Report and Recommendations of the Consultation on Aboriginal Resources and Services - (continued)

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the presence and guidance of Elder Irene Lindsay throughout this consultation. We acknowledge, too, the work of the participants, who through their commitment and leadership demonstrate the importance of the Aboriginal voice in establishing and developing equitable working relations and partnerships to meet our shared objectives. We wish also to express our appreciation to the following staff members of Library and Archives Canada for their invaluable contributions: Ingrid Parent, Director-General, Acquisitions and Bibliographic Services, for supporting the initiatives of Aboriginal Resources and Services; Dale Blake, Libby Martin and Deborah Pelletier for organizing, developing and writing this report; Normand Laplante, Director, Social and Cultural Archives, for his comments and suggestions; all other staff who gave presentations or served as facilitators; and Vicky Brazeau, for assuming the role of tour guide for the participants. Lastly, we thank the Canadian Library Association for donating the tote bags.

Participants

Marilyn Belhumeur
Librarian
Gabriel Dumont Institute Library
Room 218.3, College West University of Regina
3737 Wascana Parkway
Regina, SK  S4S 0A2
Telephone: 306-347-4124

Marilyn Belhumeur is a librarian at the Gabriel Dumont Institute Library currently working on an undergraduate degree in education. The Institute's mandate is to promote the renewal and development of Métis culture through research, materials development, collection and distribution of those materials, and development and delivery of Métis-specific educational programs and services. Education students are the main clients of the library, which is situated on campus at the University of Regina.

Claire Bourassa
Library Manager
Canadian Heritage
2nd Floor, 15 Eddy Street
Gatineau, QC  K1A 0M5
Telephone: 819-994-2229

Claire Bourassa is a library manager at Canadian Heritage. She has a background in history from Université Laval. In 1988, she took part in the Aboriginal Library Sciences Trainee Program at the National Library of Canada and completed her master's degree at the University of Montreal. During her career at the National Library, Claire worked as a reference librarian and government and law specialist.

Constance Brissenden
Author and Editor
309 - 319 E. 7th Avenue
Vancouver, BC  V5T 1M9
Telephone: 604-255-4836

Constance Brissenden is a freelance writer and editor who has become a patron of Library and Archives Canada through her research on residential schools. She has written nine books on travel and history. In 1993, Constance and Larry Loyie formed the Living Traditions Writers Group to encourage First Nations people to write about their traditions and experiences.

Donna Brown
Library Development Advisor
First Nations Public Library Services
Ontario Library Service North
946B Cobalt Crescent
Thunder Bay, ON  P7B 5W3
Telephone: 807-683-1670, ext. 206

Donna Brown has been employed with Ontario Library Service North since 1976, and has held the position of library development advisor for First Nations Services since 1994. Her responsibilities are helping to establish and develop First Nations libraries, organizing training workshops and conferences and assisting with grant applications. Donna graduated from Lakehead University with a bachelor's degree, majoring in library and information studies.

Joanne Debassige
Librarian
Indian Claims Commission
P.O. Box 1750, Station B
Ottawa, ON  K1P 1A2
Telephone: 613-947-0750

Joanne Debassige became head of the Indian Claims Commission Library in Ottawa in 1993. Originally from the M'Chigeeng First Nation on Manitoulin Island, she now lives in the Outaouais Region. Her first experience in a specialized library was in 1976 when she volunteered at the Aboriginal People's Resource Centre. The small centre sparked her interest and she obtained a diploma in the library field to add to her arts diploma. Joanne has worked in many types of libraries, most of them in London, Ontario.

Diana Doxtdator
CEO and Librarian
Six Nations Public Library
P.O. Box 149
1679 Chiefswood Road
Ohsweken, ON  N0A 1M0
Telephone: 519-445-2954

Diana Doxtdator is chief executive officer and librarian at the Six Nations Public Library on the Six Nations Reserve of the Grand River Territory. She is a member of the Tuscarora Nation and Turtle Clan. Back home, she has been involved in the public library's renovation of a century-old building to relocate the Six Nations Public Library. As a graduate of the Library Technician Program at Sheridan College, and specializing in health sciences, she worked at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College and two teaching hospitals in Toronto. Diana also worked for the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines in Toronto, and the James Bay Education Centre, a satellite campus of Northern College in Moosonee, Ontario.

Marjorie Farstad
Electronic Publications Officer
Alberta Region, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
630 Canada Place
9700 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton, AB  T5J 4G2
Telephone: 780-495-5310

Marjorie Farstad joined Indian and Northern Affairs Canada in 1997, where she worked in the departmental library's Inet Services, in Ottawa. Two years later, she moved back to her home in St. Albert, Alberta, where she worked for almost four years. She participated in the Metadata project for Corporate Services and in revamping the regional office Intranet site in Edmonton. Marjorie holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in library and information studies from the University of Alberta

Caroline Forcier Holloway
Archivist, Audio-Visual Archives
Library and Archives Canada
344 Wellington Street, Room 1118
Ottawa, ON  K1A 0N3
Telephone: 613-996-0879

Caroline Forcier Holloway is an archivist responsible for the acquisition of French and English audio-visual documents, private and public. During her 13-year career at Library and Archives Canada, she has worked as a reference archivist and an audio-visual content specialist for research and development teams working on communication and digitization projects. Caroline holds a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Ottawa, is a graduate of Algonquin College's Museum Technology Program and has completed work terms in the Ethnology Division of the National Museums.

