July 2, 2020—Ha-Shilth-Sa—Page 13
Thousands of Indigenous photographs now available Royal BC Museum releases 16,103 photos to the public, including some images of Nuu-chah-nulth communities By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter Victoria, BC – The Royal British Columbia Museum has made access to its Indigenous content photograph collection much easier with the launch of its online digitized photograph collection. In the past, people had to go to Victoria to search the archives in person in order to find photographs with Indigenous content. In recent years there was a limited selection of photographs available in the online RBCM website but it was only a fraction of what was preserved in storage. In mid-June the museum announced that it made available to the public 16,103 historical photographs depicting Indigenous communities, mostly from B.C.; some are from neighboring states of Alaska and Washington. The photographs feature people, places and objects taken between the late 1800s and the 1970s. “Indigenous peoples have a right to images of their communities and their families and through this database can access them no matter where they are in the province,” said Lisa Beare, B.C.’s minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture. She went on to say that the work was part of the government’s commitment to reconciliation. “Indigenous peoples have a right to images of their communities and their families and through this database can access them no matter where they are in the province,” said Beare, adding that she appreciates the repatriation department for leading this important work. Digitization work on the collection began in May 2018 and ended in April 2020. Digitization greatly improves the ability of the museum to transfer highresolution copies of the images safely to these communities while preserving the originals at the museum in perpetuity. “At last, the majority of photographs of Indigenous communities from the Royal BC Museum collections are available to the public digitally, and the names of Indigenous individuals who appear in the photos are easily searchable,” said Prof. Jack Lohman, director of the Royal BC Museum. While not all of the individuals in the images are identified, some have ‘verso’ scans, an index card of information about a particular image, and these are included with many of the photographs. The museum’s Indigenous Advisory and Advocacy Committee has provided guidance on the release of materials and decided that some images will remain
Royal BC Musuem archive photos
Nuu-chah-nulth women dry halibut by the Alberni Inlet (above). Below unidentified children are pictured in Clayoquot Sound circa 1903. permanently restricted to the public. “[S]ome scanned and digitized photos shall remain restricted, for legal and cultural reasons, and will not be publicly accessible. These reasons include copyright and/or licensing issues, the depiction of sacred events and/or sites or request that the text on the verso be kept private,” stated the museum in a press release. In addition, the museum has been advised to adopt a process to quickly take down images that are deemed culturally sensitive. To view these images, visitors can go to http://search-collections.royalbcmuseum. bc.ca/Ethnology then type “pn” into the Catalogue Number field and click search. There are 32206 scanned images in the collection. You may further narrow your search by typing the name of a nation or community in the description field.
Annual Young walk followed by ‘Lights on for Lisa’ By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor Nanaimo, BC - Eighteen years after Lisa Marie Young went missing without a trace, loved ones and supporters marched down the streets of Nanaimo to ensure her disappearance remains in the public eye. On Sunday, June 28 dozens participated in the annual walk for the missing Tlao-qui-aht woman, an event that has been held annually since 2003. The walk began at the Nanaimo RCMP detachment, progressing to the city’s waterfront on a warm afternoon. Lisa Marie Young was last heard of on June 30, 2002, when she was out with friends to celebrate a birthday. She was
21 at the time. On Tuesday, June 30 people are encouraged to participate in “Lights on for Lisa” by leaving porch lights on to recognize Young’s disappearance. “Even if you didn’t know Lisa, please leave your lights on for her,” reads the event’s Facebook page. “She could have been your sister, daughter, granddaughter, or friend. Our community needs healing, we need to find Lisa.” This year both events were recognized by the City of Nanaimo with an official Submitted photo proclamation signed by Mayor Dozens participated in the annual walk for the missing Tla-o-qui-aht woman, an event that Leonard Krog. has been held annually since 2003.