ACA 2022 Hybrid Conference - June 15-18, 2022

Archives are changing and transforming!    

Archives are repositories that help shape public and community memory. Traditional archival theory has upheld control of the historical record by colonial institutions, western perspectives, and whiteness. This power has been used to marginalize, other, undervalue, and erase diversity within the archive and public memory. As a result, colonial institutions have perpetuated their own biases against non-western worldviews to mobilize public memory in support of ongoing colonization.   

Today, archives are used to empower, fill gaps, educate, and celebrate the voices and perspectives of those traditionally barred from this work. Transformative practice allows us to rethink traditional western theory, forge a path of solidarity, and uphold our work based on collective values in regards to archival work. The power of archives and memory keeping is evolving into something new. UnSettled hopes to shine a spotlight on the many ways the profession is redefining archives and archival work.

Plenary Speakers

• Dr. Laura Ishiguro, an Associate Professor at UBC in the Department of History and affiliated faculty with Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies at the University of British Columbia, will start the day on Friday. Her presentation will reimagine the colonial past and reckons with power and silence in the archive in her talk, "No smoke without fire: historical silence, archival rumour, and feminist fabulation – reimagining Barkerville, British Columbia."   
• On Saturday morning Dominique Luster of the Luster Company will present "Presence, Absence, and the Construct[ion] of Power: Black first-person narrative in the Historical Record." The Luster Company seeks to create a space for Black first-person narratives and to make them accessible in the historical record. In this talk, Ms. Luster will focus on ideas around the historiography and construction of memory created by Black people and how those memories are included in English-speaking institutional practices.   
• Our final keynote on Saturday is presented by Sdahl K'awaas, Lucy Bell. Lucy is a passionate Haida museologist, language revitalizer, and Haida nerd with a passion for learning from her Ancestors. She has over 20 years' experience in museums and archives. With her at the helm, the Haida have repatriated over 500 ancestral remains and many archival resources. Her keynote, "One drop at a time - How to put out the fire in museums and archives, a Haida perspective," will, in part, respond to the conference sessions and themes of the previous three days.    
• Finally, we have set aside space for the Musqueam, on whose lands the conference is held, at the beginning and end of the program. Members of the community have been working with Musqueam Archives to identify parts of their cultural practice around gatherings, which they will help the ACA adapt. The aim is to provide information about some cultural practices while allowing attendees to learn through experience. The conference will close with the Musqueam to reflect on the practices learned Thursday morning. Everyone is encouraged to arrive with a good and open heart and mind.  

Plus: a fantastic series of workshops, collaborative discussion forums and social events. Please see our schedule for more details!

Our 2022 registration rates are:

• Members & AAQ/ARMA members: $ 175.00
• Non-Members: $ 350.00
• Students & precariously employed members: $ 75.00
  
  
• A number of free subsidized spots are also available to students and precariously employed members facing financial hardship thanks to the support of the ACA Board and donations from members. These are offered on a first come, first served basis by contacting the ACA Secretariat at executive.director@archivists.ca

Accessing the Conference