A Study of Database Construction for the Cultural Resources of Indigenous Peoples in Northern North America, with a Focus on the Minpaku Collection
Research period: January 2016 – December 2017 / Project for Database Improvement (project period: max. 2 years)
Coordinator KISHIGAMI Nobuhiro
Outline
Objectives
Across the vast expanse from Alaska and Canada on the North American continent to Greenland, various aboriginal cultures were formed. Many have survived to this day despite the changes that have occurred. The National Museum of Ethnology, Japan (Minpaku) holds over 2,000 items related to Alaskan, Canadian, and Greenlandic indigenous cultures. Nevertheless, no research has been conducted of the overall picture suggested by these items. Much of the information remains unclear, except for several items from the Inuit and aboriginal peoples on the Northwest Coast of North America. Through this project, we shall re-examine the basic information Minpaku has assembled in relation to the items of the indigenous peoples of the northern regions of North America, and add additional information related to the peoples, cultures, history, geographical environment, visual materials, and research papers related to the objects. We expect to translate the basic information into multiple languages and to develop a database that will be widely usable.
Description
This project will follow the processes described below: To achieve the research objectives presented above, this project will observe how material culture is positioned ecologically and culturally by comprehensive collection and analysis of functions, including materials and uses, and information, such as manufacturing techniques, and the like by particularly addressing materials for neighboring island regions, mainly Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands. These regions were selected as the emphasis for study and research targets because their natural environments are similar, yet they are ethnically diverse.
(1) We shall present a full picture of all Minpaku items of the aboriginal peoples in the northern regions of North America, re-examine basic data already converted into a database, and conduct naked-eye examination of the items as necessary. Based on the objectives presented above, we shall organize the information for the database and create a basic information database in Excel format.
(2) We will classify the items into seven categories: Alaskan Region, Northwest Coast Region, Plateau Region, Great Plains Region, Subarctic Region, Arctic Region, and Greenland. Then, we will study the peoples, cultures, history, geographical environment, visual materials, and research papers on each item, and create data for each item in Japanese and English. In principle, we will organize and classify each item and its related information by people or region.
(3) When all information is collected, we will contact public and university museums in Canada such as the Royal British Columbia Museum, the Canadian Museum of History, and the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia, in addition to native American museums such as U’mista Cultural Centre to exchange information and conduct fieldwork in Canada, if necessary, to verify information locally and to confirm the feasibility of publication. The fieldwork will be funded partially by Scientific Research A ” Museology for Museum Networking” (Project Leader: Ken’ichi Sudo).
(4) Based on the outcome of the activities described above, we will finalize the data. We will translate the basic data into their local languages as comprehensively as possible, with cooperation from Canadian aboriginal museum stakeholders and aboriginal groups. Furthermore, we will prepare visual information related to the items, the aboriginal peoples, and their natural environment.
(5) After creation of the database contents, we expect to prepare for its opening to the public or/and stakeholders through discussions with members of the System Development Working Group of the Info-Forum Museum Committee.
(6) We shall disclose the database online (on the Info-Forum Museum).
Expected results
Note: Results also reveal what kind of database it would be.
We will create Japan’s first encyclopedic database on the cultures of the aboriginal peoples in the northern regions of North America, from which users can extract not only explanation of items in the Minpaku collection, but also general information and visual data related to such peoples and their cultures, societies, environment, history, and current status. Moreover, the Info-Forum Museum’s functionalities will enable one to obtain revised information and comments from indigenous people about the items. Therefore, the database itself will become a forum for discussion and a tool for additional research. Moreover, peoples of the indigenous communities, as anyone in the entire world, will be able to use the database for collecting information. Schools in Japan will be able to make use of it also.
Annual Report
Outcomes from 2017
1. The state of the implementation of this year’s research
(1) Continuing from fiscal year 2016, we improved information by examining and revising data scheduled for disclosure and by adding document information. We also translated the information into multiple languages (particularly English). Eventually, we compiled a database comprising 2,975 items of cultural resources concerning indigenous peoples of Northern North America.
(2) We collected information about Kwakwaka’wakw at the U’mista Cultural Centre in Alert Bay, Campbell River Museum, and other places during our fieldwork conducted during July 29 – August 7, 2017, on Vancouver Island in the Northwest Coast region of Canada. We added the findings to the database currently under development.
(3) We held a thematic exhibition “Resilience of Indigenous Cultures in Canada: Past, Present and Future” (September 7 through December 5, 2017) using the findings from the above (1) and (2) and opened to the public the Japanese version of the database as a trial at the exhibition venue. We also held a public international symposium “History and the Current Status of Indigenous People in Canada” at Minpaku on September 9, 2017. We released some of our research findings by holding an exhibition and symposium.
(4) We released the database to the general public by March 2018 through the system that has been built.
