Songs, Stories and Sacred Fire Partnership: Strategies for Success in the Context of COVID-19

Songs, Stories and Sacred Fire: Fostering Reconciliation through Collaborative Research in Unama’ki is a multi-faceted program that established a new partnership between an existing collaborative research group based at the Centre for Sound Communities (CSC) comprising multiple generations of researchers from Membertou First Nation and Cape Breton University– and the Atlantic Memorial Park Society. The overall goal of our project is to build on existing relationships and established methodologies in the context of this new partnership, to provide direction for the development of the Park’s Indigenous content and interpretation. Our original research plan has been carried out; a final report, with accompanying short documentary films, is being finalized. However, in light of new COVID-19 related challenges, we require additional data to complete an additional section of the report. More specifically, we need to collect data to support the development of recommendations to ensure the Park will be successful in the new COVID era. What are the mechanisms by which the Park’s Indigenous research, development, content and interpretation can be fully realized and successful in new COVID-19 realities, in the face of pandemic-related challenges?

Faculty Supervisor:

Marcia Ostashewski

Student:

Partner:

Membertou Development Corporation

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Management of companies and enterprises

University:

Cape Breton University

Program: