<div dir="ltr"><br clear="all"><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><div></div></div><div><div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><div><span style="color:rgb(102,102,102)"><br></span></div><div><span style="color:rgb(102,102,102)">Jazmin Hundal<br>Outreach Coordinator<br></span></div><span style="color:rgb(102,102,102)"><font size="1" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="https://equity.ubc.ca/resources/gender-diversity/pronouns/" target="_blank">Pronouns</a>: She/Her/Hers</font></span></div><p style="margin:0in 0in 1pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:11pt"><span style="color:rgb(237,125,49);font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14.66px"></span></p><div><br><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><font color="#888888">The BC Museums Association office is located on the traditional, unceded lands of the <a href="https://vimeo.com/275788251" target="_blank">Lekwungen</a> peoples (Songhees and Xwsepsum Nations). We respect past, present, and future Indigenous stewards and recognize that we are uninvited guests on this territory.</font> <br></div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></div><div><font><font color="#666666">Do you identify as Indigenous, Black, or a Person of Colour working in the cultural sector? Check out our </font><a href="https://museum.bc.ca/membership/mentorship/ibpoc-museum-professionals-network/?cm=1&cy=2023" target="_blank"><font color="#0000ff">IBPOC Network homepage</font></a><font color="#000000">, </font></font><font color="#666666">where resources, community support, and upcoming networking sessions can be found.</font><font color="#000000"> </font></div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><p style="margin:0in 0in 1pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:11pt"><span style="color:rgb(237,125,49);font-family:Arial,sans-serif">BC Museums Association || 675 Belleville Street || Victoria, BC || V8W 9W2</span></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 1pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:11pt"><span style="color:rgb(237,125,49);font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14.66px"></span><span style="color:rgb(237,125,49);font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14.66px"><a href="http://www.museum.bc.ca/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">www.museum.bc.ca</a></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">---------- Forwarded message ---------<br>From: <strong class="gmail_sendername" dir="auto">Museum Liberation Force</strong> <span dir="auto"><<a href="mailto:museumliberationforce@209004294.mailchimpapp.com">museumliberationforce@209004294.mailchimpapp.com</a>></span><br>Date: Tue, 26 Mar 2024 at 10:59<br>Subject: Where is Our Museum? – An Open Letter<br>To: <<a href="mailto:communications@museum.bc.ca">communications@museum.bc.ca</a>><br></div><br><br><div class="msg-4017461852924004165"><u></u>
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<span class="m_-4017461852924004165mcnPreviewText" style="display:none;font-size:0px;line-height:0px;max-height:0px;max-width:0px;opacity:0;overflow:hidden">Stories are powerful. They connect us to our ancestors and act as lighthouses for future generations.</span>
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<table id="m_-4017461852924004165root" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td align="center" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="max-width:660px" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="background-color:#ffffff;background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:cover" valign="top"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:cover" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0" class="m_-4017461852924004165mceColumn" valign="top" colspan="12" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px;padding-right:24px;padding-left:24px" class="m_-4017461852924004165mceBlockContainer" valign="top"><div class="m_-4017461852924004165mceText" id="m_-4017461852924004165dataBlockId-11" style="width:100%"><h1>Where is Our Museum?</h1></div></td></tr><tr><td style="padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px;padding-right:24px;padding-left:24px" class="m_-4017461852924004165mceBlockContainer" valign="top"><div class="m_-4017461852924004165mceText" id="m_-4017461852924004165dataBlockId-3" style="width:100%"><p style="text-align:left"><br></p><p style="text-align:left">March 25, 2024</p><p style="text-align:left"><br></p><p style="text-align:left">To whom it may concern;</p><p style="text-align:left"><br></p><p style="text-align:left"><strong>RE: Open letter and community invitation</strong></p><p style="text-align:left"><br></p><p style="text-align:left">Stories are powerful. </p><p style="text-align:left"><br></p><p style="text-align:left">They connect us to our ancestors and act as lighthouses for future generations. But most importantly, they offer those living in the present a unique opportunity to understand that they belong. </p><p style="text-align:left"><br></p><p style="text-align:left">Having said that, a museum that addresses the desperate desires and necessary needs of British Columbia’s Punjabi and wider South Asian communities is not only long overdue, but an essential step in the Province forwarding its anti-racist policies. </p><p style="text-align:left"><br></p><p style="text-align:left">Many across BC celebrated the provincial government when the NDP promised a museum which would “highlight the histories, cultures, and contributions to British Columbia from Canadians of diverse South Asian heritages.”</p><p style="text-align:left"><br></p><p style="text-align:left">It seemed like we could finally breathe a sigh of relief, with the announced arrival of an institution that has been long overdue.</p><p style="text-align:left"><br></p><p style="text-align:left">However, during the past two years since this promise was made by the provincial government, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport — mandated to undertake this work — has broken promises, harmed relationships, and excluded community voices. Time and time again, we are not afforded a chance to engage in a meaningful way, let alone unpack important issues, including, but not limited to, the use of the word ‘South Asian’.