and tuberculosis hospitals in British Columbia and Alberta from the 1940s to the early 1970s. Survivor accounts are told through video and audio testimonies, archival documents and digitized artifacts which capture and convey their lived experiences and the ongoing implications for Indigenous communities. The exhibition highlights this forgotten chapter in Canadian history and provides an important dimension of understanding to reconciliation by demonstrating that Indian hospitals, like residential schools, need to be part of the ongoing education, dialogue and attempts to disrupt colonialism. This virtual exhibition is funded in part by a Virtual Museum of Canada Virtual Exhibits grant focusing on the history of the Indian and tuberculosis (TB) hospitals in BC and Alberta.

The IRSHDC, the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC), Kukpi7 (Chief) Christian and the Splatsin community are collaborating on an exhibition and publication to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the Indian Child Caravan. In April 1980, the Spallumcheen Band Chief and Council passed a by-law for the care of Aboriginal children as a reaction to the alarmingly high percentage of Aboriginal children who were being removed from their homes by non-band agencies. Recognizing the vital importance of children to their community, the Spallumcheen Band wished to assert their authority to care for their own children and find community-based solutions to avoid the placement of children with non-Indian families. The Indian Child Caravan was a demonstration that took place over the Thanksgiving weekend, October 9-13, 1980. The exhibition will serve to educate the public about this pivotal event in the history of Indigenous child welfare in Canada and the implications it continues to have for advocacy and awareness of child and youth welfare.

The Transformative Memory Project is an international network of scholars, artists and community-based memory workers who share knowledge on ways that memory may be used to remind people of the responsibilities they have towards the well-being and rights of others, particularly in the aftermath of mass violence. This interdisciplinary research network is led by UBC faculty and staff alongside international partners. Current UBC units associated with the project include the School of Social Work and Liu Institute for Global Issues (project principal investigators) as well as First Nations and Indigenous Studies, Political Science, the Interdisciplinary Studies Graduate Program, History, and the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre.

In partnership with the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery and Western Front, the Centre is currently undertaking a multi-year project to enhance discovery and access to the records of important cultural material, media, and art. Using CollectiveAccess, a content management software, this collaborative project will develop innovative and nuanced tools for processing, managing and delivering digital content. This project is funded in part through a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Strategy Fund. 

In partnership with UBC’s Indigenous Research Support Initiative (IRSI), the Centre engaged with Indigenous communities, Survivors, researchers and information professionals to discuss issues around stewardship of Indigenous data, information and records. This dialogue series was supported by an Indigenous Research Capacity and Reconciliation Connection Grant from the Social Sciences and Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).