CANADIAN COMMISSION FOR UNESCO
Canadian Commission for UNESCO and McMaster University Library announce addition of Basil H. Johnston Archives to the Canada Memory of the World Register

McMaster University Library and the Canadian Commission for UNESCO are pleased to announce that the Basil H. Johnston Archives have been added to the Canada Memory of the World Register. Created in 2017, the Register brings together significant collections linked to the history and heritage of Canada. It complements UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme, which includes diverse collections of global importance.

The personal archives of Basil H. Johnston, noted Ojibwe linguist, teacher, curator, ethnologist, and historian, comprise his writings and translations, published and unpublished manuscripts, works of fiction, poetry, plays and works of non-fiction. Also included in these rich archives are materials related to Johnston's experiences in the Indian Residential School system along with his research files on Indigenous land claims. These textual materials are supplemented by photographs and sound recordings, including recordings of Basil Johnston narrating traditional Ojibwe stories.

The Basil H. Johnston Archives pertain intimately to the places that shaped his life, especially the communities of Wasauksing and Neyaashiinigmiing (Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation) where he learned the Ojibwe language and stories that became his life's work. Because they chronicle so many creation stories and place-names of the Anishinaabe peoples they are also, in a sense, a testament to the broad human geography of Anishinaabemowin speakers stretching from Quebec to the Great Plains.

Johnston's life passion was sharing, recording and teaching Anishinaabe culture and language. He was the author of 25 books in English and five in Anishinaabemowin. He created audio programs to teach Anishinaabemowin, wrote in popular newspapers and periodicals and had a career as an Anishinaabemowin storyteller and teacher at the Royal Ontario Museum. Johnston was an early voice in Indigenous Canadian writing, making his way in the 1970s and clearing a path for contemporary Indigenous Canadian writing talent. He wrote and recorded stories in Anishinaabe with the aim of preserving his language for future generations of speakers.

Johnston, recognized as an Elder and Knowledge Keeper within his nation and community, was personally involved with articulating the protocols which regulate access to the archival material. The collection will be used to support Indigenous Studies at McMaster and beyond.

''Basil H. Johnston was an innovator in the preservation of Anishinaabemowin. He was able to convey his culture to Indigenous and non-Indigenous audiences through his publications and his work at the Royal Ontario Museum. The Canadian Commission for UNESCO and the Memory of the World Advisory Committee are honoured to recognize the national significance of this collection that challenged the ideologies of cultural assimilation upheld by the Indian Residential School System, especially within the context of the United Nations International Decade of Indigenous Languages." - Cody Groat, Chair, Canadian Advisory Committee for Memory of the World

"The addition of the Basil H. Johnston Archives to the Canada Memory of the World Register is a deserving recognition of his remarkable contributions, and also celebrates the dedication of McMaster's archives and research collections team in ensuring archives of Indigenous Canadians are preserved and accessible to the public." - Vivian Lewis, McMaster University Librarian

What is the significance of being included in the Memory of the World Register?

The Canada Memory of the World Register provides universal access to our artistic, cultural, economic, geographic, linguistic, political, scientific, spiritual and identity-based heritage. It also highlights the importance of making these unique collections accessible to students, researchers and the general public.

The Canadian Advisory Committee for Memory of the World is made up of experts who review nominations and make recommendations to the Canadian Commission for UNESCO on which collections should be included in the Canada Memory of the World Register.