Nova Scotia Archives launched on Tuesday an online resource with a range of historical information relating to African Nova Scotians.
The resource, Looking Back, Moving Forward: Documenting the Heritage of African Nova Scotians, includes court records, maps, photographs, newspapers, land records and rare published materials.
“Launching the online resource during African Heritage Month 2020 is especially momentous and meaningful,” said Lt.-Gov. Arthur LeBlanc. “This important collection will help all Nova Scotians better understand our incredibly rich African Nova Scotian history, heritage and culture. It also meets the recognition pillar of the United Nations’ International Decade for People of African Descent.”
The online resource provides access to materials in one central place, and the public can access it for free. Documentation will be added annually as more material is acquired and/or digitized.
“Nova Scotia has been home to people of African descent for over 400 years,” said Minister of African Nova Scotian Affairs Tony Ince. “This collection will help us better understand our shared past while creating a more inclusive future for all Nova Scotians.”
According to the province, African Nova Scotians are the largest racialized group in the province, making up 37.3 per cent of Nova Scotia’s racialized population.
More than two-thirds of African Nova Scotians have roots in Nova Scotia going back three generations or more.
David States, a researcher and consultant of African Canadian history and genealogy in the Atlantic provinces, said, “This online resource holds materials representing the various African Nova Scotian communities across the province. This is an excellent tool for the public, historians, genealogists and students in all levels of the education system to learn more about African Nova Scotian history.”
Archival records in Nova Scotia are among the oldest in the country.