Grants and Contributions:

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Title:

Preserving and Digitizing the Documentary Heritage of Munsee-Delaware Nation

Agreement Number:

LHOV-05-007

Agreement Value:

$24,999.00

Agreement Date:

Jul 2, 2024 - Mar 31, 2025

Description:

The Preserving and Digitizing project aims to teach and sustain the Munsee language, culture, and heritage while building capacity for heritage preservation. To achieve these goals, the project involves digitizing and describing approximately 200 photographs that document the history of Munsee Delaware Nation. The photographs belong to the Dolson family, a large and longstanding Munsee family committed to preserving and teaching their language and history. Aaron Dolson is a cultural leader, while his sister and mother, Karen and Heather, were language teachers and preservers. His parents were involved in many business, religious, and healthcare activities, and his grandfather, Bill Dolson, was a Chief for many years. The family’s saved photographs, which document their lives and activities, are of great significance to our nation's heritage. This rich modern cultural history is documented in eight photo albums, two cases, and loose photographs. Our expectation is that, together, these materials will be an excellent record of life at Munsee Delaware Nation over the past century. By fostering discussion around these photographs, the project seeks to illuminate the cultural history of Thames River First Nations communities, as well as the interactions with local settler and mixed communities in Elgin and Southwold County, including Middlemiss, Melbourne, Delaware and London, Ontario

Organization:

Library and Archives Canada

Expected Results:

Selecting approximately 200 photos and collection of metadata

Munsee history and language community learning, and long-term preservation strategy development

Digitization of approximately 200 photos and organization of gathered metadata

Community training to support heritage and language learning

Location:

Muncey, Ontario, CA N0L 1Y0

Reference Number:

129-2024-2025 Q1-LHOV-05-007

Agreement Type:

Contribution

Report Type:

Grants and Contributions

Recipient Type:

Indigenous recipients

Recipient's Legal Name:

Munsee-Delaware Nation

Program:

Listen, Hear Our Voices

Program Purpose:

Listen, Hear Our Voices supports First Nations, Inuit, and Métis governments and non-profit organizations in: 1) digitizing existing documentary heritage related to Indigenous languages and cultures, and 2) building the skills, knowledge and resources to do this work in their communities.