This presentation addresses the third thematic axis of the conference: Experiences of adaptation and innovation in archives. It focuses on a project aimed at making Indigenous-related content more accessible within the University of Alberta Archives. Using various tools—including Local Contexts labels, the Whisper automatic speech recognition system, and reparative descriptions—I will share preliminary results from this ongoing project.
Many documents in the holdings of the University of Alberta Archives (UAA) contain content related to Indigenous peoples. However, they are difficult—if not impossible—to locate. Most of these records were created by university departments and offices, or by researchers and faculty studying Indigenous communities. These records and their descriptions often contain derogatory or offensive language. Indigenous individuals in these documents are frequently unnamed or not mentioned at all, making it extremely difficult to search for specific communities or individuals.
Ghaddar and Caswell emphasize that Western colonialism and imperialism continue to shape archival practice, noting “the need to reflect on the structure and content of the records, collections, and archives we steward, the principles we uphold, and our intellectual and professional identities” (p. 74). This project is one of UAA’s responses to the Calls to Action of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the Tandanya-Adelaide Declaration of the International Council on Archives, and the Canadian Archivists’ Reconciliation Framework. It represents a small step in our commitment to reconciliation-based archival practice. This presentation will offer an example of how innovative technology can be leveraged to advance this work.