Indigenous leader to continue reconciliation work at UVic

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This article was published 03/07/2020 (1918 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An Indigenous leader who guided the creation of a national archive that includes thousands of stories from residential school survivors will move to the University of Victoria and continue the journey to reconciliation.

Ry Moran, founding director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) at the University of Manitoba, will take up his new position at UVic this fall as the inaugural associate university librarian — reconciliation.

Moran, a River Heights resident and member of the Red River Métis, will use his new post to further educate and inform Canadians about the importance of memory and Indigenous knowledge in the national journey to reconciliation. His position will be the first of its kind at a Canadian university.

“It’s been an incredible time working at the NCTR. I’ve had incredible experiences here in Winnipeg,” Moran said. “But it’s nice to contemplate moving home to Victoria. Yes, the work is taking me in a different direction, but I am remaining committed to truth and reconciliation. You could say it’s the same road, different car.”

Moran grew up in Victoria and graduated from UVic in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and history.

He first began working on the national Truth and Reconciliation Commission when his company at the time bid on statement gathering from residential school survivors in 2009. Eventually, he worked directly for the commission as the director of Statement Gathering and the National Research Centre, building his team and collection protocols from the ground up.

“We didn’t even have video or audio recording equipment when we started,” Moran said. “Eventually, I had the largest operational team at the time. We knew even then that we would be creating a national centre to archive the material.”

On the TRC’s behalf, he oversaw the gathering of nearly 7,000 video and audio-recorded statements of former residential school students and others affected by the residential school system. He was also responsible for gathering the documentary history of the residential school system from more than 20 government departments and nearly 100 church archives — millions of records in all.

After the University of Manitoba won the bid to host the national centre, he was convinced to become the director.

The NTRC’s mandate is to ensure the history and legacy of the residential school system is never forgotten. The online archives give former students and their families access to their own history, along with providing resources for educators, researchers and the public.

“Before I move to Victoria, I’ll be wrapping things up at the NTRC,” Moran said. “We’re planning a major education day on Sept. 30, which is national Orange Shirt day in honour of residential school survivors. This will be an online event, and we have so many great partners and Indigenous people working on the event.”

After his move in October, Moran will be a member of the UVic Libraries’ senior management team, on the UVic campus that stands on the traditional territories of the Lekwungen peoples and in the traditional lands of the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEC peoples.

Moran will lead the efforts of UVic Libraries to decolonize approaches to the university’s archives and collections and integrate Indigenous ways of knowing and being into their work.

“Right across Canada, post-secondary schools have heard the call to reconciliation,” Moran said. “The UVic Library sees itself as the heart of the campus, in that they work with learners and staff, and provide resources to everyone on campus. This gives them a real influence.”

As a member of UVic Libraries and in collaboration with UVic’s Office of Indigenous Academic and Community Engagement, Moran will work to deepen the university’s commitment to respect and reconciliation.

He will also support the Faculty of Law’s ground-breaking joint degree program in Canadian Common Law and Indigenous Legal Orders and the national centre of excellence for the study and understanding of Indigenous laws, along with the Indigenous Law Research Unit.

“Recently, there was a ceremony where universities’ commitments were honoured by three paddles carved by Carey Newman and his father Victor, which represent the journey post-secondary institutions are on in terms of reconciliation,” Moran said, adding one paddle is at the NTRC in Winnipeg, one at UVic and the third travelling to other post-secondary institutions across Canada. Newman is a multi-disciplinary Indigenous artist and master carver, who is also the Audain professor of visual arts at UVic.

“When I get to UVic, I’ll be assessing what records they have in the library. Then I’ll widen the search to other institutions across the country,” Moran said. “By bringing these records together, the way we did with residential school survivors’ statements, we’ll gain new insights.”

In a news release, UVic president Jamie Cassels said of Moran, “His work will foster mutual understanding, and will greatly contribute to our university’s goal of advancing respect and reconciliation.”

The release went on to note, “UVic is deeply committed to decolonizing and indigenizing its campus. From language revitalization to Indigenous law, UVic researchers, students and partners are working with Indigenous communities and organizations in Canada and around the world to understand and celebrate Indigenous traditions and cultures, and to enhance educational opportunities for Indigenous students.”