The Nova Scotia College of Art & Design University library has been an amazing resource as I work through recommended readings from Ben and Dan!
ON SITE DATA COLLECTION
LuNENBURG, NS
Lunenburg is a popular tourist destination and Unesco world heritage site. It has a distinct look to its architecture and prioritizes preserving historic features. It’s history was built on it’s prime location for shipping, industry and military.
READINGS & SECONDARY RESEARCH
I browsed through Dalhousie University’s online thesis portal to search for works related to my area of research that were being done by students in Halifax. I found excer[ts of these two particularly interesting and relevant to my studies.
I think it’s critical to understand the context in which built heritage and architecture exist in Canada, and researching Indigenous perspective on this topic was very interesting. I learned that up to 1961, in order to attend post-secondary education institutions in Canada native status people would lose their status - which was a part of the beurocracy side of cultural genocide.
INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES ON THE NOTIONS OF ARCHITECTURE >>
In a recent issue of Azure Magazine, Daniel Viola states in his article "Canada 150: The Integral Role of Indigenous Architects" that “[b]efore 1961, any Indigenous person who attended post-secondary school or wanted to enter one of many professions needed to enfranchise, thereby losing their status.
Kelly Edzerza-Bapty (KE-B): We carry a deep knowledge of our place in this world and of the geographic spaces we have evolved from: the birthplaces of our languages, governance, and social/cultural practices. As an Indigenous architect, I see my role as part of rebuilding our Nations and creating our own spaces for cultural and communal revitalization and re-grounding, built with our own hearts, minds, and hands.
Ouri Scott (OS): People have a right to land, self-governance, and self-determination. These rights are the foundation of how we run our Indigenous communities and directly affect their design. Buildings instigate change, and the act of building them encourages a sense of self and independence. The celebration of this is a powerful act.
GROUP FEEDBACK SESSIONS
Kim, Clodagh and I have been having regular meetups, inviting one or two other to join each week or two. These have been great in inspiring each other, talking though problems and sticking points, and presenting work completed so far.
I find that smaller group meet-ups are a lot more productive than larger crits, and inviting like-minded peers really propels conversation forward.
The controversial figure Thomas Heatherwick launches his Humanize campaign, which would be really interesting and could align with my research, but its critics easily poked holes through its intent and revealed ulterior motives.
Dan pointed my in the direction of The Guardians Oliver Wainwright for a critical perspective in this area.