The history of Black Francophone communities in Alberta remains insufficiently documented. This project gathers it with the people who lived it.
We gather, with communities, oral histories, interviews, images, sounds and archives about Black Francophones in Alberta. The project is carried out in collaboration with the Société historique francophone de l’Alberta (SHFA).
With thanks to Canadian Heritage and the Edmonton Heritage Council.
An evening brought together dignitaries, community leaders and members of Edmonton’s Francophone community to launch the project “Showcasing the History of Francophone Black Communities in Alberta.” Kayanou thanks the Société historique francophone de l’Alberta and Campus Saint-Jean for their support.
Kayanou and the SHFA held two online workshops on community archiving of Black Francophone history, open to Alberta’s Black Francophone communities.
At La Cité francophone, 10:30 a.m. Mireille Isidore, director of Kayanou and project coordinator, presented with Denis Perreaux the main lines of the collaboration project sponsored by the SHFA: an overview of the history of Black Francophone communities in Alberta and the key messages on why archives matter to individuals, families and communities. Project assistant Ruth Moké presented the online forum that lets the public take part.
Our work is guided by respect for cultural ownership and informed consent. Communities have the right to decide how their history is documented, interpreted and shared.
If you have a memory, a photo or a document to share, or you know someone we should meet, write to us.
