North York Central Library Blog

On July 3rd, a fascinating group of elders and staff from the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto and researchers from the University of Toronto met at North York Central Library to celebrate the wonderful presentation of artifacts being put on display on the 3rd floor. For the months of July and August, the library will have artifacts from First Nations across Canada and the United States for public viewing. The display is enticingly called, "Memory, Meaning-Making and Collections".

The members of the group come from the Cree, Anishinaabeg and non-Native communities across Ontario, Quebec and Alberta. They work directly with the artifacts to try and learn something about themselves and about the ways these artifacts communicate ideas and experiences from across time, space and generations. 

The group typically meets in the Wigwamen senior's residence. They first share a potluck lunch; one which the group was able to share with staff from North York Central library on July 3rd. Sharing food, like artifacts, creates strong memories and relationships among people. Staff members of the library were able to participate in this exchange. After going around the table with introductions filled with personal experiences about their lives and their time with the group, the sharing of food and stories began. I had the opportunity to speak with one of the residents from Wigwamen. She is known to be quite skilled at bead-making and a fantastic cook. The other ladies raved about her fabulous Bannock bread, a recipe which I am excited to try. The recipe itself can be found in their "The Memory, Meaning-making & Collections 'Come Eat!' Cookbook," also on display on the 3rd floor. I was able to share my own personal story about my grandmother teaching me to make perogies. It was a really wonderful experience filled with stories and memories being shared. 

The group handles different kinds of artifacts cared for by First Story Toronto. It is a community history project at the neighbouring Native Canadian Centre of Toronto. The encounters with the artifacts allow the group to have insight to the First Nations' ingenuity, environmental knowledge, and family relationships. This engagement allows people to transmit knowledge, memories, skills and values. 

Feel free to come by the 3rd floor display to have a look at these artifacts which show the incredibly rich Native Peoples heritage. The Society and Recreation department also has a wonderful Native Peoples collection that includes non-fiction, novels, magazines, audiobooks, DVDs and CDs.