Showing 350 results

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring children walking across the frame and the wedding couple tasting their cake.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Series consists of an Eritrean family's home movies documenting a family meal and the observation of Assumption of St. Mary. Footage captured by Michael Ghebreslassie and Mehret Asfaha.

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring adults and children talking and posing for multiple wedding photographs.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring the camera zooming in to a woman wearing a blue dress.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring many individuals sitting with food and drinks at the table.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring children pulling another child off their seat in the foreground and children dancing in the background.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring the DJ and individuals on a stage with music playing in the background.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movies featuring a child and a woman standing by a window, with another woman dancing across the frame of the footage. The Macarena song is playing in the background.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Item consists of an Indian family’s home movie. Cassette annotations read: "(1) Gitanjahi - Mehdi, Lavan, (2) Pritam + Dad 40th ann. 15-5-95."

Item consists of an Eritrean family's home movies featuring a cake with "Happy St. Mary Day" text decoration, children sitting on a couch eating cake, and a child dancing in front of the camera.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Lu Asfaha’s family begins the day by preparing their home roasted coffee for the Jebana (coffee pot) on the Assumption of St. Mary. Raised in a family of Christian Orthodox, Lu grew up taking the day off to observe this religious holiday with her family. Food, drinks and even a custom cake is ornamentally laid out to celebrate the day. Lu can be seen animatedly gesturing to the camera as she talks to her uncle behind the camera, a common occurrence in their home movies.

The only footage selected that did not take place on the Assumption of St. Mary is a typical family dinner of the Asfaha eating Injera and Tsebhi from a large dish. Common to many cultures from across the African continent, her family can be seen eating by hand, enjoying the flavourful dish. The adults appear to handle the spice level better than the children.

When asked about her identity, Lu speaks of the unique experience of being Eritrean in Toronto. Being from an East African identity that has a significantly smaller population compared to the Somali and Ethiopian one, the specific social location of Eritreans tends to be either rendered invisible or lumped in with the dominant East African identities represented in the city."

Item consists of an Eritrean family's home movies featuring a family eating a meal together and discussing a Portuguese related class assignment.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Lu Asfaha’s family begins the day by preparing their home roasted coffee for the Jebana (coffee pot) on the Assumption of St. Mary. Raised in a family of Christian Orthodox, Lu grew up taking the day off to observe this religious holiday with her family. Food, drinks and even a custom cake is ornamentally laid out to celebrate the day. Lu can be seen animatedly gesturing to the camera as she talks to her uncle behind the camera, a common occurrence in their home movies.

The only footage selected that did not take place on the Assumption of St. Mary is a typical family dinner of the Asfaha eating Injera and Tsebhi from a large dish. Common to many cultures from across the African continent, her family can be seen eating by hand, enjoying the flavourful dish. The adults appear to handle the spice level better than the children.

When asked about her identity, Lu speaks of the unique experience of being Eritrean in Toronto. Being from an East African identity that has a significantly smaller population compared to the Somali and Ethiopian one, the specific social location of Eritreans tends to be either rendered invisible or lumped in with the dominant East African identities represented in the city."

Series consists of home movies featuring footage of an Ojibwe family wedding in Ontario.

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring a bride and a man walking towards the camera.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring the officiant congratulating the couple, the ceremonial kiss, and an applause.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring a woman bringing food to a table.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring a man sitting down at a table, pulling out a cigarette, and waving to the camera.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Series consists of home videos including footage of Khmer-Krom family celebrating a birthday.

Item consists of an Eritrean family's home movies featuring the preparation of home roasted coffee.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Lu Asfaha’s family begins the day by preparing their home roasted coffee for the Jebana (coffee pot) on the Assumption of St. Mary. Raised in a family of Christian Orthodox, Lu grew up taking the day off to observe this religious holiday with her family. Food, drinks and even a custom cake is ornamentally laid out to celebrate the day. Lu can be seen animatedly gesturing to the camera as she talks to her uncle behind the camera, a common occurrence in their home movies.

The only footage selected that did not take place on the Assumption of St. Mary is a typical family dinner of the Asfaha eating Injera and Tsebhi from a large dish. Common to many cultures from across the African continent, her family can be seen eating by hand, enjoying the flavourful dish. The adults appear to handle the spice level better than the children.

When asked about her identity, Lu speaks of the unique experience of being Eritrean in Toronto. Being from an East African identity that has a significantly smaller population compared to the Somali and Ethiopian one, the specific social location of Eritreans tends to be either rendered invisible or lumped in with the dominant East African identities represented in the city."

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring a woman sitting on a chair who stands up to walk away, the camera then zooms in to a man standing in the background and zooms out to a child walking across the frame.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring multiple generations sitting, standing, and waiting.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Item consists of an Ojibwe family’s home movie featuring a man and child dancing with disco lights in the background.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "On December 1, 1995, Star Nahwegahbo’s uncle and aunt, Mark and Florence, get married in Sudbury or Espanola, Ontario. These clips capture their wedding and reception; and the personalities of Star’s family shine through; we see her grandmother, grandfather and great grandfather, her aunt giggling at her own wedding as the priest fumbles on their names, and children running and dancing in the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation community centre.

Star was around the age of 12 or 13 and recalls avoiding the camera. Around that time she had just moved from Sudbury to Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and had difficulty with the large cultural shift. Star felt she didn’t yet have a language to speak to her identity or community dynamics due to colonization.

Upon sharing the clip with her family members, Star’s family was moved to see family that had since passed. It was Star’s first time seeing the footage, and "it was nice to see everybody so young, celebrating, having a good time."

As an artist, Star participated in the Project because she felt compelled to push back against the colonial gaze. She wanted to have more representation through her own family’s lens and to have footage and imagery for the younger generation to access, to highlight the celebration and positive times for her community."

Item consists of an Afghani family’s home movie featuring children and teenagers from the Raptors Junior Dance Pak rehearsing a dance routine at the SkyDome.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Around 1994, 9-year old Azada Rahi living in a nearby co-op auditioned at the Cabbagetown Youth Centre to be part of the junior Toronto Raptors Dance Pak. The choreographer was Clarence Ford, who auditioned kids, teens and young adults from all over the city, and ran the Pak once the crew was established. He was a delight to work with, was extremely kind, and was great at keeping so many young people organized and focused.

