Access and Privacy Policies
While the NCTR will make the Residential School records as widely accessible as possible, it will also strictly adhere to privacy laws and to cultural access protocols.
All records will be cared for under rigorous information and protection of privacy standards that will be guided and managed by the University of Manitoba’s Access and Privacy Office with strong input by the Governing Circle.
The NCTR is fortunate to have the full support of the Office of Fair Practices and Legal Affairs at the University of Manitoba. This includes direct input and guidance from the University’s Access and Privacy Office.
- More information on the Access and Privacy Office at the University of Manitoba
Access Policies
Most of the records in the care of the NCTR are electronic or digital. The NCTR faces a difficult and complex task in making as many of the records available as possible. Public records and redacted records will be made available online as time and resources permit. The NCTR will continually receive, process and make available additional Residential School records. Sometimes records may have sensitive information redacted before being made available online.
For those who do not have access to or rarely use computers, the NCTR and its partners will provide personal assistance with navigating, using, understanding, and gaining access to the records.
To request one-on-one support to access the records, contact: NCTRrecords@umanitoba.ca.
Privacy Policies
In order to protect the privacy of all the statements and materials in its care, the NCTR will place all materials in one of two categories:
- Public records – Any records that do not violate personal and collective interests will be made fully accessible to the public, largely as electronic files available through online tools.
- Restricted records – This group includes the unredacted versions of records, records for which no consent for public release was obtained, and culturally sensitive records. These records will not be publicly available. They may only be made available on a case-by-case basis to certain individuals according to strictly administered protocols.
Copyright and Permissions
The Centre is presently faced with the challenge of sorting out a large amount of material supplied to us by a wide variety of archives across the country. As the Centre holds copies of the records and not originals, for the time being, we need to defer to the originating archive to provide information on matters such as copyright. We cannot at this time grant permissions or indemnities in relation to content for which we do not have clear ownership or control.
Depending on your proposed use of the material, you may benefit from a copyright exemption such as Fair Dealing which would allow you to make use of copyright-protected works without permission or royalties, though the Centre cannot help you make this determination. We are working as quickly as possible to confirm matters such as copyright and encourage you to stay in touch with us as we work through this.
To speak to an archivist:
Phone: (204) 480-1091
Fax: (204) 474-7533
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
Chancellor’s Hall, 177 Dysart Rd.
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2
NCTR’s spirit name – bezhig miigwan, meaning “one feather”.
Bezhig miigwan calls upon us to see each Survivor coming to the NCTR as a single eagle feather and to show those Survivors the same respect and attention an eagle feather deserves. It also teaches we are all in this together — we are all one, connected, and it is vital to work together to achieve reconciliation.