20 April 2023 • Punamu'kwati'jk (Dartmouth)
Dartmouth Heritage Museum is embarking on the creation of a hybrid oral history and podcast dedicated to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community of Dartmouth and Halifax, Nova Scotia, and is inviting the queer community to be a part of the process.
Made possible through funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage, "In The Spirit of Helen" draws inspiration from the legacy of Evergreen House - which houses the museum in part - and its previous resident, folklorist Helen Creighton. Led by Jessica Webber (they/she), DHM hopes to compile a series of video recordings that will be publicly released in both English and French.
Based on interest, these videos may take the form of oral histories, conversational-style interviews, or round table discussions.
To be successful in this vision, the museum invites any persons self-identifying as Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Aromantic, Agender, or Anywhere-In-Between, who have or currently reside in Dartmouth / Halifax, to reach out to Jessica via email at Jessica.Webber@DartmouthMuseum.ca or phone, 902.464.2300.
"To tell a diverse story, we need to hear from a diverse range of people - it's as simple as that. We all know the legacies of museums and marginalized groups, and this is one way to sincerely course-correct. To that end, we want you to know this: it doesn't matter who you are or where you are from - if you are queer, we want your voice here." - Jessica Webber, Project lead
Dartmouth Heritage Museum operates on Punamu'kwati'jk, the unceeded home of the L’nu’k, and strives to use storytelling as a way to strengthen community bonds.
