[BCMA] The Royal BC Museum and Sisters of Saint Ann announce Letter of Agreement regarding transfer of records

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv]

June 1, 2022



*The Royal BC Museum and Sisters of Saint Ann announce Letter of Agreement
regarding transfer of records *



VICTORIA, BC — The Royal BC Museum and the Sisters of Saint Ann today
announced the signing of a Letter of Agreement that will provide the Royal
BC Museum and Archives with full responsibility for the Sisters of Saint
Ann archives, as well as expedite the transfer and digitization of the
Sisters’ records at the Royal BC Museum.



“Transparent access to comprehensive residential school records is
essential to truth and reconciliation efforts”, says Alicia Dubois, CEO of
the Royal BC Museum. “The expedited transfer and digitization of records
held in the Sisters of Saint Ann archives is a positive step forward in
this collective pursuit for justice.”



The Sisters of Saint Ann provided all records related to Indian Residential
Schools to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2012 and these
records were then transferred to the National Centre for Truth and
Reconciliation (NCTR). Since June 2021, the Sisters of Saint Ann have
worked with the Royal BC Museum to provide access to the Sisters’ archives
and this new agreement is an important milestone toward the transfer of
ownership of the Sisters’ archives to the Royal BC Museum.



“We recognize access to archives is just a single step towards
reconciliation and that reconciliation begins with truth. Our hope is that
the archive transfer and digitization will contribute towards a greater
understanding of what took place in the residential school system, and of
the harm and trauma students experienced,” says Sister Marie Zarowny,
President and Board Chair of The Sisters of St. Ann. “It is our belief that
this transparent search for truth will lead the way towards restorative
healing.”



Through this agreement, the Sisters of Saint Ann will fully fund an
archivist at the Royal BC Museum to aid in the transparent management of
the archives. Archivists at the Royal BC Museum are highly experienced in
navigating the provincial and federal privacy laws that govern access to
the records, and with this agreement will be responsible for facilitating
ongoing access to the records by residential school survivors, their
families and Indigenous communities.



The Sisters of Saint Ann and the Royal BC Museum are committed to working
together in the spirit of and according to the principles of the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, the United Nations
Joinet-Orentlicher Principles and the B.C. Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples Act throughout the process of record transfer.

                                                                  -30-

*About the Sisters of St. Ann: *The Sisters of St. Ann were founded in 1850
by Blessed Marie Anne Blondin in Vaudreuil, Quebec and have served in the
Pacific Northwest since 1858. After their arrival, the Sisters staffed over
30 schools and opened 10 hospitals throughout BC, the Yukon and Alaska.
Their history parallels that of British Columbia, which is what led to the

deposit and planned transfer of their archives to the BC Archives at the
Royal BC Museum.



*About the Royal BC Museum: *The Royal BC Museum explores the province’s
human history and natural history, advances new knowledge and understanding
of BC, and provides a dynamic forum for discussion and a place for
reflection. The BC Archives is part of the Royal BC Museum; acquiring,
preserving and making publicly accessible the documentary heritage of the
province. The museum and archives celebrate culture and history, telling
the stories of British Columbia in ways that enlighten, stimulate and
inspire. Located in Victoria on the traditional territory of the Lekwungen
(Songhees and Xwsepsum Nations), the museum and archives collectively are a
hub of community connections in BC – onsite, online and around the province.



If you are looking to access records from the Sisters of Saint Ann, please
contact the Royal BC Museum at access at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca



*Media contact:*

Sam Rich

Corporate Communications Manager

250-208-9148

srich at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
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