Karen Foster
CEO and Librarian
Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation
Public Library
R.R. No. 2
Sutton West, ON  L0E 1R0
Telephone: 705-437-4327

Karen Foster is chief executive officer and librarian at the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation Public Library. She is also chair of the Library Advisory Committee for the Southern Ontario Library Service. Karen's passion is historical research; she has completed two years of a bachelor's degree in history and plans to continue her studies.

Lorraine Freeman
Executive Director
Métis Resource Centre Inc.
506 - 63 Albert Street
Winnipeg, MB  R3B 1G4
Telephone: 204-956-7767

Lorraine Freeman is the founder, past president and executive director of the Métis Resource Centre Inc. in Winnipeg. Over the past eight years, Lorraine has developed a one-of-a-kind, Métis-specific culture and heritage resource centre, which includes a Métis research library, newsletter, cultural workshops and genealogical resources.

Art Grenke
Archivist, Social and Cultural Archives
Library and Archives Canada
344 Wellington Street, Room 3057
Ottawa, ON  K1A 0N3
Telephone: 613-996-7287

Art Grenke is an archivist in the Social and Cultural Archives at Library and Archives Canada. He holds a doctorate degree in history with a minor in sociology. Having concentrated his work for 29 years in the area of multiculturalism, he became interested in Native Studies when exploring the subject of genocide. Art has presented papers on the themes of ethnic cleansing, enslavement, mass destruction and genocide at the Learned Societies Conference and the World History Association in Canada and the United States.

Gene Joseph
Research Librarian
Telephone: 604-536-6261

Gene Joseph,* a member of the Wet'suwet'en First Nations, is from the village of Hagwilget in northwestern British Columbia. She is currently working with the Haida Nation on its Aboriginal Title Case. She has worked for various First Nations organizations for the past 25 years, notably as a librarian and document manager for the Gitksan and Wet'suwet'en First Nations in the court case of Delgamuukw vs. the Queen. For the last two years, Gene has worked on a committee developing the Library Technician Program for First Nations students at the University College of the Fraser Valley.

Patricia Kennedy
Project Archivist, Economic and Governance Archives
Library and Archives Canada
344 Wellington Street, Room 3014
Ottawa, ON  K1A 0N3
Telephone: 613-996-7348

Patricia Kennedy obtained her honours bachelor's degree in history from the University of British Columbia and her master's degree in history from Columbia University, New York, before joining the Manuscript Division of the Public Archives of Canada. She devoted her attention to records created by or about the civil administration in the colonies of British North America before Confederation. Long aware of the particular challenges for persons investigating lands and rights claims, and linguistic and cultural recovery projects, Patricia developed innovative methods to facilitate research access to the imperial and colonial records, to overcome the absence of index references to personal, community and place names.

Normand Laplante
Director, Social and Cultural Archives
Library and Archives Canada
West Memorial Building
344 Wellington Street, Room 3056
Ottawa, ON  K1A 0N3
Telephone: 613-947-3856

Normand Laplante is director of Social and Cultural Archives in the Canadian Archives Branch at Library and Archives Canada.

Patty Lawlor
First Nations Consultant
Southern Ontario Library Service
151 Bloor Street West, Suite 601
Toronto, ON  M5S 1T6
Telephone: 416-961-1669, ext. 5107

Patty Lawlor is a librarian, library educator, library consultant, freelance book reviewer and, on occasion, an editor. Currently, she is a First Nations consultant with the Southern Ontario Library Service and a member of its library development team. She has a bachelor's degree in Canadian studies and a master's degree in library science. Over the past 23 years, Patty has worked as a librarian at McMaster University, Hamilton Public Library, Wentworth Libraries, Mohawk College, University of Toronto and Ontario's Ministry of Culture.

Audrey Lawrence
Director of Management
Consulting
Donna Cona
130 Slater Street, Suite 1340
Ottawa, ON  K1P 6E2
Telephone: 613-234-5407, ext. 298

Audrey Lawrence is director of management consulting for Donna Cona, an Aboriginal information and communication technology company. She has undergraduate or graduate degrees in sociology, psychology, business administration, later childhood education and special education and is a certified human resources professional and Myers Briggs facilitator. Her former work includes directorships with the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation and Technology and the Educational Services for the Ottawa Hospital, as well as other government, health care and teaching positions. Audrey has been volunteer chair of an Ottawa-area public library board, president of the Ontario Library Trustees Association and, currently, sits on the board of the Southern Ontario Library Service, which focuses on First Nations libraries.

