RRN Presentation for Native Education Centre: Jewellery Class

We were lucky enough to get the chance to present to up and coming artists at the Native Education Center in Vancouver. The class was made up of a handful of aspiring artists learning about metal carving. The class was on its last day, so when we walked in with the intent of delivering a presentation, they weren’t all too eager to have to sit there longer than needed. Needless to say, when setting up, we told them that the RRN is a great tool 170 000 items on there they didn’t seem too happy to have to sit through that many pictures. Once the presentation got on the way, the audience’s attention started to focus more and more on the RRN. In the end, the live demo had everyone shouting out where to search and what to look for. Especially the pictures with the ability to zoom are what they enjoyed the best. In the end, its always the best feeling to deliver a presentation to where you go from nothing to an excited state, we could really tell the students were enthusiastic about the RRN

-Jody

Jody and I were invited to the last day of the Jewelery class at Native Education Center. The Principal and the Teacher thought that this presentation would be a great send off for their students. When we first started the presentation, the students were complaining because they just had a party of food and drinks and were anxious to get home. One man in particular was complaining of why we didn’t get there before and that 170,000 images were just too much. He was the first one that signed up after our presentation. When Jody put the first slides up, the mood quickly changed. It was clear that the class was quite impressed. Many signed up. One man in particular was really impressed. He was around 60 years of age. I approached him and said, ‘We can help you sign up.’ He said, “No, I really don’t know anything about computers and I have a hard time. I tried to send an e-mail and it came back to me so I just left it.” I told him about the tutorials and how they show you step by step and that you can also e-mail the university. He was quite happy and then asked for more of the invitations and brochures. One man said that there is a man that is registered under the Artist in the RRN. He said that this man from his reserve went to three museums and requested his art back and received them. This man wants to notify this man from his reserve to contact the RRN and be able to put these other artefacts onto the website also. Good day: wanted to send you good news.

-June

From Where the River Grass Grows

The date draws closer, our launch, one part of the journey and another starts.  I would like to congratulate everyone on their hard work on making this project a success.  The recent weeks and upcoming weeks were and will be a very interesting time.

From Musqueam, recently the Olympics came through, we had a handful of torch bearers come through the reserve, had a ceremonial lighting of a cauldron outside the band office, and had visiting Inuit throat singers, two pole raisings and our hand in the Aboriginal pavilion which will soon be transported to Musqueam. 

In Musqueam, June and I have been doing a lot of online work as well contacting Musqueam band members.  June had created several different projects where people have joined and hopefully utilize her work.  Myself, I created the culturally sensitive items from B.C. which has had some discussion. 

The grand opening was also an amazing experience as well as informative.  Considering we had 3 kiosks running, there was an interest shown by the museum crowd.  When we go live, it will be great to see more use and more contributions by the RRN users.

A few weeks ago I had to opportunity to attend the Residential School Conference in Leqamel First Nation with Wendy Ritchie.  Here I made contact with George Pennier who wanted to speak about his three masks in the Cambridge collection.  You can find one audio file where George spoke with Herb Jr on the RRN already. 

We had the chance to briefly spoke Ramsey Louis and will upload that audio file to the RRN.  Hopefully we plan to speak to more of the artists from Musqueam, one being Susan Point.

With our journey together nearing its end, I would like to thank everyone for their hard work.  For old friends and new, best of wishes and continued success in all of your future endeavours. 

Jody, Community Liaison Researcher, Musqueam

Update From Sto:lo

As we draw closer to our official launch date, feelings of  joy and excitement are abundant here in Sto:lo territory. It has been a real honour to be part of something historical in the making and definitely something we will never forget. As a team, we have been quite busy doing our part trying to make this website the best it can be.

Wendy attended the Residential School Conference in Leqamel First Nation as a representative of our RRN team. She was honoured to share in the elder’s healing and equally honoured to assisted in a cleansing ceremony at the conference. It was a rewarding experience and one she will never forget.

Although Frank and Herb Jr were unable to attend, Wendy was present at UBC to attend the Grand Reopening of the Museum Of Anthropology and the Aboriginal West Coast display and represent our team here in Sto:lo territory. Several dance groups were in attendance as well as approximately 9,500 visitors in the 2 day Grand Reopening.