Here, November 2nd ,1995, at the SkyDome (presently the Rogers Centre) the Pak rehearses the same routine over and over in preparation for the opening performance at the first-ever Toronto Raptors game. On the day of the performance, Azada recalls pushing through the stomach flu to perform, her hard work could not go to waste, and it was a very exciting time. They had already performed at the Toronto Raptors opening dinner gala the previous summer. The Junior Dance Pak continued to dance at games and other functions for some time, though Azada only stayed with them for about a year and a half to two years.

In 1996 the Pak was hired to perform at the YTV Achievement Awards. Dawning matching plaid and denim ensembles, the Pak backup danced for Indigenous Canadian country singer, Rebecca Miller. This country line-dancing number was one of three performances they did at the Awards that evening, including one with Aashna Patel.

For Azada, the years she spent in the Pak, encountering Canadian athletes and entertainers were "fun and weird". These tapes are the sole recordings of her dancing that she has had access to. Looking back at the footage proved surprisingly hilarious, and are a chance to reflect on herself as an uninhibited young dancer."

Series consists of home movies documenting the life of a Japanese-Canadian family playing in their backyard, enjoying a neighbourhood parade, and celebrating birthdays and Christmas. Footage was captured by Naoyuki Douglas Ozaki.

Item consists of an Indo- and Black-Caribbean family’s home movie featuring a child spinning in circles while carrying another child who is laughing and giggling.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "Robert, Shanti’s nephew swings 2-year-old Layla around on his family’s farm in Puslinch. Ten years older than Leyla and an only child, he cherished the weekend and summer visits from his younger cousin.

Her mother was an active swimmer in her youth and was excited to take up her old hobby on the family farm. Layla gestures to her grandmother in the pool who is clearly enjoying her self. Smiling brightly and leisurely swimming around she tells Layla how cold the pool is and not to come in."

Item consists of an Indo- and Black-Caribbean family’s home movie featuring an adult in the pool and a child watching.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "Robert, Shanti’s nephew swings 2-year-old Layla around on his family’s farm in Puslinch. Ten years older than Leyla and an only child, he cherished the weekend and summer visits from his younger cousin.

Her mother was an active swimmer in her youth and was excited to take up her old hobby on the family farm. Layla gestures to her grandmother in the pool who is clearly enjoying her self. Smiling brightly and leisurely swimming around she tells Layla how cold the pool is and not to come in."

Item consists of an Indo- and Black-Caribbean family’s home movie featuring a woman holding a newborn and a child asking to hold the baby.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "Shanti has recently given birth to her second child, Rohan on April 8th 2001 at Scarborough Grace General Hospital. Her mother (a nurse herself) supported Shanti during the delivery. Leyla, the oldest and only child for the first 6 years of her life meets her younger brother for the first time on video.

Born closer to Easter, the rest of the family is able to travels down to meet the new member of the family. Robert who is now 16 is meeting his youngest cousin for the first time."

Accession consists of home videos documenting Azada Rahi's participation in the Junior Toronto Raptors Dance Pak including rehearsals and performances at the YTV Achievement Awards.

Item consists of an Afghani family’s home movie featuring children and teenagers from the Raptors Junior Dance Pak line dancing on stage behind Six Nations country singer Rebecca Miller singing "Listen to the Radio" at the YTV Achievement Award recipients.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Around 1994, 9-year old Azada Rahi living in a nearby co-op auditioned at the Cabbagetown Youth Centre to be part of the junior Toronto Raptors Dance Pak. The choreographer was Clarence Ford, who auditioned kids, teens and young adults from all over the city, and ran the Pak once the crew was established. He was a delight to work with, was extremely kind, and was great at keeping so many young people organized and focused.

Here, November 2nd ,1995, at the SkyDome (presently the Rogers Centre) the Pak rehearses the same routine over and over in preparation for the opening performance at the first-ever Toronto Raptors game. On the day of the performance, Azada recalls pushing through the stomach flu to perform, her hard work could not go to waste, and it was a very exciting time. They had already performed at the Toronto Raptors opening dinner gala the previous summer. The Junior Dance Pak continued to dance at games and other functions for some time, though Azada only stayed with them for about a year and a half to two years.

In 1996 the Pak was hired to perform at the YTV Achievement Awards. Dawning matching plaid and denim ensembles, the Pak backup danced for Indigenous Canadian country singer, Rebecca Miller. This country line-dancing number was one of three performances they did at the Awards that evening, including one with Aashna Patel.

For Azada, the years she spent in the Pak, encountering Canadian athletes and entertainers were "fun and weird". These tapes are the sole recordings of her dancing that she has had access to. Looking back at the footage proved surprisingly hilarious, and are a chance to reflect on herself as an uninhibited young dancer."

Item consists of an Afghani family’s home movie featuring children and teenagers from the Raptors Junior Dance Pak dancing on stage behind Six Nations country singer Rebecca Miller singing and introducing the YTV Achievement Award recipients.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Around 1994, 9-year old Azada Rahi living in a nearby co-op auditioned at the Cabbagetown Youth Centre to be part of the junior Toronto Raptors Dance Pak. The choreographer was Clarence Ford, who auditioned kids, teens and young adults from all over the city, and ran the Pak once the crew was established. He was a delight to work with, was extremely kind, and was great at keeping so many young people organized and focused.

Here, November 2nd ,1995, at the SkyDome (presently the Rogers Centre) the Pak rehearses the same routine over and over in preparation for the opening performance at the first-ever Toronto Raptors game. On the day of the performance, Azada recalls pushing through the stomach flu to perform, her hard work could not go to waste, and it was a very exciting time. They had already performed at the Toronto Raptors opening dinner gala the previous summer. The Junior Dance Pak continued to dance at games and other functions for some time, though Azada only stayed with them for about a year and a half to two years.

In 1996 the Pak was hired to perform at the YTV Achievement Awards. Dawning matching plaid and denim ensembles, the Pak backup danced for Indigenous Canadian country singer, Rebecca Miller. This country line-dancing number was one of three performances they did at the Awards that evening, including one with Aashna Patel.

For Azada, the years she spent in the Pak, encountering Canadian athletes and entertainers were "fun and weird". These tapes are the sole recordings of her dancing that she has had access to. Looking back at the footage proved surprisingly hilarious, and are a chance to reflect on herself as an uninhibited young dancer."

Item consists of an Indo- and Black-Caribbean family’s home movie featuring a child lighting diyas for Dwali.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "Shanti’s sister’s farm is a treasured place in their family’s collective memories. With 90 acres of land, the farm was a beloved retreat to the country for the Toronto family. In the footage, Leyla can be seen showing her picked grapes to her mother. Above them, Shanti’s mother picks grapes from their pergola.

Having recently started ballet classes, Leyla is wearing a pink ballet outfit complete with her own tutu. Endured by her outfit and feeling affection, Leyla is hugged by her grandmother.

At almost 4 years old, Layla and her grandmother are preparing the lights (diyas) for Diwali. In the Caribbean, the diyas would be lit outside the home, but since the family lived in an apartment the practise was kept to inside the home. Carefully, Leyla is guided in helping her grandmother. Her mother was a retired nurse to prepare for the holiday. Leyla grew up watching her grandmother during her daily prayers and helping on Diwali.

In rare form, Shanti is in front of the camera. As the family documenter, Shanti is usually the one behind the camera. Dressed as a witch, Shanti can be seen posing with her daughter who decided to go as a fairy princess this year before their evening of trick-or-treating."

Item consists of an Iranian-Canadian family’s home movie featuring landscapes, cityscapes, and heritage sites in Iran.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "Both Bita and her father, Abbas, contributed to this write up. Bita felt protective of her family and their image,  and chose to contribute a clip that didn’t centre people but a place. The scenery itself is a beautiful valuable contribution of a country in flux.

In 1998, Abbas visits Iran with his daughter Bita for the first time in sixteen years since moving to Canada. Bita at the time was a shy eight year-old and recalls that she didn’t speak for the first three weeks of the trip and that this was her first time leaving Canada.

In this clip Abbas is alone behind the camera capturing historical sites. He was prompted to take this trip because an Iranian friend in Vancouver couldn’t go home and asked him to make these movies of Cyrus the Great, Isfahan, etc. and to bring them back to show on local Persian TV. He did end up making these movies on a miniDV camcorder but never did give them to his friend.

The clip starts out at night time in Shiraz, with the Takht-e Lamshid built for Cyrus the Great. Then moves on to Isfahan, the "Great Mosque" that in farsi they call the Shah Mosque based in Naghsh-e Jahan Square. Abbas recalls at the time wondering how locals knew he hadn’t been living their for 16 years. People could tell that he had left and was living somewhere else. For Abbas, these clips show a country rich with stories and pride.  

After years of searching for these tapes, they found them again in the summer of  2018 the night before Bita returned to Iran for the second time in her life."

Item consists of a Moroccan family's home movie featuring two children and a woman entering the park to ride the carousel, bumper cars, and ferris wheel amongst many other children’s rides. Footage contains a 360 degree cityscape views of the Jacques-Cartier bridge, Longueuil, and Montreal (including the Olympic Stadium).

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "A couple take their young daughter down to La Ronde on a warm sunny afternoon. Opened since 1967, this amusement park continues to be a popular family attraction during the summer season and a common childhood experience for many Montrealers. Yousra remembers going to the park with her family every couple of years and the excitement this visit would bring. She recounts how they"would be out from the day until night".

When asked about her memories of the day, Yosura remembers most clearly the bumper cars and atmospheric nostalgia of being in that place. Like many families with home movies on older formats, she grew up seeing the tapes throughout the years, but stopped once her family no longer had a VHS player. Born and raised in Montreal, but with Moroccan heritage Yousra describes herself as being"someone with two identities [we] are culturally bilingual… I try to define myself and not let others define me.""

Series consists of an Iranian-Canadian family's home video of a father and daughter visiting Iran and includes footage of Shiraz, the Takht-e Lamshid, Isfahan, the Great Mosque (Shah Mosque), and Naghsh-e Jahan Square. Footage captured by Abbas Joudaki.

Series consists of a home movie from a Moroccan-Canadian family documenting a day trip to La Ronde.

Item consists of a Pakistani-Canadian family's home movie and includes footage of Ridley College and Port Elgin.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "Footage of a family eating breakfast cuts to a teenager standing by an old building. Noor’s oldest brother, Fahad is giving their father a tour of his boarding school. This is the first time her father is seeing Ridley College. He relied on extended family in Canada to help settle Fahad in his school. Dressed like any other boy from the 90’s, Fahad leads his father on a grand tour. "Being Pakistani in Saudi Arabia was difficult" Noor mentions as she talks about being separated from her brother as he went to school in Canada. To Noor "it feels like filling in the blank watching these videos…" since she was still a child when her family moved.

Shot over a few days, the home movie ends on a barbeque in Noor’s aunt home. Her aunt can be seen making fresh kebabs. "We still have those barbeques… they’re much different now, but we still make kebabs from scratch", Noor recounts."

Item consists of a Colombian and Indonesian-Canadian family's home movie.

Item consists of a Colombian and Indonesian-Canadian family's home movie.

Series consists of a home movie from a Pakistani-Indian family featuring a trip to Delhi to attend a family member's wedding. Footage captured by Mariam Zaidi.

Item consists of a home movie from a Pakistani-Indian family featuring a trip to Delhi to attend a family member's wedding.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "On one of her trips to Delhi, Mariam attends her mom's cousin's second wedding. Cousins, aunts, and extended family are gathered on the floor and sofas. Women are dressed in bright yellow and orange saris and joy radiates through song as the bright sunlight washes the shot.

The family is singing folk songs and playing the dhol, a South Asian drum, in a town dialect that would only be recognizable to someone from the state of Uttar Pradesh (U.P) and perhaps Delhi.

