The Canadian Museums Association calls for legislation, funding and a coherent national strategy to support Indigenous-led reconciliation in the museum sector.
The association details the work needed in a report released today that includes 10 recommendations to help foster Indigenous self-determination at all levels of museum operations.
He urges legislation to support the repatriation of indigenous property and ancestral remains, and dedicated funding for the repatriation process.
The report, titled Moved to Action, was funded by the Department of Heritage and responds to a call from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to review museum policies.
The report also lists 30 ways museums can support decolonization, including recognizing that Indigenous peoples have intellectual sovereignty over all material created by or about them and developing hiring policies that take into account the knowledge and of the indigenous experience.
Association president Heather George says our understanding of history is richer when Indigenous peoples have authority over how they are portrayed.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on September 27, 2022.