Reclaimed Histories Initiative by Voices Unheard Archive (VUA)
HEADLINE: Voices Unheard Archive Spearheads “Reclaimed Histories” to Enrich British Columbia’s Archival Landscape
Subheading:Initiative aims to integrate marginalized narratives into British Columbia’s historical records
DATELINE: Vancouver, BC – March 18, 2024
CONTACT: Jordan Lee, Executive Director, Voices Unheard Archive (VUA), Vancouver, BC, jlee@vua.org
ABOUT Voices Unheard Archive (VUA)
- Founded in 2022, Voices Unheard Archive is at the forefront of redefining historical archiving in British Columbia by ensuring the stories of all its peoples are preserved and recognized.
- A nonprofit that aims at highlighting the suppressed voices of people from marginalized groups in the historical timeline of the province in British Columbia.
- Firmly rooted in the principle of combating conventionally established archival approaches through the preservation and recognition of the history of the dispossessed.
- Through its “Reclaimed Histories” initiative, VUA is setting a new standard for inclusivity in historical records, making it a leader in the promotion of a more equitable and comprehensive understanding of our shared past.
- Together with communities, historians, and educators it creates a more complete historical record by people of various backgrounds.
PROJECT: Reclaimed Histories Initiative
- The spring of 2024 will see us launching, with the goal of enriching and expanding British Columbia’s historical records.
- Promotes the Indigenous peoples’ narratives, narratives of people of color and other marginalized groups in the community.
- Combines community-conducted archival workshops, a digital exhibition platform, and educational outreach to tell the stories that have been lost.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
- A partnership with Indigenous peoples and their communities across BC, as well as with various cultural organizations in the province.
- Collaborative events created for storytelling by marginalized peoples and their stories.
DIGITAL ARCHIVE
- A customized online medium designed to be explored by the marginalized communities all over the world.
- Uses multimedia storytelling which involves virtual tours, interactive exhibits.
EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH
- Programs that aim to integrate different stories into the educational courses so as to help students see the history from the different points of view.
- Forming partnerships with educational institutions that will focus on providing materials and training to teachers.
IMPACT
- To replace the existing narrative with a more accurate one about the BC’s history, the role of all communities is to be acknowledged and their contributions and experiences are to be considered in the final product.
- Takes it as its mission to strengthen the recognition and respect for the variety of history within the province’s passed by both the general public and academic community.
FUTURE PLANS
- Creation of the digital archive by including stories of different communities of British Columbia and other parts of the world.
- Implementation of a mobile application to enhance the archive accessibility.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
- People and groups are invited to provide their stories and artifacts to the archive.
- Volunteers are given opportunities to assist with research, digitization, and community outreach activities.
- Financial contributions and sponsorships are accepted to support the future development of the project.