</p><p style="text-align:left"><br></p><p style="text-align:left">There has been mismanagement, disarray, and condescension, creating more harm to our communities throughout this process.</p><p style="text-align:left"><br></p><p style="text-align:left">Our stories continue to belong to us, and we cannot allow the performative language of decolonization and white fragility from the institutions and their agents to dictate the way our space and storytelling should take form. </p><p style="text-align:left"><br></p><p style="text-align:left">We are the subject, we are the source, we are the people, we are the descendants, and we will be the ancestors that have to answer to this work. Lived or professional experience — only we can be the experts on ourselves. The only way this museum works is if this is in the hands of the community. </p><p style="text-align:left"><br></p><p style="text-align:left">These are our stories, our complexities, our triumphs, our issues, our joys, our existences.</p><p style="text-align:left"><br></p><p style="text-align:left">Whether we discuss the term South Asian and its complexities, the location, the future, the whos, the whats, and the what nots — this needs to be driven by the community, not the systems in power that continue to dismiss and ignore us. </p><p style="text-align:left"><br></p><p style="text-align:left">So, you are invited to be a part of a movement to get our museum creation underway. You are invited to be a part of a gathering, a conversation, a larger family reunion, so that a meaningful dialogue can finally be had. This is a leaderless movement. For us. By us.</p><p style="text-align:left"><br></p><p style="text-align:left">It’s time to finally get moving. </p><p style="text-align:left">It’s time to be heard. </p><p style="text-align:left"><br></p><p style="text-align:left"><a href="https://gmail.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8b946f35e1b374a5cf722b5b&id=671dd5f573&e=a9fcf348a7" target="_blank">Join us at the Surrey City Hall at 6pm on April 2, 2024. </a></p><p style="text-align:left"><br></p><p style="text-align:left"><br></p><p style="text-align:left">Sincerely,</p><p style="text-align:left"><br></p><p style="text-align:left"><strong>The Museum Liberation Force</strong></p><p style="text-align:left"><br></p></div></td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:transparent;padding-top:20px;padding-bottom:20px;padding-right:24px;padding-left:24px" class="m_-4017461852924004165mceBlockContainer" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="background-color:transparent" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="min-width:100%;border-top:2px solid #000000" valign="top"></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px;padding-right:24px;padding-left:24px" class="m_-4017461852924004165mceBlockContainer" valign="top"><div class="m_-4017461852924004165mceText" id="m_-4017461852924004165dataBlockId-12" style="width:100%"><p style="text-align:left"><em>To support this movement:</em></p><p style="text-align:left"><br></p><ol><li style="text-align:left"><p style="text-align:left"><strong>Forward this letter to friends, family and colleagues!</strong></p></li></ol><ul><li style="text-align:left"><p style="text-align:left"><a href="https://gmail.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8b946f35e1b374a5cf722b5b&id=4e74d459be&e=a9fcf348a7" target="_blank">Link to letter<br></a></p></li></ul><ol start="2"><li style="text-align:left"><p style="text-align:left"><strong>Sign the Letter (names will be kept anonymous)</strong></p></li></ol><ul><li style="text-align:left"><p style="text-align:left">Email <a href="mailto:museumliberationforce@gmail.com" target="_blank">museumliberationforce@gmail.com</a> and ask to be added<br></p></li></ul><ol start="3"><li style="text-align:left"><p style="text-align:left"><strong>Come to the event on April 2 @ 6pm</strong></p></li></ol><ul><li style="text-align:left"><p style="text-align:left"><a href="https://gmail.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8b946f35e1b374a5cf722b5b&id=7a44f557cf&e=a9fcf348a7" target="_blank">Register on Eventbrite<br></a></p></li></ul><ol start="4"><li style="text-align:left"><p style="text-align:left"><strong>Make your voice heard on how the museum can best serve YOU!</strong></p></li></ol></div></td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:transparent;padding-top:20px;padding-bottom:20px;padding-right:24px;padding-left:24px" class="m_-4017461852924004165mceBlockContainer" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="background-color:transparent" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="min-width:100%;border-top:2px solid #000000" valign="top"></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px;padding-right:24px;padding-left:24px" class="m_-4017461852924004165mceBlockContainer" valign="top"><div class="m_-4017461852924004165mceText" id="m_-4017461852924004165dataBlockId-13" style="width:100%"><p><br></p><h2>Join the Museum Liberation Force!</h2><p><br></p><p><a href="https://gmail.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8b946f35e1b374a5cf722b5b&id=49e22f3560&e=a9fcf348a7" target="_blank">https://forms.gle/iUGZ6v5QnLMthjP4A</a></p></div></td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:#f4f4f4;padding-top:8px;padding-bottom:8px;padding-right:8px;padding-left:8px" valign="top"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation" id="m_-4017461852924004165section_a9ebcf6fc5738816cf8af493f3839538" class="m_-4017461852924004165mceFooterSection"><tbody><tr><td style="background-color:#f4f4f4;background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:cover;padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="12" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;margin-bottom:12px" class="m_-4017461852924004165mceColumn" valign="top" colspan="12" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px;padding-right:16px;padding-left:16px" class="m_-4017461852924004165mceBlockContainer" align="center" valign="top"><div class="m_-4017461852924004165mceText" id="m_-4017461852924004165dataBlockId-5" style="display:inline-block;width:100%"><p><a href="https://mailchi.mp/fe0cab35280b/where-is-our-museum-an-open-letter?e=a9fcf348a7" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:11px">View email in browser</span></a><span style="font-size:11px"><br>
Museum Liberation Force · 300-1208 Pender St W · Vancouver, BC V6E 2S8 · Canada
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