The songs are familiar to Mariam, but she doesn’t understand what is being said. They are part of an oral tradition, sung in celebration and passed down from generations. The folk songs cannot be found online and aren’t "officially" preserved.

Mariam remembers that holding the camera was very enjoyable, and she documented hours of what she calls mundane footage of family eating lunch and going about everyday activities, mostly on her yearly trips to India to visit extended family. She is a filmmaker, and plans to create short films with selected clips from her home movies.

Mariam’s transition to Canada is complex and layered: ‘Having grown up in Dubai, I carry a sense of knowing what it feels like not being from where you grew up [...] I didn’t process how difficult it was [to move to Canada] because [at first] I was excited to be [in Montreal], and put my heart into classes and the university experience.’"

Item consists of a Colombian and Indonesian-Canadian family's home movie featuring a family gathering filled with adults and children playing and dancing.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "Sabrina Budiman’s sister, cousins, aunts, and neighbors grew up as a very close knit family. They are at a family gathering likely at Budiman’s aunt’s place in Etobicoke, ON. The table is set up for a special dinner, and everyone is dressed in celebratory clothing. It’s a party and we see adults and children having a lot of fun dancing together to Lou Bega’s Mambo no. 5, J-Low, Backstreet Boys, and Elvis Crespo’s Suavemente 1998. Being both Colombian and Indonesian and growing up in Toronto, Sabrina remembers dance as a very memorable and significant part of her cultural upbringing.

Sabrina carries a mixture of three cultures which she says felt a bit confusing: "It’s something you feel but can’t analyze as a child. Feeling it has more impact. It means that I’m a part of a larger group of people who share the same experiences, although it varies from person to person. Others have had the same struggles, successes, and personal experiences.""

Item consists of a Pakistani-Canadian family's home movie featuring a family barbeque, children playing at a park, and a wedding reception.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "At four years old, Noor is in Canada visiting her family to attend a relative’s wedding. After seeing the clip, she noticed her cousins are only speaking to her in Urdu. When she asked them why they weren’t speaking in English, she was told they thought she couldn’t speak English. Noor attended an International English primary school in Saudi Arabia with children from English speaking countries. The footage cuts to a night time gathering. Noor is dressed up with her family attending a relatives wedding. Children and adults can be seen mingling and dancing around."

Series consists of home movie videos from a Pakistani family in Toronto and includes footage of the subway, visits to Ontario Place, a relative's wedding, breakfast, and Ridley college. Footage captured by Shaheen Khan.

Item consists of a Colombian and Indonesian-Canadian family's home movie.

Item consists of a Colombian and Indonesian-Canadian family's home movie.

Item consists of a Colombian and Indonesian-Canadian family's home movie.

Item consists of an Indo- and Black-Caribbean family’s home movie featuring a girl wearing fairy princess costume singing a song and an adult wearing a witch costume.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "Shanti’s sister’s farm is a treasured place in their family’s collective memories. With 90 acres of land, the farm was a beloved retreat to the country for the Toronto family. In the footage, Leyla can be seen showing her picked grapes to her mother. Above them, Shanti’s mother picks grapes from their pergola.

Having recently started ballet classes, Leyla is wearing a pink ballet outfit complete with her own tutu. Endured by her outfit and feeling affection, Leyla is hugged by her grandmother

At almost 4 years old, Layla and her grandmother are preparing the lights (diyas) for Diwali. In the Caribbean, the diyas would be lit outside the home, but since the family lived in an apartment the practise was kept to inside the home. Carefully, Leyla is guided in helping her grandmother. Her mother was a retired nurse to prepare for the holiday. Leyla grew up watching her grandmother during her daily prayers and helping on Diwali.

In rare form, Shanti is in front of the camera. As the family documenter, Shanti is usually the one behind the camera. Dressed as a witch, Shanti can be seen posing with her daughter who decided to go as a fairy princess this year before their evening of trick-or-treating."

Item consists of an Indo- and Black-Caribbean family’s home movie featuring a girl playing peek-a-boo and kissing a newborn.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "Shanti has recently given birth to her second child, Rohan on April 8th 2001 at Scarborough Grace General Hospital. Her mother (a nurse herself) supported Shanti during the delivery. Leyla, the oldest and only child for the first 6 years of her life meets her younger brother for the first time on video.

Born closer to Easter, the rest of the family is able to travels down to meet the new member of the family. Robert who is now 16 is meeting his youngest cousin for the first time."

Item consists of an Indo- and Black-Caribbean family’s home movie featuring a close up of a newborn and a child squeezing his cheeks while saying "gougi gougi goo."

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "Shanti has recently given birth to her second child, Rohan on April 8th 2001 at Scarborough Grace General Hospital. Her mother (a nurse herself) supported Shanti during the delivery. Leyla, the oldest and only child for the first 6 years of her life meets her younger brother for the first time on video.

Born closer to Easter, the rest of the family is able to travels down to meet the new member of the family. Robert who is now 16 is meeting his youngest cousin for the first time."

Item consists of a Colombian and Indonesian-Canadian family's home movie featuring a day at the lake with children playing and adults barbequing.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "The year is 1999 and Sabrina Budiman aged 4, and her family is spending a day at the beach in the summertime, at the Scarborough Bluffs beach. Sabrina and her sister call it "ethnic BBQ" because the family brought their own charcoal BBQ, make lots of delicious food, fry up some fish and "stink up the place." A picnic table is set up with a beautiful tablecloth, and the footage documents an entire day spent at the beach. Sabrina shares that this experience was a large part of her childhood, and today we often see lots of immigrant families gathered at the Bluffs Beach in large groups with similar set-ups that include lots of food and colorful decorations.

Sabrina carries a mixture of three cultures which she says felt a bit confusing: "It’s something you feel but can’t analyze as a child. Feeling it has more impact. It means that I’m a part of a larger group of people who share the same experiences, although it varies from person to person. Others have had the same struggles, successes, and personal experiences.""

