In 2020, the First Peoples’ Cultural Council published the “Report on the First Peoples’ Cultural Council Indigenous Cultural Heritage Forum – Reflections and Recommendations from the Indigenous Heritage Forum.” The Forum was a gathering of 43 Indigenous cultural heritage experts to discuss the experiences, challenges and future of Indigenous Cultural Heritage (ICH) in British Columbia. A set of 23 recommendations are contained in the report and emphasize that Indigenous cultural heritage must be managed by Indigenous communities.
23 search results
Recommendation 21:
Provide specific funding for Indigenous-led initiatives to commemorate and interpret Indigenous cultural heritage. Such funding should be broadly distributed according to each Indigenous Nation’s current capacity and needs. For example, there is a need for Indigenous communities to work internally in the form of committees or working groups to decide how they want to commemorate sites of trauma, such as residential schools, and how the process of commemoration should unfold.
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Recommendation 22:
Contribute funding and effort for a detailed needs study to inform the development of:
- Programs and grants to build capacity, support skills development in Indigenous heritage professionals, and support infrastructure development for the caretaking of cultural objects and intellectual property;
- Training programs for Indigenous People interested in heritage work. This could be done in partnership with universities and colleges, or museums through coursework and internships in Indigenous communities and organizations;
- Exchange programs for Indigenous heritage professionals to learn about international best practices and share approaches and methods with international Indigenous organizations and institutions doing ground-breaking work to protect and revitalize Indigenous cultural heritage;
- Mentorship programs partnering experienced Indigenous heritage professionals from museums, universities, or other well-resourced institutions, with those more junior; and
- Awards or campaigns to recognize and celebrate leaders in Indigenous cultural heritage work. This could attract more Indigenous People to the field by putting a public face on Indigenous People leading heritage protection work and normalize and publicize Indigenous leadership in heritage work to the broader public.
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Recommendation 23:
Provide sustainable and yearly funding for Indigenous organizations to continue this important work. Grants can be provided through a third-party Indigenous organization, to support Indigenous Peoples’ revitalization of laws and practices concerning the stewardship and control of Indigenous cultural heritage and in identifying, understanding, and managing their heritage.
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