The BC Archives regularly assists Indigenous communities with researching their genealogy and community history. This collaborative documentary highlights the challenges and the joys of conducting such research as Dr. Evan Adams of the First Nations Health Authority uncovers his personal story.

This year, BC Archives staff began to visit and seek advice from Indigenous communities and cultural associations across the province. Topics discussed were: how to access records at the archives and the ways in which Indigenous materials are represented and accessed.

Curious is an online publication that collects essays, research, archival items and photography from Royal BC Museum curators, archivists and other experts. In the spring 2017 Belongings issue, First Nations community members explored themes of belonging, self-discovery and community, with a focus on the Royal BC Museum and Archives collections.

The First Nations Advisory and Advocacy Committee is a key stakeholder group in the museum’s new Research Portal and will be interviewed during the discovery phase, prior to development.

The initiative to document Punjabi Canadian community history through oral accounts explores connections with First Nations, to promote understanding of lived experiences and intercultural connections.

The Royal BC Museum is a member of the LEO (Local Environmental Observations) network that uses citizen science to track changes to the environment. The LEO Network is funded by the BC First Nations Health Authority.

In October 2017 the Royal BC Museum co-led a public walk with an elder from the Cowichan Tribes. This walk highlighted the way that the Cowichan First Nations and their ancestors have and continue to live within the ecologically and culturally rich area.

The Gathering Our Voices Indigenous youth training conference in Richmond, BC brought together more than 1,000 Indigenous youth delegates as well as chaperones, presenters and guests. Young people from all across Canada were invited to explore, learn and engage with Indigenous culture while surrounded by their peers. The Royal BC Museum and Archives hosted an information table.

The Royal BC Museum publication, Kwädąy Dän Ts’ìnchį: Teachings from Long Ago Person Found, was the result of collaboration between First Nations and research institutions across the globe, including the Royal BC Museum. With one of its volume editors and multiple chapter authors from First Nations communities, it brought scientific analysis and cultural knowledge together in new and complementary ways, demonstrating true cooperation that benefits all involved.