News and announcements
Notice of Appointment: Reconciliation Museologist, SM Leduc
July 23, 2019
On behalf of the Canadian Museums Association (CMA) Reconciliation Council, the CMA is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. SM Leduc to the position of Reconciliation Museologist. Ms. Leduc will oversee the development of a toolkit and final report that will address Canadian Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) Call to Action #67, which calls on the CMA, with funding from the federal government and in collaboration with Indigenous peoples, to undertake “a national review of museum policies and best practices.”
In this role, Ms. Leduc will collaborate with Indigenous communities, the CMA Reconciliation Council and other key stakeholders across the country. Her work will involve surveying and collecting feedback, identifying key issues, and producing clear and realistic recommendations to the museum community for the inclusion and representation of Indigenous communities within museums and cultural centres.
Ms. Leduc has worked throughout her career to improving the standard of living of Indigenous Canadians, holding positions as a researcher and project manager on various complex Indigenous legal and social policy issues over the last decade — including Modern Treaties, income assistance and health care, taxation, and housing and homelessness — both within the federal public service and non-profit sector. Prior to joining the CMA, Ms. Leduc was Manager of Policy and Research at the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association where she advocated on the right to housing for Indigenous Peoples.
“History and culture are transmitted through art and ceremony, and this link is often tenuous, broken over time through conflict and political decisions over access and rights. The curation of a museum and the story it communicates to the public is a way of fostering critical dialogue which goes above and beyond what is contained therein,” said Ms. Leduc. “CMA has a proven track record of working collaboratively with Indigenous Peoples, and I look forward to joining the Association and advancing the work underway on reconciliation.”
The CMA is enthusiastic for this important project to move to the next phase. “Museums are essential to the preservation of cultural diversity and appreciation says Dr. Vanda Vitali, Executive Director of the CMA. “I look forward to working with Ms. Leduc and the CMA Reconciliation Council as they embark on this ambitious, comprehensive and inclusive process.”
About the CMA Reconciliation Council:
The CMA Reconciliation Council was initiated in 2018 in response to TRC Call to Action #67. The group is composed of 14 museum professionals, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, from museums and cultural centres across Canada.