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The Native Veterans Association of Northwestern Ontario has collected and now preserved
delicate and aging historical materials, in an effort
to save, protect and finally present them to the world. With
funding provided by Industry Canada's Aboriginal Digital Collection Program
and the Thunder Bay Public Library, an archive of materials such
as photos, biographies, articles and documents can be preserved electronically and placed
in files to protect them from any further damage. The Native Veterans Association in
conjunction with the Thunder Bay Public Library have developed this website and photo
digitization project into The Historical Archive of the Native Veterans of
Northwestern Ontario. The main goal of the project is to protect the past
while enhancing the accessibility of these materials to the public. This website is the
first step toward recognizing the contributions made by the Native Veterans of Canada
during their time representing Canada's forces (Expeditionary Force, Militia, Infantry
Brigade, Army, Armed Forces).
The main focus of this project has been on the Native Veterans of Northwestern Ontario. By
this we have determined a focus on the boundaries within the treaty areas of: The Robinson-Superior Treaty of 1850, The Northwest Angle Treaty of 1873- No.3, and The James Bay Treaty No.9.
We realize that there are many Native soldiers who fought and died in the war, but due to
our budget and time constraints, it was unfortunately not possible to include them all so
we have kept our focus to these treaty areas. By digitization we refer to the
conversion of text and image documents to an electronic format that can be saved as a
computer file. This allows the electronic version of the document to be preserved and
enhanced with a minimal handling of the original documents. The digitization of the
photos, documents and articles is enabling this website to be constructed. With the team
that was assigned to this project, the materials available have been rapidly transformed
into a product that can be preserved electronically. With the materials saved and
presented in such a manner, the accomplishments of the Native Veterans, their stories, and
their history will not be forgotten.The preservation of these archives is due to the
perseverance and efforts of many people within the Native Veterans Association of
Northwestern Ontario organization
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