ASI

This National Day for Truth and Reconciliation we are sharing books, podcasts, films, television series, and a documentary, that offer opportunities to learn from and amplify the voices of Indigenous authors, creators, knowledge keepers, and storytellers.

While no single resource can fully capture the diversity of Indigenous experiences, we hope this list with recommendations from our staff helps to provides valuable perspectives that can support ongoing learning and personal reflection.

We deliberately chose resources that we hope are easy to access - many of them are available for free through public libraries, the CBC, or the National Film Board of Canada.

In our comments are links to the 94 Calls to Action and more.
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Let’s talk Critical Heritage!

Read our latest blog post by Cultural Heritage Technician Leora Bebko on Critical Heritage – a practice that questions what is and isn’t “Capital H” Heritage and why? What were the power structures involved in making those decisions? And, perhaps more importantly, who and what has been excluded from Heritage as a result?

Read the full post on ASI’s website, linked in the comments

It's time for another ! Today we are examining the telltale marks of nineteenth-century ceramics made for children. Read through for an intro to these sweet little artifacts!

Is there anything better than a heritage walk on a perfect summer day?

Pictured here in Étienne Brûlé Park, ASI Archaeologist Emily Meikle leads the August 9th Baby Point tour. Developed in partnership with Heritage Toronto, the tour tells the story of Indigenous heritage and more recent cultural heritage along the Humber River.

The next walk is on September 6th, check out the link in our comments to get yours before they're gone!
📷: Janis Mitchell

Ontario's heritage also lies beneath our beautiful waterways!

Marine Archaeology in Ontario is still an emerging field, scroll through to see the techniques and tools we use to uncover heritage in fresh water conditions.

Are you an experienced and passionate archaeologist?

We are hiring for two office positions- a Project Manager and a Technical Writer, and we would love to hear from you!

Visit the link in our comments to read the full job postings and learn more.

If you’re excited about these opportunities and meet most, but not all, of the qualifications, we still encourage you to apply!

Name a sport…we’ve got a team worth cheering for!
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Do you have a favourite Canadian sports memory?

We are thrilled to congratulate Dr. Ron Williamson on receiving an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Waterloo — the highest honour conferred by the University.

This prestigious recognition celebrates a lifetime of achievement and impact. During the ceremony, Dr. Chris Watts reflected on Ron's remarkable legacy, noting that through the founding of ASI, he helped transform "a fledgling field of Cultural Resource Management into a paragon of heritage preservation."

Making the day even more special was the presence at the ceremony of Ron's wife and partner, Debbie Steiss, and Dr. Rob MacDonald, Ron's mentee and successor as President of ASI from 2016-2026.

We couldn't be prouder to see Ron's contributions to archaeology, heritage preservation, and mentorship recognized in this way.

Scroll through for highlights from Ron's Convocation address and some favourite images from his long and illustrious career.

Congratulations, Dr. Williamson!

University of Waterloo

For National Indigenous Peoples Day, we are celebrating Tim Johnson, a respected educator, curator, and storyteller who has spent more than 45 years sharing Indigenous history, art, and culture across Turtle Island.

Deeply connected to his family’s heritage at Six Nations of the Grand River, Tim has held leadership and consultant roles with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, Woodland Cultural Centre, Lord Cultural Resources, and the Niagara Academy for Indigenous Relations, advancing Indigenous education, heritage, and reconciliation.

We have been fortunate to collaborate with Tim on several meaningful projects, including the Landscape of Nations, a memorial to the sacrifices of the Six Nations and Native Allies during the War of 1812, which also inspired Landscape of Nations: Beyond the Mist, a book documenting 13,000 years of Indigenous history in Niagara.

We also worked with Tim on the award-winning exhibitions Misko-Aki: Confluence of Cultures at the Muskoka Discovery Centre and Empathic Traditions: Niagara’s Indigenous Legacy- a digital exhibit in collaboration with the Niagara Falls History Museum.

Through his work, Tim has helped bring Indigenous stories, perspectives, and histories to broader audiences, leaving a lasting impact on communities across the region and beyond.

This June, Brock University recognized his extraordinary contributions with an Honorary Doctorate of Laws, and Tim delivered the University’s Spring Convocation address.

Photo Credit: (1,2) Brock University; (3) Alex Heidbuechel; (4) Mark Zelinkski

We are delighted to share a few of the local events dedicated to National Indigenous History Month and the upcoming National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21!
Check out this post and find opportunities to honour First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities across Canada. There are a many festivals, performances, gatherings and learning opportunities to connect with stories, traditions, and cultures of Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island.