Dialogues
Dialogue Series on Indigenous Data, Information and Records
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). The first dialogue was held at UBC Vancouver in January 2019, the second at UBC Okanagan in Kelowna in April and the third at University of Northern BC in Prince George in May. More than 400 people have attended the dialogues to date.
Through these dialogues, the Centre has connected with Indigenous communities, Survivors and Intergenerational Survivors to discuss issues around the stewardship of Indigenous data and records, as well as access protocols for records at the Centre, and at UBC more broadly. Part of these conversations centered around hearing feedback on the Centre’s work to date and listening and learning how the Centre can better serve and address the needs of Survivors and their communities moving forward.
A core theme of the dialogue series is the need for institutions to re-evaluate their research protocols with communities, ensuring that their work with Indigenous Peoples is human-centered. At the Centre in particular, its digital systems are guided by community-led directives and the needs of Survivors and their families. These dialogues are intended as not just one-day events, but the start of continued conversations with communities.
- Read the summary report from the January dialogue which highlights the main themes of discussion
UNDRIP Dialogues
The Centre has also held two dialogues on the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in BC.
In October 2018, the Centre hosted a special dialogue session on Implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration) in British Columbia. The session brought together Indigenous, government, industry, labour, and civil society leaders, experts, and influencers for an open and frank exchange about the importance, challenges, and paths forward in respecting the human rights of Indigenous peoples in the UN Declaration.
Nearly one year later, the Centre hosted a follow-up session on November 4, 2019. The session brought together First Nations leaders, lawyers, community members and those working in government to discuss potential challenges in implementing BC’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), using the UN Declaration as a framework for reconciliation.