Remembering the Civil Service: A Study of Aboriginal Labour Experiences in the Post-War Ottawa Federal Civil Service” is an oral history study designed to help self-identifying First Nation, Metis, and Inuit individuals share their stories about what it is like to work for the Canadian federal civil service in a student, temporary, or permanent position.

This is an important activity to participate in, because their voices as workers are missing from history and no one can address this part of the Canadian past better than they. Doing so will allow for greater public and academic recognition of their contributions to the Canadian economy and the country that we know in the present. It will also help scholars understand the transition period Canada went through to make the civil service a more inclusive workforce.

Interview materials (audio records and transcripts) may be deposited in Archives and Research Collections (ARC), the archive at Carleton University, so that these stories may be accessed in person and/or digitally. This may become a valuable cultural resource for interviewees and the communities to which they belong. Anonymity is available and sometimes recommended to those interviewed. In these cases, their participation will still be extremely valuable.

Taking part in the project can be as simple as participating in a one-hour interview. Anyone interested in participating (or providing friendly referrals to friends or colleagues) should contact Alisha Seguin or follow her on Twitter.