Item consists of a Colombian and Indonesian-Canadian family's home movie featuring a family gathering filled with children playing and dancing.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "Sabrina Budiman’s sister, cousins, aunts, and neighbors grew up as a very close knit family. They are at a family gathering likely at Budiman’s aunt’s place in Etobicoke, ON. The table is set up for a special dinner, and everyone is dressed in celebratory clothing. It’s a party and we see adults and children having a lot of fun dancing together to Lou Bega’s Mambo no. 5, J-Low, Backstreet Boys, and Elvis Crespo’s Suavemente 1998. Being both Colombian and Indonesian and growing up in Toronto, Sabrina remembers dance as a very memorable and significant part of her cultural upbringing.

Sabrina carries a mixture of three cultures which she says felt a bit confusing: "It’s something you feel but can’t analyze as a child. Feeling it has more impact. It means that I’m a part of a larger group of people who share the same experiences, although it varies from person to person. Others have had the same struggles, successes, and personal experiences.""

Series consists of an Indo-Afro-Carribean family’s home movies featuring visits to a family farm and the birth of a younger brother.

Item consists of an Indo- and Black-Caribbean family’s home movie featuring a girl giving a woman a hug.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "Shanti’s sister’s farm is a treasured place in their family’s collective memories. With 90 acres of land, the farm was a beloved retreat to the country for the Toronto family. In the footage, Leyla can be seen showing her picked grapes to her mother. Above them, Shanti’s mother picks grapes from their pergola.

Having recently started ballet classes, Leyla is wearing a pink ballet outfit complete with her own tutu. Endured by her outfit and feeling affection, Leyla is hugged by her grandmother.

At almost 4 years old, Layla and her grandmother are preparing the lights (diyas) for Diwali. In the Caribbean, the diyas would be lit outside the home, but since the family lived in an apartment the practise was kept to inside the home. Carefully, Leyla is guided in helping her grandmother. Her mother was a retired nurse to prepare for the holiday. Leyla grew up watching her grandmother during her daily prayers and helping on Diwali.

In rare form, Shanti is in front of the camera. As the family documenter, Shanti is usually the one behind the camera. Dressed as a witch, Shanti can be seen posing with her daughter who decided to go as a fairy princess this year before their evening of trick-or-treating."

Item consists of an Indo- and Black-Caribbean family’s home movie featuring a woman holding a newborn

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "Shanti has recently given birth to her second child, Rohan on April 8th 2001 at Scarborough Grace General Hospital. Her mother (a nurse herself) supported Shanti during the delivery. Leyla, the oldest and only child for the first 6 years of her life meets her younger brother for the first time on video.

Born closer to Easter, the rest of the family is able to travels down to meet the new member of the family. Robert who is now 16 is meeting his youngest cousin for the first time."

Series consists of home movies from Colombian and Indonesian-Canadian family documenting a family party and a picnic at the Scarborough Bluffs beach. Footage captured by Fariden Piedrahita.

Item consists of an Indo- and Black-Caribbean family’s home movie featuring a women and a child picking grapes from the pergola.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "Shanti’s sister’s farm is a treasured place in their family’s collective memories. With 90 acres of land, the farm was a beloved retreat to the country for the Toronto family. In the footage, Leyla can be seen showing her picked grapes to her mother. Above them, Shanti’s mother picks grapes from their pergola.

Having recently started ballet classes, Leyla is wearing a pink ballet outfit complete with her own tutu. Endured by her outfit and feeling affection, Leyla is hugged by her grandmother.

At almost 4 years old, Layla and her grandmother are preparing the lights (diyas) for Diwali. In the Caribbean, the diyas would be lit outside the home, but since the family lived in an apartment the practise was kept to inside the home. Carefully, Leyla is guided in helping her grandmother. Her mother was a retired nurse to prepare for the holiday. Leyla grew up watching her grandmother during her daily prayers and helping on Diwali.

In rare form, Shanti is in front of the camera. As the family documenter, Shanti is usually the one behind the camera. Dressed as a witch, Shanti can be seen posing with her daughter who decided to go as a fairy princess this year before their evening of trick-or-treating."

Item consists of an Indo- and Black-Caribbean family’s home movie featuring a girl sitting next to a hospital bed and saying "she’s so beautiful."

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "Shanti has recently given birth to her second child, Rohan on April 8th 2001 at Scarborough Grace General Hospital. Her mother (a nurse herself) supported Shanti during the delivery. Leyla, the oldest and only child for the first 6 years of her life meets her younger brother for the first time on video.

Born closer to Easter, the rest of the family is able to travels down to meet the new member of the family. Robert who is now 16 is meeting his youngest cousin for the first time."

Item consists of an Indo- and Black-Caribbean family’s home movie featuring a man holding a newborn and three men sleeping on the couch.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "Shanti has recently given birth to her second child, Rohan on April 8th 2001 at Scarborough Grace General Hospital. Her mother (a nurse herself) supported Shanti during the delivery. Leyla, the oldest and only child for the first 6 years of her life meets her younger brother for the first time on video.

Born closer to Easter, the rest of the family is able to travels down to meet the new member of the family. Robert who is now 16 is meeting his youngest cousin for the first time."

Item consists of a Anishinaabe family's home movie.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "In 2001 in Toronto, Ontario at the SkyDome for an annual Pow wow. It was a huge event that everyone in Toronto looked forward to. At the time Rebeka was working for Native Women in the Arts and Dave comes by to visit Rebeka and they go and walk around the pow wow and visit friends.

The second part of the clip is at an event, is a book launch for ‘Nation to Nation: Aboriginal Sovereignty and the Future of Canada’ (2001), a compilation of academic writings about Indigenous sovereignty. A friend of Rebeka’s was one of the publishers, and at the time Rebeka was staying with her, and gifted her friend with a poem for letting her stay at her house. She loved the poem so much she made it the front cover of the book. Rebeka is seen in the clip speaking to the value of the book, at the time there weren’t a lot of contemporary books about nation to nation."

Item consists of a Anishinaabe family's home movie.

Donor(s) and project contributed description follows: "A protest against the First Nations Governance Act (FNGA) at Parliament Hill in 2003. FNGA was a legislation that the government was trying to impose on First Nations that would overstep their jurisdiction to First Nations relations, impeding their rights as sovereign nations in very much the same type Indigenous people had with the White Paper, it could lead to a slippery slope of further government control over our nations.

Various Chiefs across Canada organized this protest that gathered quite a lot of support across First Nations. This was part of a caravan to Ottawa and take place in Toronto, ON.

Chief Roberta Jamieson, the chief of Six Nation, is talking about the FNGA can negatively affect the community. Beside her is another respected leader Roger Obonsawin shared a few words among well-known community members. Rebeka and David travel in their van and on their way stops in a Mohawk community, Tyendinaga where they are hosted.

They arrive in Ottawa and people from across Canada came and in the end there are people the legislation was thrown out. They succeeded.

The National Chief Matthew Coon Come gave a speech on Parliament Hill. The National Chief spoke out a lot at that time against the Federal government. Many social organizations were afraid of having their funding pulled but it was really good to be apart of something larger, bringing people across the country together.

As young Indigenous people in Toronto they formed the Coalition of Indigenous Sovereignty, including allies, supported by unions and grassroots organizations, met regularly to oppose this legislation. ‘It’s pretty inspiring to review that part of our lives. It captured a moment in time in Toronto for our family that was very special with us. It reflects where our communities were at.’

(4)
Rebeka and her family take a road trip to relatives in the states of David Shilling's in their old van. They were excited to cross this huge bridge into the states. His cousin plays with their kids.

There was a gathering to honor the live of the late Anishnaabe [Rodney Bobiwash] from the Mississaugas nations up north and [Kim Pernel Dominco]. Rodney was a professor at the University of Toronto and used to be the director of First Nations House. He worked international solidarity with Indigenous people in the South, and he had been support the work of [Kim penrecl Dominico] from Colombia. They had been working had together to bring light to the damning of a river on traditional territories. It was during the Free Trade Agreement summit happening in Montreal. Unfortunately, [Kim] was targeted and disappeared. It was devastating.

Shortly after that Rodney passed away due to complications with diabetes. They had his funeral at the Native Canadian Centre in Toronto, hundreds and hundreds of people came out. A Mayan group performed a beautiful dance in his tribute. At the time they felt very fortunate to be able to document things for their communities and to have that proof of gatherings and also for their family.

(5)
In the late nineties and early 2000s Rebeka’s brother and dad at the cabin for the summer. They had a huge catch and had a big fish fry and invited friends over. They made fried bread and lightly battered fish. Rebeka recalls that it was a lot of work to get the line ready, and to fillet it and to bred it, but it was heavenly to have."

Item consists of a Hong Kong-Chinese family’s home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "A clip documenting the Red Packet (hóngbāo) ceremony taking place at Mr. Wong’s 70th birthday celebration in 2002.

During this ceremony family members were called up in a particular order to accept a red envelope of money from Mr. Wong.

Deanna Wong, Mr. Wong’s daughter who found and digitized this video, recalls that family members were called up according to age and lineage.

For example, Mr. Wong’s siblings would be called first, followed by their children and grandchildren. In this video Mr Wong's eldest son, Terry was called first, and then, since their middle son Ted was not present, Deanna, the youngest of the three, came next. Following her came Terry's kids from eldest to youngest. And since Deanna nor Ted had children at the time, the eldest cousin and his wife, and their kids etc followed.

As the eldest of 13 siblings, Mr. Wong would have had many envelopes to hand out!

Originally from Hong Kong, Mr. Wong came to Canada to study engineering at McGill University in the mid-1950s, where he met Deanna's mother.

Mrs. Wong's father, Deanna maternal grandfather, immigrated to Canada in 1921 and paid the $500 head tax in order to enter the country. Mr Wong's father, Deanna’s paternal grandfather, was a doctor specializing in acupuncture, which was illegal in Canada at the time, so he settled in California. Now his family lives around the world, including the United States, Singapore, Japan, and in various places in Canada. This milestone birthday presented a great opportunity for a family reunion. And to accommodate everyone, this celebration took place in the home of Deanna’s eldest brother and Mr. Wong’s eldest son, Terry.

Now a longtime resident of Toronto, Deanna calls Winnipeg home where she and her two brothers grew up. Although they were one of the few families of colour around, she remembers her neighbourhood and her experiences fondly. Her parents, particularly her mother, worked hard to build a Chinese community where the children could have Chinese friends and be exposed to their culture. They started a Mandarin school, even though Cantonese was their mother tongue, and began a summer camp.

Family and community come together again at this celebration, one of many for the Wong family."

Series consists of a Hong Kong-Chinese family’s home movie filmed in Winnipeg documenting a Hong Kong-Chinese family's Red Packet (hóngbāo) ceremony taking place at Mr Wong’s 70th birthday celebration in 2002.

Series consists of digitized home movies documenting an Indian family in Canada communicating via video letters to family in India. Video letters include Indian nursery rhymes, biryani songs, and footage of children practicing Urdu and memorizing the Quran in Arabic.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "In the Javeed family’s apartment in Scarborough ON, two boys aged between 3 and 7 create a video letters to their grandmother who resides overseas in India. Both boys are born and live in Canada. The videos document shifts in communication technologies, at a time prior to the use of communication apps like WhatsApp, used to keep in touch with family. Scarborough was quite diverse by the early 2000s, and the boys generally felt connected to their peers, although their mother remembers they had experienced racism and some issues at school. She attests that they grew up differently than she did as a first generation immigrant, wherein she felt like an outsider in Toronto in the early eighties. The family had a lot of discussions as they were growing up about these issues, and ensured the boys were familiar with current affairs."

Item consists of an Indian family’s home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "Muslim by faith, the children practice memorizing the Quran in Arabic. Their parents teach them to recite one line at a time to ensure that they learn at a young age. They know that seeing this would bring their grandmother joy and make her proud. The video letter is a way to connect with her through these recitations of a shared faith as she doesn’t speak English."

