The OLA Copyright User’s Group regularly host a symposium focusing on issues related to copyright for various types of libraries.  As librarians and library technicians with responsibility for administering copyright policy and/or educating colleagues and users it is necessary to develop professional skills and judgment to discern both the needs of our communities and the extent of what the law will allow. The symposium aims to assist librarians and library staff in developing copyright knowledge grounded in existing law and tailored to the unique needs and culture of their institution.



The 2019 OLA Copyright Symposium will explore ideas around traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expression, with a focus on the interplay between this type of knowledge and copyright law. The recent Statutory Review of the Copyright Act report of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology (INDU) recognizes that “in many cases, the [Copyright] Act fails to meet the expectations of Indigenous peoples with respect to privacy, preservation, and dissemination of their cultural expressions. The Committee also recognizes the need to effectively protect traditional arts and cultural expressions in a manner that empowers Indigenous communities, and to ensure that individual Indigenous creators have the same opportunities to fully participate in the Canadian economy as non-Indigenous creators” (p. 30). 

Program:

9:30-10:00am: Registration

10:00-10:15am: Welcome + Introduction

10:15-11:15am: Opening Keynote | Dr. Jennifer Wemigwans – Assistant Professor – Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto
Dr. Jennifer Wemigwans is from Wikwemikong First Nation.  She is a new media producer, writer and scholar specializing in the convergence between education, Indigenous knowledge and new media technologies. Dr. Wemigwans takes pride in working to invert the conventional use of media by revealing the potential for Indigenous cultural expression and Indigenous knowledge through new technologies, education and the arts.  Her book A Digital Bundle: Protecting and Promoting Indigenous Knowledge Online (2018) explores the prospects of education and digital projects in a networked world.  Her work in academia and online technologies puts her in a unique position to tap the pulse of innovation in Indigenous education, the arts, and media.  

11:15-11:30am: Break

11:30-12:15pm: Presentation | J’Net AyAyQwaYakSheelth, Indigenous Outreach + Learning Coordinator – Royal Ontario Museum
J’net AyAyQwaYakSheelth (One who gives away and still stands tall) is the Indigenous Outreach and Learning Coordinator. As part of the Learning Department, J’net leads the development and implementation of relevant Indigenous content and perspectives in School Visits and community outreach programs. This work is designed to advance awareness, understanding, and appreciation for Indigenous cultures and heritage in both historical and contemporary contexts. J’net also developed an Indigenous Advisory Circle of knowledge carriers, elders, youth, and artists to assist ROM with the authentic representation of Indigenous peoples in educational programming, youth programs, and expand our outreach throughout the province. 

12:15-1:15pm: Lunch

1:15-2:00pm: “Centering Eeyou Knowledge at Aanischaaukamikw Cree Cultural Institute” | Annie Bosum
Annie will introduce Aanischaaukamikw Cree Cultural Institute and talk about the implementation of the Brian Deer classification system, and how they adapted Deer to reflect Cree world views and knowledge. Annie will give some examples about how they address copyright and intellectual property at Aanischaaukamikw.

2:00-2:15pm: Break

2:15-3:00pm: “The IP Strategy and the Protection of Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Expressions in Canada and Abroad.” | Shelley Rowe, Senior Project Leader – Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada (ISED)
Ms. Rowe will speak about the overall Government  Priorities regarding Indigenous Peoples, the IP Strategy, the Copyright Act Review, and the WIPO IGC negotiations. 

3:00-3:30pm: Case Study Activity | Presented by Meaghan Shannon, Manager, Academic Integrity – Fanshawe College

3:30-4:30pm: “Archives and the Reach of Indigenous Dispossession” | Dr. Robin R.R. Gray, Assistant Professor – Department of Sociology, University of Toronto
Dr. Robin R. R. Gray is Ts’msyen from Lax Kw’alaams, BC and Mikisew Cree from Fort Chipewyan, AB. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Toronto. Dr. Gray’s current community-based research projects focus on the repatriation of Ts’msyen songs, and foundational issues related to the protection, management, ownership, access and control of Indigenous cultural heritage.

4:30pm: Closing Remarks

Hotel: