To coincide with National Indigenous Peoples Day, the Manitoba Indigenous Tuberculosis History Project (MITHR) has launched a brand-new website, IndigenousTBHistory.ca, with access to educational and historical resources about Indigenous patients at the tuberculosis hospitals.
This website is primarily the result of years of research on the subject and, more recently, the intense and dedicated work of UWinnipeg-based historians Dr. Erin Millions and Dr. Anne Lindsay.
Dr. Mary Jane Logan McCallum
“The Manitoba Indigenous Tuberculosis History Project is an attractive, informative, and engaging site for public information on the history of tuberculosis in Manitoba,” said Dr. Mary Jane Logan McCallum, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous People, History, and Archives, as well as Professor in The University of Winnipeg’s Department of History. “I think of it as part museum, part archives, part research course, and part scrapbook. It offers a range of points of entry into the past, from a list of open-access reference materials and media coverage of the project to general information to those who may be learning about this past for the first time.”
This community-led, Indigenous-centered health history project, which was launched during the National Gathering of Elders in 2019, is devoted to sharing and recovering histories of Indigenous tuberculosis in Manitoba from the 1930s to 1970s.
MITHP team members include Project Lead Dr. McCallum, Research Director Dr. Erin Millions, Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Anne Lindsay, and student research assistants.
“This website is primarily the result of years of research on the subject and, more recently, the intense and dedicated work of UWinnipeg-based historians Dr. Erin Millions and Dr. Anne Lindsay, who see historical research as primarily a service to the public,” said Dr. McCallum.
The website came out of a pandemic necessity to re-envision two of the main goals of the project: community engagement and sharing/repatriation of historical photos and documents about Indigenous tuberculosis history in Manitoba.
Before March 2020, this was primarily done in person through community workshops and through social media. During COVID, the team had to re-think what community engagement could look like in pandemic times.
The new website includes:
Tuberculosis History – This includes an overview of Indigenous tuberculosis history in Manitoba and individual histories of the tuberculosis sanatoriums and Indian hospitals that treated Indigenous tuberculosis patients between about the 1930s and the 1970s
Archival Photo Database – An expanded photo collection beyond the digital copies of photos donated to the MITHP in 2019 by the Manitoba Lung Association to include images from archives across Canada and private photo donations to the MITHP. The photos are accessible on the website through a searchable photo database.
Tuberculosis Archives – This on-going project involves digitizing of publications of the Sanatorium Board of Manitoba, with permission from the Manitoba Lung Association, including annual reports, the Bulletin newsletter, and the Messenger of Health, a monthly periodical that promotes better health in Manitoba.
Publications and Resources – The website provides access to publications, video lectures, interviews, and podcasts by the MITHP team, as well as a curated resource list of books, articles, documentaries, public talks, and podcasts about Indigenous tuberculosis history in Canada.
The Manitoba Indigenous Tuberculosis History Project Blog– The team will continue to post short articles about their research and updates about upcoming events.
To learn more about the Manitoba Indigenous Tuberculosis History Project, visit their new website.