Item consists of a home movie featuring a girl riding a horse on a trail with footage zooming on the horses hooves.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Cindy’s dad is filming her at the age of 8 horseback riding at Algonquin Park during her family’s first visit. Since then, her family has developed a love of camping, and now camps in Ontario’s provincial parks a few times a year."

Item consists of a home movie featuring a house decorated for Chinese New Year and child playing the whistle.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "It’s a family friend’s birthday party at their home in Agincourt, Scarborough. Pictured are decorations left from Chinese New Year.

Since Cindy was very young when moving to Canada, she identifies more with having immigrant parents than being an immigrant herself. Cindy had a lot of family friends that shared similar cultural backgrounds, and experiences as the community of Agincourt where she lives is largely Chinese, East and South Asian, and Tamil."

Item consists of an Indian family’s home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "The children are practicing Urdu by reciting what they know: a well-known Indian nursery rhyme about a thirsty crow, and a biryani song that the family made-up because the boys found it amusing. The video letter of the boys practicing Urdu is a way to build and maintain a relationship with their grandmother who doesn’t speak English."

Series consists of home movies documenting a Tamil family in their home Scarborough and their hometown of Jaffna in Sri Lanka to witness the cultural practice of thuku kavadi. Footage captured by Balachandran Kumarasamy.

Item consists of a home movie following a girl riding a horse on a trail.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Cindy’s dad is filming her at the age of 8 horseback riding at Algonquin Park during her family’s first visit. Since then, her family has developed a love of camping, and now camps in Ontario’s provincial parks a few times a year."

Item consists of a home movie following a girl riding a horse on a trail.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Cindy’s dad is filming her at the age of 8 horseback riding at Algonquin Park during her family’s first visit. Since then, her family has developed a love of camping, and now camps in Ontario’s provincial parks a few times a year."

Item consists of a home movie featuring a girl riding a horse on a trail.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Cindy’s dad is filming her at the age of 8 horseback riding at Algonquin Park during her family’s first visit. Since then, her family has developed a love of camping, and now camps in Ontario’s provincial parks a few times a year."

Item consists of a home movie featuring a girl riding a horse on a trail.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Cindy’s dad is filming her at the age of 8 horseback riding at Algonquin Park during her family’s first visit. Since then, her family has developed a love of camping, and now camps in Ontario’s provincial parks a few times a year."

Item consists of a home movies featuring a mother carrying a toddler who walks to family members watching TV.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "In China, Cindy’s parents met a couple on the train when on their way to an interview to apply to come to Canada. Perchance, Cindy and the same couple’s kids ended up attending the same school and kindergarten class in Canada. The families moved to Canada within months of each other and became very close. They lived together in adjoining units during their first two years in Canada. This video documents the housewarming get together after the families got separate places. Seen here are four girls playing together in her friend’s basement.

Since Cindy was very young when moving to Canada, she identifies more with having immigrant parents than being an immigrant herself. Cindy had a lot of friends that shared similar cultural backgrounds, and experiences as the community of Agincourt where she lives is largely Chinese, East and South Asian, and Tamil."

Item consists of an Indian family’s home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "The children are reciting; reciting a shopping list, nursery rhymes like "itsy bitsy spider," and their ABCs. The video letter of the boys learning to write and spell is a way to build and maintain a relationship with their grandmother from afar."

Item consists of a Guyanese family’s home movie on black and white footage featuring wide and panning shots of market stalls, mid and close shots of merchant interactions with customers, and tracking shots of customers walking through the market.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "As a child, Shenaz wandered Mahaica Market with her mother shopping for the weeks groceries. As an adult and as a filmmaker, Shenaz wanted to capture her childhood memories and archive the vendors in the market. For Shenaz, recording her trip back to her childhood community had less to do with being Guyanese and more to do with being a filmmaker and an artist."

Item consists of a home movie featuring several children playing with cars.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "In China, Cindy’s parents met a couple on the train when on their way to an interview to apply to come to Canada. Perchance, Cindy and the same couple’s kids ended up attending the same school and kindergarten class in Canada. The families moved to Canada within months of each other and became very close. They lived together in adjoining units during their first two years in Canada. This video documents the housewarming get together after the families got separate places. Seen here are four girls playing together in her friend’s basement.

Since Cindy was very young when moving to Canada, she identifies more with having immigrant parents than being an immigrant herself. Cindy had a lot of friends that shared similar cultural backgrounds, and experiences as the community of Agincourt where she lives is largely Chinese, East and South Asian, and Tamil."

Item consists of a home movie featuring a girl riding a horse on a trail.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Cindy’s dad is filming her at the age of 8 horseback riding at Algonquin Park during her family’s first visit. Since then, her family has developed a love of camping, and now camps in Ontario’s provincial parks a few times a year."

Item consists of a home movie following a girl riding a horse on a trail.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Cindy’s dad is filming her at the age of 8 horseback riding at Algonquin Park during her family’s first visit. Since then, her family has developed a love of camping, and now camps in Ontario’s provincial parks a few times a year."

Item consists of a home movie featuring a girl riding a horse on a trail.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Cindy’s dad is filming her at the age of 8 horseback riding at Algonquin Park during her family’s first visit. Since then, her family has developed a love of camping, and now camps in Ontario’s provincial parks a few times a year."

Item consists of a home movie featuring the end of a school performance with the last song "celebrating our differences" and includes a speech about diversity and thank yous.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "At North Agincourt Junior Public School a group of elementary school children are performing at a concert either in 2003 or 2004. Large drawings hung in the background of different countries indicate that the concert is likely a multicultural day celebration performed for parents.
"The running joke at Agincourt Collegiate Institute is that white people are the visible minority."

Since Cindy was very young when moving to Canada, she identifies more with having immigrant parents than being an immigrant herself. Cindy had a lot of friends that shared similar cultural backgrounds, and experiences as the community of Agincourt where she lives is largely Chinese, East and South Asian, and Tamil."

Item consists of a home movie featuring a Santa parade in front of the University of Toronto Schools.

Item consists of a home movie featuring a woman stirring a pot.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "At their home in Agincourt, Cindy’s mom is cooking dinner. When she used to get home from work earlier than her dad, she would start dinner."

