Sam Matsuo who shared his story of Landscapes of Injustice Project.
WINNIPEG, MB – UWinnipeg researchers are involved in two significant projects receiving a combined $5 million in funding: One exploring the impacts of socio-economic, cultural and environmental change on coastal communities and oceans, the other documenting the intergenerational oral history of Canadians of Japanese ancestry on the west coast who were systematically uprooted and detained during World War II. The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council announced the grants today.
UWinnipeg’s Dr. Ian Mauro, (department of geography) is co-leading the communication and outreach component and making an associated film for the OceanCanada Partnership project lead by the University of British Columbia which was granted $2.5 million. This interdisciplinary research collaboration project between 15 Canadian universities, non-governmental organizations, Fisheries and Oceans Canada will examine the future health and economic potential of Canada’s oceans from coast to coast to coast.
“Over the next six years, we will be collaborating with academic and community partners across the country,” says Mauro. “Using a diversity of multi-media and social networking tools, we will be collecting and mobilizing knowledge regarding the current and future state of Canada’s oceans.
UWinnipeg’s Oral History Centre (OHC) is one of 13 partners in a $2.5 million grant lead under the guidance of Dr. Jordan Stanger-Ross, University of Victoria (project director and an associate professor, department of history new seven-year research project) entitled Landscapes of Injustice. This project will document the forced dispossession of Canadians of Japanese ancestry. Landscapes of Injustice will also result in creating teaching materials for elementary and secondary school classes; educational websites; scholarly and popular publications; public events; and a traveling museum exhibition.
“The Oral History Centre, a national leader in the collection of oral histories, is instrumental in developing the project’s intergenerational oral history approach,” explains Dr. Alexander Freund, co-director of the Centre. “The OHC will provide extensive training and oversee the digital infrastructure for tracking extant oral histories of Japanese Canadians as well as conduct new interviews over the next five years.”
“University of Winnipeg faculty members continue to both lead and collaborate on large scale research initiatives,” said Dr. Jino Distasio, Associate Vice President, Research and Innovation; Director, Institute of Urban Studies. “The announcement of these two major grants will see UWinnipeg faculty part of a network of Canadian researchers collaborating on important national issues related to climate change and Canadian history. The outcome of such research will be of critical importance to these two fields of study.”
