Moved to Action Program Update
Stephanie Danyluk
CMA Staff in front of Saahlinda Naay (Haida Gwaii Museum) for the BCMA Fall Gathering. From left to right: Stephanie Danyluk, Senior Manager of Community Engagement; Rebecca MacKenzie, Director of Communications; Janis Monture, Executive Director and CEO.
The CMA Reconciliation Council convened in person in October for the first time since 2019. They came together to contemplate the path forward in actualizing Indigenous self-determination in museums. Discussions were polyphonic, often humorous, and exceptional in their depth of knowledge and enthusiasm in the effort to actualize a path for museums to the vast traditions, knowledges, and histories of the Indigenous nations with whom we seek to partner.
Together, we've crafted a multi-year plan that pivots around collaborative and practical strategies, charting a course to fortify a national foundation supporting Indigenous-led self-determination in museums and the heritage sector. Central to this plan is the creation of a national framework for repatriation/rematriation, an UNDRIP professional development strategy tailored for museum professionals, the nurturing of peer networks and mentorship, and the development of educational resources under the banner of Moved to Action and UNDRIP.
In the coming months, look forward to a wave of fresh resources and opportunities to immerse yourself in the Moved to Action initiatives. We have launched an eight-module web course series that transcends theoretical boundaries, delivering practical skills to empower you in implementing Indigenous self-determination within museum contexts. This includes insights from sectoral experts who are contributing to the advancement of culturally respectful and collaborative museum practices, offering avenues for active engagement.
Under the thoughtful guidance of the Moved to Action Working Group, the final touches are being added to a groundbreaking assessment tool—a compass for museums to measure their implementation of the thirty new standards. Simultaneously, this group is developing a framework for a Community Collaborators professional development and networking program.
Janis Monture presenting on a panel on decolonizing museum policy. From left to right: Joshua Seymour, Lheidli T’enneh First Nation & The Exploration Place; Brandie Macdonald, Indiana University Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology; Janis Monture, CMA; Aay Aay Gidins and Daall Sgii Helen Englebert, Haida Gwaii Museum.
In our quest to champion an Indigenous-led national framework on repatriation, we're initiating a longitudinal study. This study will annually collect data on active repatriations, empowering the CMA’s research and advocacy agenda. We ask that all heritage-sector institutions in Canada designate a representative to participate.
We're also reshaping our organizational structure to align with the Moved to Action Standards at the Canadian Museums Association. The CMA Reconciliation Council is leading the charge in examining and dismantling structures that uphold colonial authority within our governance processes. This involves discussions with the CMA Board of Directors, culminating in recommendations on weaving Indigenous governance into the fabric of the CMA.
In a testament to our collective efforts, the National Trust for Canada’s Board of Governors recognized the Canadian Museums Association and the CMA Reconciliation Council with a Governors’ Award for the Moved to Action report and the CMA’s collection of bold new commitments in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action #67. We share this honour with the many contributors who lent their voices to the report's contents.
As we approach the final stages of this transformative Moved to Action program year, we find ourselves reflecting on the lessons learned and, in some cases, the unlearning, that has unfolded along the way, as well as contemplating what is yet to come. There is no shortage of learning opportunities ahead. I’d say that is exciting.
Stephanie Danyluk is the Reconciliation Manager with the CMA, supporting the work to respond to TRC #67 and promote Indigenous self-determination in museum and heritage spaces.
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