History

One step at a time

2019

The beginnings

Maurice J. Kistabish helps Minwashin become aware of the issues related to our archives. We come to the idea of creating a virtual library to gather the tangible traces of our culture. This platform would serve to preserve our archives and make them accessible throughout the territory.

We start thinking about how we will find and gather archives. The concern to proceed in a culturally appropriate manner quickly arises. Maurice is asked to draft an ethics guide.

 

2020

Research

With the assistance of the Corporation de la Maison Dumulon and the Rouyn-Noranda Art Museum, Minwashin identify institutions that hold archives related to the Anishinabeg. Resquets for repatriation are made shortly after.

At the same time, historian Guillaume Marcotte conducts research on the evolution of our graphic heritage using archives found in museums.

2021

Nipakanatik databases

Minwashin pursues its partnership with Dumulon House Corporation, which creates an initial version of the website.

The third Miaja gathering, which focuses on heritage, generates enthusiam for archives preservation. A strategy aimed at digitizing archives on the Anishinabe Aki is developped in partnership with students from the School of Library and Information Sciences at the University of Montreal.

Fieldwork

2022-2023

Minwashin works with the McCord Museum, the Museum of Civilization, and Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec to publish a significant number of archives on Nipakanatik. Thanks to these key partners, hundreds of historical documents are made accessible on the website.

A major digitization tour takes place in the Anishinabe Aki. Our team prioritizes digitizing documents that are at risk of degrading in the short term. We travel in a recreational vehicule converted into a full-fledged digitization lab.