Project at a Glance... or 10!
The project continues...
Ptâ yedu 2018 - Amanda began concrete discussions about going to school to start a PhD & research project about Nakoda museum collection access with Elders & applied to the University of Calgary
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Wedu 2019 - The University of Calgary accepted Amanda into the Anthropology program and assigned Dr. Perić and Dr. Starblanket to supervise her. Amanda asked for blessings from Elders to undertake this journey
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Students from Morley Community School came to the Glenbow Museum with Elders and had a look behind the scenes.
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Mnogedu 2019 - Amanda talked to Îethka & Blackfoot people who she knew were interested in museums and collections to ask for guidance on the project. They also talked to their manager at Glenbow about the research project and started a plan with them for sharing what was learned.
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Youth in the Nakoda AV Club came with Amanda to the Whyte Museum & Archives, and the Buffalo Nations Museum to discuss their collections.
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Ptâ yedu 2019 - Amanda began taking classes at the University of Calgary. Although they applied to Anthropology, this project is a better fit for Interdisciplinary Studies. Amanda started the application process to become an Interdisciplinary student.
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Waniyedu 2019/2020 - Trips were planned to the Glenbow Museum, and the Glenbow Western Research Centre at the University of Calgary for Nakoda youth, Elders, and MCS students. Amanda continued classes.
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Wedu 2020 - COVID-19 interrupted trip plans, which had to be postponed. Amanda applied for approval from the University of Calgary Ethics Board to conduct a pilot project to get Îethka input in the research questions, methods, and protocol. They also took OCAP training online, and spoke to some Îethka Elders about forming a committee to guide the research.
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Mnogedu 2020 - Amanda continued classes and proceeded with the pilot project. As part of the pilot, Amanda interviewed community members about the research they hope to undertake, and how it should be conducted to be respectful.
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Ptâ yedu 2020 - Amanda worked to continue the pilot, interviewing community members, and also continued discussions with Glenbow museum about having visits with Elders and also youth, and about what could be done with research.
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Waniyedu 2020/2021 - an event was planned to share what was learned so far in the pilot, and ask for more feedback. COVID-19 prevented this, so Amanda has been thinking carefully about how to get feedback while not generating risk. Most likely they will post information that would have been at the open house here on this website. Amanda continued taking classes.
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Wedu 2021 - Due to the worsening COVID-19 pandemic, Amanda applied to the University of Calgary Ethics Review Board to extend the pilot study into Fall. Amanda continued classes and finished course work at the end of spring semester. Amanda began private Îethka Îabi classes, sometimes by herself and other times with a small group of peers. Amanda began reading the materials they needed to know for their examination process.
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Ptâ yedu 2021 - Amanda finished interviews in late fall, and began writing about what was learned. They then went back to folks who they spoke to, to review the pilot findings and then ask if the reports of the findings can be published on this website.
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Waniyedu 2021/2022 - Amanda began working on a research proposal for the project. They also started assembling committees for supervision and exams.
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Wedu 2022 - Amanda began looking for funding for the research project, finalized their supervisory committee, and completed a Îethka language exam.
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Mnogedu & Ptâ yedu 2022 - Amanda continued reading for their comprehensive exam. Amanda also applied for funding for the project to pay Elders and Knowledge Keepers for their time and travel. Amanda assisted the co-mentors in applying for their own independent funding, and together the co-mentors and Amanda applied for the Lillian Agnes Jones Scholarship from the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies which we were awarded. We spent 5 afternoons at the Archives of the Whyte. You can learn more about that here.
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Waniyedu 2022/2023 - Amanda completed their comprehensive exam process, and moved to candidacy. This allowed Amanda to submit the research plan to the University of Calgary so they could evaluate if it was ethical or not according to their standards. You can learn more about that here.
The co-mentors received their funding, and it it being managed by them and USAY. Amanda received funding to pay Elders and Knowledge keepers for this year of research. The group also applied to the Museum of Anthropology fund for communities, and received $3000 towards travel to that museum to conduct a visit.
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Wedu 2023 - Amanda received official approval from the University of Calgary ethical review process to begin the reserach. From this point it is scheduled to take two more years. The first trip inside the Bow Valley was to the University of Calgary's Glenbow Western Research Centre, Amanda and the co-mentors did this together and explored art at the University as well. We intend to return as there are many interesting things to read and look at in those collections. A short survey for museum professionals was distributed.
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Mnogedu 2023 - Amanda took maternity leave to welcome their second baby. Project maintenance continued, visits continued, and co-mentor research continued but most of Amanda's activities went on hold until Wedu 2024.
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Wedu 2024 - Began with visits to Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park, Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump, and Royal Alberta Museum. We continued regular visits to close sites like the Whyte Museum and the University of Calgary's Glenbow Western Research Centre. We continued visiting in community, and working with language. We started interviewing for the research as well.
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Mnogedu 2024 - We visited the west coast, the unceded traditional territories of the xÊ·mÉ™θkÊ·É™yÌ“É™m (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sÉ™lilwÉ™taɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations and went to the Museum of the City of Vancouver, the Museum of Anthropology and several UBC sites of memory and art, the Bill Reid Gallery, and the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre. We went to Glenbow Museum and also visited the McDougall Historic Church. We continued interviewing, and reading documents, and looking for belongings in museums. ​
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Ptâ yedu 2024 - We started fall by visiting the Smithsonian's Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC. We continued with interviews, and we kept looking for belongings in museums. We spent time in local museums and archives, and started planning some ways to tell our community more about the work we've done and invite them into our processes.
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This page will be updated as more is completed. If you would like more regular updates or to participate in the project in some way, please contact Amanda.
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