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Royal BC Museum seeks stories from people in First Nations communities

Royal BC Museum and Archives invites submissions from First Nations community members from across B.C. for the 2017 spring issue of Curious.
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The Royal BC Museum is seeking submissions from First Nations communities.

The Royal BC Museum and Archives invites submissions from First Nations community members from across British Columbia for the 2017 spring issue of Curious.

"The theme we would like submissions to explore is belonging: what does it mean to find yourself, your family and your community in the Royal BC Museum and Archives collections?" the museum stated in a press release.  "Even if you have never set foot inside our walls, or have limited knowledge of the collections, our staff would like to help you explore and showcase your family history."

If people who are interested can’t come to Victoria in person, the museum says it can come to them via the Internet.

"Our staff can offer virtual tours and research assistance, but the stories you tell will be through your eyes and your voice."

Contributions to the issue can be in a digital format: article, personal narrative, interview, creative non-fiction, poetry, visual art, digital art, sound or video.

Anyone interested it asked to please let the museum know by by January 15, 2017.

"Send an email to cunningham.curious@gmail.com with your name, contact information and a brief description of your idea," the museum said. "We can accept up to 20 submissions for the issue, and will be providing a small honorarium."

Everyone, regardless of previous experience, is welcome to submit.

The guest editor, Francine Cunningham, will work with people from the raw idea stage to a polished piece.

"We are especially interested in seeing submissions that reflect the diverse range of experience that B.C. First Nations community members have when visiting the Royal BC Museum collections," the museum stated.

Francine Cunningham is an Indigenous writer and artist who works with youth to help cultivate artistic expression and who has a passion for engaging students in the creative arts.

Dr. Greg Younging also joins this issue as senior advisor. He is the managing editor of Theytus Books, a publishing house founded by and for Indigenous authors. He is also a professor of Indigenous Studies at the University of British Columbia.

"We’re excited to work with Francine and Greg, and to support new narratives and new voices," the museum added. "There is not just one story to tell about the provincial collections: there are a multitude of perspectives and experiences to relate and just as many ways to relate them. Please take us up on this invitation and tell us your story.

About the Royal BC Museum

The Royal BC Museum explores the province’s human history and natural history, advances new knowledge and understanding of BC, and provides a dynamic forum for discussion and a place for reflection.

The museum and archives celebrate culture and history, telling the stories of B.C. in ways that enlighten, stimulate and inspire.

Looking to the future, the Royal BC Museum will be a refreshed, modern museum, extending its reach far beyond Victoria as a world-class cultural venue and repository of digital treasures.