RATIONALE

In our multicultural society, cultural diversity goes to the heart of our identity as a people and a country. It is part of the texture of everyday life in Canada. Cultural diversity, as expressed through music, literature and language, is the outward inclination of our cultural expression. Fostering cultural expression through music, books, art and technology has always been viewed as a means of creating a more socially inclusive, tolerant and just society. Moreover, it is these cultural goods and services that construct and convey our identity and values as Canadians, while educating us about each other.

The cultural diversity that is modern Canada articulates different voices and different cultural perspectives especially Aboriginal perspectives. There are a multitude of Aboriginal perspectives distinguished and informed by geography, language, culture and history. These perspectives are further complicated by clan structures, economic prospects and whether people live on or off reserves. Having said that, Aboriginal Canadians subscribe to similar goals as non-Aboriginal Canadians: health, happiness and long life in a safe and nurturing country.

George Erasmus, President of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, in the Third Annual LaFontaine-Baldwin Lecture, said (to paraphrase) that creating and sustaining national community is an ongoing act of imagination, fueled by stories of who we are. The stories of how Canada came to be are only now beginning to acknowledge the fundamental contributions that Aboriginal peoples have made to the formation of Canada as we know it. Aboriginal people were major participants in trade and commerce, partners in treaties that opened up access to lands and resources and served gallantly in large numbers on the battlefields during both World Wars.

In recognition of their diversity and their contribution to the diversity that is Canada, the Pearson-Shoyama Institute is launching the Aboriginal Cultural Advisory Board to engage in conversations that go beyond policy debates.

The vision of the Pearson-Shoyama Institute is that the Aboriginal Cultural Advisory Board will be the impetus for dialogue among Canadians, a dynamic cultural dialogue that encourages and articulates creativity and communication between groups, individuals, ideas and communities. This includes educating emerging ethnic communities to understand, value and assist the Aboriginal community in the advancement of their traditional cultures and their participation in the national public life of the nation.

For a more comprehensive understanding of this rationale, please refer to the article on ‘What kind of Canada do we want in the 21st Century?” This article can be viewed by clicking on the Hot Button at the bottom left on the Main Page.

OBJECTIVES OF THE ABORIGINAL CULTURAL ADVISORY BOARD

• To assist in the process of renewing the relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians through dialogue, public policy, education and other events.
• To foster awareness of aboriginal subject matter, and to contribute to the positive portrayal and teaching of aboriginal history. (Too often, a lack of knowledge predictably leads to misunderstanding and intolerance.)
• To strengthen the bonds between First Nations peoples and non-First Nations peoples through dialogue, forums, essays, and other forms of cultural goods and services.
• To build community and renew the relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples through the lens of education and information, vis-à-vis the creation of a digital resource center.
• To support digital media projects that speak of content and community – because technology and the Web have become important tools in stemming the tide of cultural loss of traditional knowledge and cultural heritage. In achieving this objective, members of the Aboriginal Cultural Advisory Board will work with communities, cultural agencies, schools, and other institutions in order to record, preserve, and make accessible cultural materials for public consumption.
• To support educators and students through the development of learning materials for students and life-long learners.
• To assist and support culturally diverse groups, agencies and institutions in exploring the use of digital media technology as a means of promoting and preserving their traditional knowledge, histories and stories on the Web.
• To explore the creation of cultural goods and services for the purposes of constructive cultural dialogue and as an educational tool in promoting inter-community dialogue among Canadians.

Mary Moylum, Arb.

Chair
Aboriginal Cultural Advisory Board
Pearson-Shoyama Institute