The Prince George Public Library celebrates contributions to the preservation of local and regional history through the Jeanne Clarke Local History Awards presented on Feb 21, 2021. In the past few years, the Local History Committee has expanded the criteria for consideration to include a broader region and a more holistic interpretation of what constitutes history.

Amy Dhanjal of the PGPL speaks to the importance of the Jeanne Clarke Awards. Photo courtesy of A. Dhanjal.

“We’re not just looking at history books here. We’re looking at a range of fiction and nonfiction; even historical fiction was considered this year” said Amy Dhanjal, Manager of Communications and Engagement for the PGPL. Oral histories, newspaper articles, and other formats traditionally excluded from history from a broad section of northern BC are also considered by the committee.

“There was a strategic push to eliminate [Lheidli T’enneh] culture and history and pull it away from the land. What we can do to make sure this doesn’t happen again is knowledge and information”, said Dayi Clay Pountney to open the ceremony which was broadcast on CKPG and is now available for online viewing. The service award this year was granted to the Prince George Native Friendship Centre for their child care centre, one of the first in the province to incorporate Indigenous teaching practices into early childhood education.

Winners of the publication award for 2021 are Service on the Skeena: Horace Wrinch, Frontier Physician by Geoff Mynett and  Stories from the Magic Canoe of Wa'xaid by Cecil Paul, as told to Briony Penn.

Listen to the interview on CFUR-FM: