TCG Archives Project Charter

AUGUST 16, 2021

Tahltan Stewardship Initiative | TCG Archives Project PROJECT CHARTER

1. Project Purpose Phase 1 of the Tahltan Central Government (TCG) Archives Project will result in a physical repository of organized and safely stored records and materials created and accumulated by the TCG and its previous incarnations.

The future and final phase of this project will open access to TCG’s records and materials holdings, which will support TCG administration and operations, facilitate knowledge sharing and reaffirm culture and identity across the Tahltan Nation.

2. Background Under the Tahltan Stewardship Initiative (TSI), the TCG Archives Project is a multiphased project that will ultimately result in a permanent TCG Archives office; a key site of information stewardship and governance at the TCG. The TCG Archives Project will create certainty of TCG’s legal, physical, and intellectual management and access of the records and materials in its holdings and of incoming records and materials from internal and external sources. Through traditional archival processes, the project will bring into view the legal, fiscal, administrative, historical, and evidentiary value of its records and materials.

The continued development of a physical and digital archives, and its policies and procedures will ultimately open access to a significant holding of records and materials spanning from the 1800s to the present day that have been partially inaccessible to TCG Leadership, its staff and Tahltan membership. Lack of continuous and adequate funding, changes in TCG programming, Leadership and mandates, and natural disasters have been the most significant barriers to realizing a project of this Box 69, Tatl'ah (Dease Lake), BC , Canada VOC 1LO

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scale and scope. Through TSI funding, capacity and project management, there is an incredible opportunity to achieve the creation of a TCG Archives.

Endorsing the creation of an archives makes business sense for the following reasons: 1. The absence of a catalogued archives has resulted in the costly duplication of research and data; 2. Tahltan Leadership will be able to fully benefit from the value of their documentary heritage by further organization and building out of access to the TCG Administration and Tahltan membership in an organized, integrated and structured manner; 3. There is no centralized records management system at the TCG (each department has their own SharePoint) and there is no collective knowledge about what records and materials each TCG department creates, receives and stores. Creating an Archives requires inter-departmental discussions on accessing, storing and sharing (managing) data, records and materials that are no longer in active use. TCG Archives has become a site for the development of this type of information management framework; and, 4. There is a data sharing agreement between the TCG, the Iskut Band Council and Tahltan Band Council that is inactive because there is no dedicated entity to make it happen. TCG Archives is poised to implement this agreement in substantial and mutually benefitting ways.

The TCG Archives Project will be of benefit to the Tahltan community, who has had variable and inconsistent access to its cultural, linguistic, and historical documentary heritage. Tahltan community members have a range of interests and rights to the data, records and materials held by Tahltan governments. The project will result in a collections management software with structured permissions, allowing members to access collectively held data, records and materials, as well as records that pertain to themselves and their family specifically. Tahltan members’ who own archival records and materials can be donated or loaned to the archives for safe and secure storage.

Tahltan members have some control over the terms of donations and loans, resulting in a mutually benefitting agreement for both parties.

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250 771 3274

FAX

250 771 3020

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3. Objectives or Goals The TCG Archives Project will help the Tahltan Stewardship Initiative (TSI) achieve goal 3.2 - Build our environmental and archival databases via integration, studies, surveys, digitization and other related projects, especially for culturally significant species (e.g., salmon, caribou). Ultimately this will support ensuring decisions are made based on Tahltan knowledge, worldview and local knowledge. The Archives Project has the specific following goals and objectives: •

Increase our understanding of our archival collection by conducting interviews with Elders and Tahltan knowledge holders; and,

•

Secure and organize archives in a safe and stable location, ensuring protection from water, fire and other natural hazards.

The Archives Project will help achieve other TSI priorities through the following goals objectives:

TSI Goal 2.2 - Expand the TCG Lands, Fisheries, Wildlife, Culture and Heritage, Finance,

and Communications Departments.

•

Build capacity in the Tahltan Nation o

Measurable Indicators (MI): Two assistant archivists from the Tahltan community are hired and trained in archival processes and information stewardship and participate in archives development.

TSI Goal 3.3 - Develop a standardized system for collecting, recording and sharing

knowledge about the land and natural resources in consultation with Tahltan knowledge holders.

•

Gain legal, administrative and physical management over TCG records and materials. Set out standard operating procedures for archival processes o

MI: Completion of Archives Policy and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for processing physical records and materials

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•

Develop protocols with other TCG Departments, Iskut Band Council and Tahltan Band Council for data, records and materials transfers o

MI: Records management strategy/ planning document; mutual goals established; work plans developed; data sharing agreement implemented

•

Implement policy and SOPs to process physical records and materials o

MI: Records are housed in a physical archive and cataloged in a spreadsheet

•

Gain intellectual management over records and materials with archival description o

•

MI: Finding Aids, Subject Indexes, and Archives Catalogue

Encode archival metadata, select collections management software, and upload data to software o

MI: Collections management software in place, populated with archives catalogue metadata

4. In Scope •

Process the transfer of inactive records from the TCG to the Archives repository

•

Facilitate and control digital and physical access of Archives by TCG Leadership, staff, Tahltan Nation members, and other parties

•

Acquisition of records and materials that conform to Archives’ Collections Policy

•

Physical and digital processing of acquired records and materials according to SOPs

Box 69, Tatl'ah (Dease Lake), BC , Canada VOC 1LO

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250 771 3274

FAX

250 771 3020

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5. Out of Scope •

Storage facility (i.e., dumping ground) for inactive TCG records which do not meet the Archives Collections Policy and were not formally transferred

•

For Phase 1, storage facility for loans where TCG does not have any rights to the records on loan until capacity can be reassessed

•

Facilitate access to physical or digital archives of persons who do not meet access conditions, including non-permitted researchers or consultants

•

Facilitating access of restricted (i.e., private or confidential information) data, especially membership data

6. Critical Success Factors •

Systematic processing of physical records while assistant archivists are on payroll

•

Relationships with TCG Department Directors to develop appraisal criteria and transfer processes

•

Regular meetings with the Archives Committee to guide activities and decision-making

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Community acceptance of TCG as the entity who holds and controls access to the archives repository

•

Continued endorsement of project by TCG Leadership in event of political shift

7. Linkages/Dependencies •

Link with all TCG Departments on the facilitation of document data transfer from members or other sources

•

Link with GIS Spatial Database Project. GIS Technician and Archivist to determine link between archival sources and GIS data

Box 69, Tatl'ah (Dease Lake), BC , Canada VOC 1LO

TEL

250 771 3274

FAX

250 771 3020

tahltan.org

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