From Collections to Connections: Facilitating Access and Activation

The Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at the University of British Columbia (UBC) has a long history of prioritizing Indigenous access to collections, recognizing that the objects and belongings held in the museum are important to Indigenous communities, and that their placement and care within the Museum continue to impact Indigenous peoples. These belongings often embody cultural rights, values and knowledge not owned or possessed by the Museum, but retained by the originating communities. Given that many pieces held by MOA still have important work to do in the community, the Collections Access Program was developed to support the work required to reconnect families and Nations with these ancestral belongings and cultural materials.

This webinar will discuss MOA’s Collections Access Program, highlight examples of community engagement with MOA’s collections, and provide practical information to support the activation of collections in museum and community settings.

Speakers:

Cait Pilon, Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at the University of British Columbia (UBC)

Cait Pilon (she/her) is MOA’s Collections Registrar. Cait received her BA in Archaeology from Simon Fraser University in 2009, and an MSc in Museum Studies from the University of Leicester in 2015. Cait has worked in the Collections department at MOA since 2014. She has also worked for the Museum of Vancouver and the Bill Reid Centre for Northwest Coast Studies, and served as a director for PoCo Heritage Museum and Archives and Moving Mirrors Productions.

Sarah Raven, Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at the University of British Columbia (UBC)

Sarah Raven (she/her) holds an M.A. and a B.A. in Anthropology (Hons) from the University of British Columbia, and an associate degree in Indigenous Studies from Langara College. As the Collections Access Coordinator and Provenance Researcher at MOA, Sarah manages the Indigenous Collection Access Program as well as other collections-related access and research visits to the museum. She also conducts provenance research on the MOA collections in support of repatriation, collections access, curatorial initiatives, and other special projects related to the collections.

Heidi Swierenga, Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at the University of British Columbia (UBC)

Heidi Swierenga (she/her) is Senior Conservator and Head of the Collections Care, Access and Management Department at the Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia. Her practice, research and teaching focus on methods of collaborative care and activation of Indigenous belongings that are held in collections, and the role that the conservation profession plays in facilitating these activities.

Resources:

MOA’s Guidelines for Collections Access

MARKK – From Conservation to Conversation: Rethinking Collections Care