Item consists of a home movie featuring the moving walkway at the airport.

Project and donor(s) contributed descriptions follows: "In 2004, its Cindy Long’s first time back to Guangzhou, China after immigrating to Canada. She is with her mom and her friend likely at Toronto Pearson International Airport."

Item consists of a woman and a man performing a traditional dance that involves moving bamboo sticks.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Its Cindy Long’s first time meeting her cousins in China once they are a bit older. She now travels there around every 3 or 4 years. Her parents said that they were very close as children, but when they got older they couldn’t connect as easily because her cousins speak little English, and Cindy’s Cantonese and Mandarin are not strong. Now as older teens/young adults, they enjoy spending time together when Cindy visits China, and often talk about the differences in school, culture, etc, between the two places."

Item consists of a home movie featuring children dancing over bamboo sticks.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Its Cindy Long’s first time meeting her cousins in China once they are a bit older. She now travels there around every 3 or 4 years. Her parents said that they were very close as children, but when they got older they couldn’t connect as easily because her cousins speak little English, and Cindy’s Cantonese and Mandarin are not strong. Now as older teens/young adults, they enjoy spending time together when Cindy visits China, and often talk about the differences in school, culture, etc, between the two places."

Series consists of home movies documenting the Chinese family's everyday life including footage of children playing, riding horses, and performing at a school recital. Footage captured by Cindy Long and Yong Dong Long (the donor's father).

Item consists of a home movie featuring fish in a tank.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "At the Long family’s home in Agincourt, Scarborough is a very large tank of goldfish.

Since Cindy was very young when moving to Canada, she identifies more with having immigrant parents than being an immigrant herself. Cindy had a lot of friends that shared similar cultural backgrounds, and experiences as the community of Agincourt where she lives is largely Chinese, East and South Asian, and Tamil."

Item consists of a home movie featuring a Christmas tree.

Item consists of a home movie featuring a child sitting next to a play dough set.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "In China, Cindy’s parents met a couple on the train when on their way to an interview to apply to come to Canada. Perchance, Cindy and the same couple’s kids ended up attending the same school and kindergarten class in Canada. The families moved to Canada within months of each other and became very close. They lived together in adjoining units during their first two years in Canada. This video documents the housewarming get together after the families got separate places. Seen here are four girls playing together in her friend’s basement.

Since Cindy was very young when moving to Canada, she identifies more with having immigrant parents than being an immigrant herself. Cindy had a lot of friends that shared similar cultural backgrounds, and experiences as the community of Agincourt where she lives is largely Chinese, East and South Asian, and Tamil."

Item consists of a home movie featuring an individual practising the piano and sheet music to "Ring on her finger."

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Cindy Long is practising piano at their home in Agincourt, Toronto. She took lessons at the New Conservatory of Music in Scarborough. She began group lessons at age 6, and continued to play through high school. Because she was given the choice to continue lessons or not (rather than being forced to practice as some of her peers did), she gained a love of piano and music that remains to this day."

Item consists of a home movie zooming in on individuals going up a lift lift.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Cindy Long’s dad is filming her and her friend skiing at Horseshoe Mount St Louis Moonstone near Barrie ON."

Item consists of a home movie featuring children waiting at the airport for a flight to Chicago.

Project and donor(s) contributed descriptions follows: "In 2004, its Cindy Long’s first time back to Guangzhou, China after immigrating to Canada. She is with her mom and her friend likely at Toronto Pearson International Airport."

Item consists of a home movie featuring an auditorium with a piano.

Project and donor(s) contributed discussion follow(s): "Cindy Long is practising piano at their home in Agincourt, Toronto. She took lessons at the New Conservatory of Music in Scarborough. She began group lessons at age 6, and continued to play through high school. Because she was given the choice to continue lessons or not (rather than being forced to practice as some of her peers did), she gained a love of piano and music that remains to this day."

Item consists of a home movie featuring children playing in the sand.

Item consists of a home movie featuring a woman wearing a traditional outfit and using a microphone.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Its Cindy Long’s first time meeting her cousins in China once they are a bit older. She now travels there around every 3 or 4 years. Her parents said that they were very close as children, but when they got older they couldn’t connect as easily because her cousins speak little English, and Cindy’s Cantonese and Mandarin are not strong. Now as older teens/young adults, they enjoy spending time together when Cindy visits China, and often talk about the differences in school, culture, etc, between the two places."

Item consists of a home movie featuring the inside of an airplane cabin, family members in their seats, passengers walking the aisles, a flight attendant serving meals, and a screen that reads "please wait system not yet available."

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "In 2004, its Cindy Long’s first time back to Guangzhou, China after immigrating to Canada. She is with her mom and her friend likely at Toronto Pearson International Airport."

Item consists of a home movie featuring a girl with a bow practising the piano.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Cindy Long is practising piano at their home in Agincourt, Toronto. She took lessons at the New Conservatory of Music in Scarborough. She began group lessons at age 6, and continued to play through high school. Because she was given the choice to continue lessons or not (rather than being forced to practice as some of her peers did), she gained a love of piano and music that remains to this day."

Item consists of a home movie featuring individuals going up a ski lift.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Cindy Long’s dad is filming her and her friend skiing at Horseshoe Mount St Louis Moonstone near Barrie ON."

Item consists of a home movie featuring individuals skiing downhill and zooming in on a girl.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Cindy Long’s dad is filming her and her friend skiing at Horseshoe Mount St Louis Moonstone near Barrie ON."

Item consists of a home movie featuring a girl pledging to a scouts program and receiving badges.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Cindy Long was one of only 2 girls that participated in her Scouts Canada pack that held meetings at CD Farquharson Junior Public School. Here she is being honoured with a badge representing her moving up in ranking in the Cub Scouts (ages 8-10) program."

Item consists of a home movie featuring the inside of an airplane cabin, a flight attendant and a beverage cart, and a large screen that reads "please wait system not yet available."

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "In 2004, its Cindy Long’s first time back to Guangzhou, China after immigrating to Canada. She is with her mom and her friend likely at Toronto Pearson International Airport."