Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre

Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre
Name	Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre
Established	2013
Location	Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Type	Museum and research centre
Director	Pamela Palmater

Contents

Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre The Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre is a museum and research facility in Ottawa dedicated to documenting the history and legacy of the Canadian Indian residential school system and fostering public dialogue about Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada calls to action. The Centre engages with survivors, Indigenous nations, legal scholars, archivists, educators, and policymakers to preserve testimony and artifacts related to institutions such as Shingwauk Indian Residential School, Kamloops Indian Residential School, and Muskowekwan Indian Residential School. It is affiliated with national institutions including Library and Archives Canada, Canadian Museum of History, and National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

History and founding

The Centre was formed amid national conversations involving Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, survivor organizations like the Native Women’s Association of Canada and the Assembly of First Nations, and academic partners such as University of Manitoba, York University, and University of British Columbia. Founding stakeholders included representatives from Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, Métis National Council, and legal advocates connected to landmark cases including Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement and litigation involving the Federal Court of Canada. Funding and operational frameworks intersected with federal institutions including Department of Canadian Heritage and cultural policy actors connected to Canadian Heritage Policy debates. Early leadership collaborated with archival networks like Provincial Archives of Ontario and community archives such as Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre.

The Centre occupies a purpose-adapted site near national landmarks and cultural institutions such as Parliament Hill, Rideau Canal, and the Canadian Museum of History precinct. Architectural planning referenced precedents like Canadian Museum of History renovations and conservation standards used by Library and Archives Canada and heritage bodies such as Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board. Designers consulted Indigenous architects affiliated with schools like University of Toronto John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture and regulatory frameworks including Ontario Heritage Act processes. Site planning accounted for access to repositories like Special Collections Research Centre and proximity to institutions such as National Gallery of Canada.

Permanent and temporary exhibitions draw on testimony from survivors of institutions including St. Anne's Indian Residential School, Gordon Indian Residential School, and Lebret Indian Residential School. Collections incorporate material culture from communities served by Treaty 6, Treaty 7, and Treaty 8 territories and archival donations coordinated with Library and Archives Canada, Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan, and community-run archives like Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre. Curatorial practice referenced conservation protocols from Canadian Conservation Institute and exhibition standards used by Canadian Museums Association. Collaborative exhibits have involved partners such as National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, Canadian Museum for Human Rights, and academic curators from McMaster University, University of Toronto, and Simon Fraser University.

Educational programming aligns with curricula influenced by recommendations from Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and partnerships with school boards like Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and provincial ministries such as Ontario Ministry of Education. The Centre delivers professional development for teachers alongside resources co-created with Indigenous knowledge keepers from communities including Nishnawbe Aski Nation, Mi'kmaq Nation, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated. Outreach initiatives have linked to university courses at Carleton University, University of Ottawa, and Queen's University, and workshops convened with legal educators from Osgoode Hall Law School and Faculty of Law, University of Toronto.

Research programs are conducted in collaboration with scholarly hubs including National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, Indigenous Studies Centre at McGill University, First Nations University of Canada, and the Archaeological Institute of America-related teams. Partnerships extend to memory institutions such as Library and Archives Canada, Canadian Research Knowledge Network, and provincial archives including Archives of Ontario and Saskatchewan Archives Board. Projects have examined legal and historical dimensions involving Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, Sixties Scoop, and court decisions such as R v. Sparrow and R v. Van der Peet. Grants and fellowships have been coordinated with funding bodies like Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Canada Foundation for Innovation, and philanthropic partners including Vancouver Foundation.

The Centre’s community initiatives emphasize survivor-led programming, land-based ceremonies with nations including Algonquin Anishinaabe Nation, Anishinaabe, Haida, and Cree Elders, and collaborative memorialization with groups such as Idle No More and Orange Shirt Day organizers. Reconciliation projects have involved policy dialogues with Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Commissioners, legal reform advocates connected to Attorney General of Canada, and coalition partners like Indigenous Bar Association. Public programming has featured testimony events alongside film screenings involving filmmakers from National Film Board of Canada, oral history projects with Canadian Oral History Association, and exhibitions co-curated with community museums such as U'mista Cultural Centre and Wanuskewin Heritage Park.

Category:Museums in Ottawa