Herb Jr and Wendy have been busy conducting interviews with Rena Bolton-Point, Laura Wee Lay Luck and George Pennier. These interviews were recorded digitally  and were then uploaded onto the RRN website. We are also trying to set up as many RRN presentations as we can squeeze in between now and our official launch date.

We here in Sto:lo territory would like to thank everyone involved with the Reciprocal Research Network for an unforgettable experience and look forward to the enormous success of the beautiful work we have created as a team.

The RRN at MOA's Celebration of Creativity

From January 22nd to 24th, the RRN team gathered at the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver for the UBC institution's Celebration of Creativity. The renovated spaces and innovative exhibits (including the Ways of Knowing: Multiversity Galleries, "Border Zones" in the Audain Gallery, and the Cultural Research Centre) brought almost 10,000 visitors to the museum over the weekend-long celebration. Community Liaisons and other RRN Staff demonstrated the RRN Pilot site on four RRN kiosks (three in the Ways of Knowing: Multiversity Galleries and one in the Audrey and Harry Hawthorn Library and Archives. Visitors were excited to see the RRN in action, and several people signed up for an account on the spot. We're looking forward to our official launch in March!

 

Nick and Ryan, the lead software developers of the RRN, check out one of the three RRN Kiosks in the recently-reopened Ways of Knowing: Multiversity Galleries.

Update from U'mista

We have been working through the new version of the site and looking for bugs and learning the new features, to learn them and help people who may be signing up to the RRN. During any presentations we do, we have the opportunity to highlight the unique features the site has to offer. Seeing the site work at first hand on a big screen certainly gets people’s attention. The feedback is always positive and encourages us to learn all we can about the site, to help us convey the depth and richness the site has to offer.

Here at U’mista there is an ongoing art class. This group of people are the ideal candidates to introduce to the RRN. Working artists are always pleased to have the opportunity to study other people's work. The collections that are available through the RRN are now in the public spotlight. We have the ability to look through artists from our Kwakwala speaking peoples such as: Willie Seaweed; Herbert Johnson and Mungo Martin. This is an invaluable tool to our young and aspiring artists to gain access to masks and regalia from times past. This art class has been recorded, and people can view photographs and videos of old and contemporary work.

www.kwakwakawakw.weebly.com

-David, Lawrence

Update from Musqueam

Jody and I have been busy working in Musqueam as community researcher. We have both been working on the Website looking for bugs and testing the new version that Ryan and Tristan and the RRN team have been working on.

Jody and I are also doing presentations for Musqueam 101 (a weekly non-credit university-level seminar hosted by Musqueam in partnership with UBC) and audio interviews that will go on the item record page of the individual artists that are on the site. We are interviewing Joan Peters, Debra Campbell and McGeary Point this week. Debra Sparrow wants to come in to review her interview. Jody will edit the interviews and put them on the website. I enjoy this part of my work as I feel it is hands on work, challenging and exciting to interview and talk to these people in person. Also, when I went to talk to these people about putting their story on the RRN I could tell that they were overwhelmed and honoured to talk about their history and interest in art.  I am very interested in interviewing Roddy and Joan Peters; Roddy is the eldest person in Musqueam right now. The Peters have a fascinating background as their parents taught them many things of their history and they have kept their culture and language alive.  I am now contacting individuals to come to the board room for presentations and interviews. I decided to do this because not too many people have showed up at the Adult Learning centre.

I am happy and excited to go to the opening at MOA and to meet Steven Point, Lt. Governor in person.  Time is going too fast as the launch is coming so near.

-June

Happy New Year from the RRN

Happy New Year and welcome back to the bustling world of the RRN.

Just before the holiday break, the RRN Team pushed up version 0.6.3. Visit the RRN now to check out the new area for users to contribute information on the item pages. Work continues on the login and dashboard pages, and we continue to hunt down and fix bugs.

 You can share information in the space below every item record on the RRN

 

Viewing Shared Knowledge

Later this month, the RRN will be participating in the long-awaited reopening celebration for MOA. Three RRN kiosks will be located throughout the Ways of Knowing: Multiversity Galleries, and we are excited to have the Community Liaison Researchers join us here to share the RRN with visitors.

On behalf of the RRN Team, I would like to wish you all the best in the coming year as we count down to the launch of the RRN!

Cheers,

Joanne