2. Overview of the research results (achievements of the research objects)
We examined and improved the basic information related to 2,975 items from the cultural resources of the indigenous peoples of the northern regions of North America living in areas extending from Alaska and Canada to Greenland, added new information such as document data, and built and released a forum-style database searchable by the name of people, name of material, or keywords. Although some descriptions in the local languages are incomplete because of the large number of indigenous languages involved in the project, exceeding 40, it is the first database in Japan of cultural resources related to the indigenous peoples of the northern regions of North America, which allows the information to be shared and used jointly, not only with the source communities, but the general public, researchers, and students.
Moreover, we held a thematic exhibition and symposium based on the database to publicize the achievements widely through means other than the internet.
3. Records disclosing achievements (publications, public symposia, sectional meetings of academic conferences, electronic media, etc.)
In addition to the database, the project results include the following.
Publications
Nobuhiro Kishigami
2017. “Enhancing and Distributing Information about Indigenous Peoples of the Northern Regions of North America Held at Minpaku” Minpaku Tsushin. 156:10-11. (in Japanese)
2017. “Society of Indigenous Peoples in Canada: Development of Diverse Cultures.” Michihisa Hosokawa (ed.) Fifty Chapters to Learn the History of Canada. P.34-39. Tokyo: Akashi-shoten. (in Japanese)
Exhibition
Nobuhiro Kishigami
The National Museum of Ethnology Thematic Exhibition – Fall 2017 “Resilience of Indigenous Cultures in Canada: Past, Present and Future” (September 7 through December 5, 2017)
Public symposium
Nobuhiro Kishigami
Public International Symposium “History and the Current Status of Indigenous People in Canada” held on September 9, 2017 at Minpaku
Digital media
Descriptions of Fall 2017 thematic exhibition of the National Museum of Ethnology “Resilience of Indigenous Cultures in Canada: Past, Present and Future” (September 7 – December 5, 2017) (in Japanese)
http://www.minpaku.ac.jp/museum/exhibition/thematic/canada20170907/commentary
Outcomes from 2016
1. The state of the implementation of this year’s research
The work planned at the time of application has almost been completed, and we are ready to disclose it during the next fiscal year. Our research achievements in FY 2016 are as follows:
- We checked the basic information of approximately 3,000 North American objects in Minpaku (697 prints by Northwest Coast People, 405 Inuit prints, and 1,936 objects other than the above) and photos. The basic information consists of 15 items including object titles, local names, user of the object, locations and year of use, purposes and how to use, object maker, and text information) and photos of approximately 3,000 North American materials stored in the National Museum of Ethnology (Minpaku). We also corrected and added object information in Excel files, and additionally photographed approximately 154 objects.
- We collected ethnographic information by cultural area and ethnic group to include in the database.
- I visited the Glenbow Museum, the Manitoba Museum, the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, the Canadian Museum of History, the McCord Museum, the Musée de la civilization à Québec, the Rooms Provincial Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador), the Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology, the University of Cambridge, the British Museum, and the Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples, to gather and check the information on their objects and request their cooperation in translating it into local languages.
- We translated basal information into English and/or local languages.
- We have made preparations to disclose the information on-line, with the help of experts in information science.
2. Overview of the research results (achievements of the research objects)
In this fiscal year, we scrutinized basic information and image data on approximately 3,000 objects of the indigenous peoples in Northern North America. We also made corrections and additions to inaccurate or insufficient parts, and took 154 photos of items lacking image data. In addition, we visited 10 museums in Japan and abroad for research. We established a cooperative network, and translated into English and/or local languages to upgrade such data. In particular, we have concluded an academic agreement with the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. Based on these achievements, we constructed a basic form of a database as an Excel file to disclose it.
3. Records disclosing achievements (publications, public symposia, sectional meetings of academic conferences, electronic media, etc.)
Kishigami, Nobuhiro (2016) “Concept of an Info-Forum Museum at the National Museum of Ethnology” Ito, Atsunori (ed.) Re-Collection and Sharing Traditional Knowledge, Memories, Information, and Images: Challenges and the Prospects on Creating Collaborative Catalog (SER 137), P.15-23, Osaka: National Museum of Ethnology (in Japanese).
Kishigami, Nobuhiro (2016) “An Info-Forum Museum for Cultural Resources of the World: A New Development at the National Museum of Ethnology” Ito, Atsunori (ed.) Re-Collection and Sharing Traditional Knowledge, Memories, Information, and Images: Challenges and the Prospects on Creating Collaborative Catalog (SER 137), P.25-33, Osaka: National Museum of Ethnology, (in English).
Kishigami, Nobuhiro (2017) “Project: Advanced Digitalization and Information Development for Materials on Indigenous Peoples in Northern North America Collected by Minpaku,” Minpaku Tsushin [Minpaku News Letter] 157: 14-15.