The Indigenous Archives Gathering (October 17–18, 2022) will bring together Indigenous artists, film and media specialists, archivists, curators, Knowledge Keepers, Elders, memory workers and scholars from across Canada. Themes of traces and care will be explored through three perspectives 1) access, 2) engagement, 3) activation of archives from different First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities as well as regions.

The central focus of the Indigenous Archives Gathering will be media art archives and related intangible archives that exist within a range of situations: traditional memory institutions, artist-run centres, communities, homes/private life. The aim is to foster vital conversations and allow participants to share knowledge, identify needs, best practices and experiences about the current state of Indigenous media art archives in Canada. The presentations and outcomes of this gathering will be published as a part of Archive/Counter-Archive’s publication series.

Opportunities for Indigenous Peoples to continue cultural practices of gathering and collaboration are incredibly important given the long history of colonial attempts through legislation and pass and permit systems to control our movement and our ability to come together. Gatherings help form the structure and foundation of our kinship and relationality to care.

By hosting the Indigenous Archives Gathering, we aim to create a space for Indigenous individuals and groups who are doing the important memory work in collections to come together in conversation with each other.