Canadian Heritage Committee on March 1st, 2018

[Sean Casey, Charlottetown, Lib.]

[Inaudible—Editor]

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Casey, the other Mr. Casey.

VIA Rail played a key role in making these celebrations a day-to-day thing. They made graphic stuff about Canada 150. For example, I know there's a very beautiful train that all MPs can enjoy to Prince Rupert, which is the best access.

Do you get network support for people to get to the island and to see the museum?

[Nika Collison]

This is a relatively new thing that we're working actively on with the Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, to do exactly that, to create a corridor that highlights indigenous museums along the road you were speaking of, and to encourage visitation and understanding that we have an indigenous scholarship that is unique and very different from western academia, which we also support.

I'm on the indigenous advocacy and advisory committee for the provincial museum of British Columbia, and we are expanding very much into repatriation, of course, but also support and advocacy for indigenous museums, again mostly located in rural places.

It would be great to have federal support in that, and also to do what you do, which is recognize museums as integral to life.

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Some have told us about the endowment funds, les fonds de dotation, that offer some financial support for various cultural organizations but not for museums. I would guess for the design museum it's not as complicated. Would it be something of interest for you?

Do you think there is a potential for you at the Haida Gwaii Museum to have some travelling exhibits to ensure that you would send your art pieces on the road so that people who can't go up north would know about them? I know Mr. Van Loan wanted to speak about this. Would endowment funds and insurance programs be beneficial?

The question is for both of you for the time remaining.

[Nika Collison]

Absolutely. It would be wonderful.

We do work globally with museums. Across Canada and the United States, we've had major exhibitions featuring Haida language, art, and culture with these partners. For example, two major exhibitions that we're partners with are opening in March in Vancouver, with the Museum of Vancouver and the UBC Museum of Anthropology.

If we could travel exhibitions and do that, it would be amazing, and if there were any way we could set up an endowment fund, that would be incredible. It is part of our strategic plan to create a philanthropic drive.

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Madame Levy, is an endowment fund something you would consider?

[Shauna Levy]

The challenge, of course, right now is that we're not eligible for anything. If it was something that was available to us, absolutely.

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dabrusin]

We will be going to Mr. Hogg for seven minutes, please.

[Gordie Hogg, Liberal, South Surrey—White Rock, BC]

Thank you.

For me, the journey of this meeting has been quite intriguing, and if I can exercise some licence, a number of similar themes have evolved out of the four presentations. First, we heard Ms. Lord say there's no museum policy, no overarching policy by which we can address and deal with things. Then, as we started to hear about the diverse nature of what constitutes museums, I began to wonder how we can get a policy that would allow for the generation of such diversity in the evolution of museums. Somehow, through all of this, another theme has been that it fits into the fabric of what it is to be a Canadian, or the fabric of what it is to be a citizen of the world, and that is reflected in so many of the presentations.

With the diversity, the evolution, and the comments today that we don't have a museum policy, do you think we should have a museum policy? Can there be a policy that still honours or respects the diversity and your ability to do things independently, or does a policy somehow inhibit the ability of people to do the things they're doing within their communities that reflect what it is to be a Canadian and a citizen of the world?

[Shauna Levy]

I would assume that the policy would take all that into account, would it not? We would want to make sure that it is a policy that accounts for diversity and the diverse nature of our institutions, but allows for flexibility of policy and funding and has that range of option and opportunity within it.

[Gordie Hogg, Liberal, South Surrey—White Rock, BC]

That's interesting. You think we're better off having a policy than leaving things the way they are.

[Shauna Levy]

I unfortunately didn't hear Gail speak, so I'm not sure what she was implying by that, but if it was a policy that allows for—

[Gordie Hogg, Liberal, South Surrey—White Rock, BC]

Sorry to interrupt, but she simply said our big weakness is that there is no museum policy. That was her exact quote.

[Shauna Levy]

I'm not sure what the definition of policy is then. If it's meant to straitjacket institutions, then no, but if it allows for freedom and flexibility, then yes.

[Gordie Hogg, Liberal, South Surrey—White Rock, BC]

Okay. Thank you.

[Nika Collison]

To focus specifically on repatriation and those types of things, we know that anything is possible. We have repatriated throughout Canada and across borders without policy and law. We have also achieved that work because of policy and law. It really depends on how it works best for us, and it has taken some really committed advocacy and sharing of the Haida world view.

Ultimately, we found that our progress and our successes are based on relationships, so it's really hard for me as well to say whether policy is beneficial or not. If it's broader, and as Shauna said, if it's not so prescriptive but is supportive of museums, and in our case, supportive of and guiding the work with indigenous people, that is very important. It would take incredible amounts of consultation, and again, supporting the national museums and indigenous issues council to really decide what might be most effective, not only for indigenous people but for Canada in general.

[Gordie Hogg, Liberal, South Surrey—White Rock, BC]

I think you made reference to how there need to be more inter-ministerial approaches to it. Certainly, the World Health Organization, in looking at a number of models, has said that we need to have an integrated, coordinated, and inter-ministerial approach to the notion of health. There has been reference made in some of the presentations to the impact this has on social well-being or social capital and the ability to do that.

In terms of listening to what you were saying, do we need a policy that says museums take a positive approach to the well-being of people in their community, reflect the needs of their community, and are responsive to a myriad of ministerial approaches to things? For example, the World Health Organization had people looking at what the transportation ministry has to do with health. It's an integrated and coordinated approach.

[Shauna Levy]

Totally, and it's a design challenge too.

[Gordie Hogg, Liberal, South Surrey—White Rock, BC]

I'm sure it is.

I'm still struggling with that notion of a policy. I recognize exactly what you're saying, which is that we have to be able to encourage a myriad of approaches to things, and it's going to be transformative, as we've heard as well. Do you have some words that would help me grasp what that might be?

[Shauna Levy]

In our case, as I was saying earlier, we often work with the innovation ministry, because we touch upon so many different aspects of life and therefore so many aspects of governments and the various ministries. Gail Lord talks about soft power and the importance of museums and culture for the health of society and the reputation of a country. I think there has to be a policy that allows for the importance of museums and culture and therefore creates the institutional mechanisms to support that.

[Nika Collison]

I'd like to say that responsive museums both respond to and drive society. Effective museums see people taking action and also a movement towards a new discourse in our society. If there were policy from the Canadian federal government around embracing UNDRIP and the TRC calls to action in this round, that would be highly helpful and I think could really lead to some great work. Also, there could be a promotion of museums as not stuffy and old places but exciting places that create thought, discussion, and debate.

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dabrusin]

You have 15 seconds, but I think you might want to....

[Gordie Hogg, Liberal, South Surrey—White Rock, BC]

You're asking me to give up my 15 seconds?

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dabrusin]

No, you can put them in.