To Every Artifact Its Voice: Creating Surrogates for Hand-Crafted Indigenous Objects

Abstract

This article reports on findings from qualitative research undertaken with a group of Aboriginal seniors in Toronto, Canada, to assess how a community-based collection of handcrafted objects could be used to evoke memories of maker culture (craft), as well as to foster meaning-making-all in the course of gathering elements requisite to representing each item in a documented surrogate. The article will discuss how the need to give voice to this unique collection both challenges and enriches traditional approaches to representing and organizing artifacts. A rethinking of surrogate records that center the Indigenous experience in the cataloging process is proposed.

Affective Presence: The Metonymical Catalogue

“…The affective quality of the object record presented by Aanischaaukamikw resonates with Krmpotich's current research that brings Anishinaabeg and Cree seniors into physical contact with a community artifact collection and museum collections (Howarth and Knight ; Krmpotich et al. ).…”

Indians in the Database

“…My goal throughout this project was to build and maintain reciprocal relationships with research participants. If a researcher is to engage in good faith with Indigenous Peoples, the researcher must be prepared to adopt their methods to better support an Indigenous epistemology (Datta, 2018;Howarth & Knight, 2015;Kovach, 2009;Roy, 2015;Wilson, 2008). Datta (2018) argues that many western research methodologies can be adapted to better fit an Indigenous worldview, however the researcher must remain cognisant of the many power dynamics at play, especially as a researcher operating in a colonial institution conducting research with Indigenous Peoples.…”

“…Wilson (2008) similarly notes that Indigenous research must be based in the relationship between researcher and participants. Indigenous researchers must therefore keep their relationship to the community in mind, whoever that may entail, ensuring the participants have the opportunity to benefit from the results (Datta, 2018;Howarth & Knight, 2015;Lougheed et al, 2015). 7 students, a decision that was not made lightly.…”

Co-Producing Community and Knowledge: Indigenous Epistemologies of Engaged, Ethical Research in an Urban Context

“…The TNCHP rebranded itself in 2012 as First Story Toronto, which is composed primarily of a volunteer committee of "history activists," who provide one mechanism through which the NCCT is held accountable in its relational responsibilities within the community, beyond the usual accountability of non-profit organization membership. Ongoing First Story Toronto activities include bus tours of the city (Johnson, 2013), the First Story Toronto smartphone application (Howard, 2015), and specific projects such as "Indigenous, Women, Memory and Power" (Abel, Freeman, Howard and Shirt, In Press), and Memory, Meaning-Making and Collections (Howarth & Knight, 2015;Krmpotich, Howard, & Knight, 2016). These research-action projects are informed by the original vision of the TNCHP and understanding of local Indigenous epistemological framings of the city as a site of self-determining reclamation, which I explain further in the next section.…”