Kim Lawson
Librarian
Union of British Columbia
Indian Chiefs Resource Centre
4th Floor, 342 Water Street
Vancouver, BC  V6B 1B6
Telephone: 604-684-0241

Kim Lawson is Heiltsuk, of English and Danish ancestry, from the community of Bella Bella, British Columbia. She is the archivist and librarian at the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs Resource Centre and is completing her master's degree in library and information studies at the University of British Columbia. She has worked at the Heiltsuk Cultural Education Centre and in museums. Kim is a member of the First Nations Interest Group of the British Columbia Library Association, which provides services and technical help to First Nations communities.

Deborah Lee
Reference Librarian, Reference and Information Services
Library and Archives Canada
395 Wellington Street, Room 229
Ottawa, ON  K1A 0N4
Telephone: 613-943-0001

Deborah Lee is of Cree, Mohawk and European ancestry, and lived most of her life in the Edmonton area before moving to Ottawa. She is a reference librarian in Reference and Information Services at Library and Archives Canada and holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in library and information studies from the University of Alberta. Before beginning her career in librarianship, she was active in the Aboriginal community in the areas of media, the Friendship Centre movement and addictions counselling training. Deborah has presented research findings at the Canadian Library Association Conference and the World Indigenous Peoples' Conference on Education.

Phyllis Lerat
University Librarian
First Nation University of Canada
Regina Campus
1 First Nations Way
Regina, SK  S4S 7K2
Telephone: 306-546-8460

Phyllis Lerat is a librarian with the First Nations University of Canada, formerly the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College.

Larry Loyie
Author
309 - 319 E. 7th Avenue
Vancouver, BC  V5T 1M9
Telephone: 604-255-4836

Larry Loyie is the author of several plays, short stories and children's stories about Aboriginal traditions, literacy and residential schools. He was born in Slave Lake, Alberta, where he spent his early years living a traditional Cree life. At the age of 10, he was placed in St. Bernard's Mission residential school in Grouard, Alberta. Larry is the British Columbia recipient of the 2001 Canada Post Literacy Award for Individual Achievement. He received the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction in 2003 for his book As Long as the Rivers Flow.

Sheri Mishibinijima
Librarian
Wikwemikong First Nation Public Library
Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve No. 26
Manitoulin Island, ON  P0P 2J0
Telephone: 705-859-2692

In 1995, Sheri Mishibinijima became the librarian of the Wikwemikong First Nation Public Library, which opened in 1977. Sheri has served as chairperson on the First Nations Library Advisory Committee for the past two terms.

George Murray
Library Network Specialist
Digital Library of Canada Task Force
Library and Archives Canada
395 Wellington Street, Room 199
Ottawa, ON  K1A 0N4
Telephone: 613-992-2436

George Murray is Cayuga from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. He is a library network specialist with the Digital Library of Canada Task Force at Library and Archives Canada. George graduated from the National Library's Aboriginal Library Science Trainee Program. Since 1994, he has worked as a reference librarian in Reference and Information Services, served on the Committee on Aboriginal Resources and Services, and been involved in digital library planning and development of digital library products oriented toward Aboriginal peoples.

Deborah Pelletier
Coordinator, Aboriginal
Resources and Services
Library and Archives Canada
395 Wellington Street, Room 215
Ottawa, ON  K1A 0N4
Telephone: 613-943-2398

Deborah Pelletier is Métis from Saskatchewan. She is a graduate of the Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program of the Gabriel Dumont Institute. She taught in Saskatchewan after receiving her bachelor's degree in education from the University of Regina. As a recipient of the National Library's Aboriginal Library Science Trainee Program, she completed a master's degree in library and information studies at the University of Alberta. Deborah has worked as a teacher, teacher-librarian, consultant, facilitator and reference librarian in Aboriginal education and the development of libraries and services in Aboriginal communities.

Stéphane Picard
Archivist, Archives Services
Conseil de la Nation Huronne-Wendat
255 Chef Michel Laveau Place
Wendake, QC  G0A 4V0
Telephone: 418-843-3767

Stéphane Picard* has worked with historical and administrative documents in the Archives Services of the Huron-Wendat Band Council since 1996. The Archives Services includes a small documentation centre with books about the history of Aboriginal people, particularly the Wendat. Stéphane is a graduate of a one-year archives program from Université Laval. In 1991, he worked at Indian and Northern Affairs Canada in the Quebec Region office.

Sheila Staats
Native Information Specialist
Goodminds.com
188 Mohawk Street
Brantford, ON  N3S 2X2
Telephone: 877-862-8483

Sheila Staats is Mohawk from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. She has worked in cultural education as a historical researcher and writer for 20 years. Sheila currently works for a Native-owned business that distributes Native educational resources via the Internet. She locates and recommends quality resources by Native and non-Native writers and publishers, and reviews and classifies materials according to Grade level and subject. Sheila holds a bachelor's degree in history from Huron College at the University of Western Ontario.

* Participants who were unable to attend the consultation but who sent their comments for consideration.