Hidden from Historians: Preserving Lesbian Oral History in Canada
Abstract
Lesbian history is an important part of Canada’s past but some of the most valuable research material we have is in danger of disappearing. Over the past twenty years Canadian activists and researchers have conducted many oral history interviews with lesbians in Canada, yet only a handful have donated their research material to an archive. Drawing on the findings of a research questionnaire distributed to oral historians, this article shows that a lack of training, an absence of financial resources, and a failure to put in place a plan to donate research material to an archive are three of the most important barriers to preserving lesbian oral history in Canada. The article also describes the Archive of Lesbian Oral History, an international digital archive founded by the author.
RÉSUMÉ
L’histoire lesbienne est une partie importante du passé canadien, mais certains documents de recherche les plus utiles sont en danger de disparition. Au cours des vingt dernières années, les activistes canadiens et les chercheurs ont mené des interviews d’histoire orale avec des lesbiennes au Canada. Cependant, seulement quelques-uns ont fait don de leur recherche à un centre d’archives. À partir des résultats obtenus dans un sondage auprès des spécialistes en histoire orale, cet article montre qu’un manque de formation, une pénurie de ressources financières et une incapacité de mettre en place un plan pour faire don des documents de recherche à un centre d’archives sont trois obstacles importants qui empêchent la préservation de l’histoire orale lesbienne. L’article décrit aussi les Archive of Lesbian Oral History, des archives numériques internationales fondées par l’auteure.
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