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African Nova Scotian Affairs Office
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Fonds
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Physical description
1.62 m of textual records (7 boxes)
1 CD of photographs (54 image files): JPG
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Administrative history
The Office of African Nova Scotian Affairs was provisionally established in 2003 in response to the Final Report on Consultations with the African Nova Scotian Community (July 2001). Amendments made to the Public Service Act in 2004 and proclaimed in January of 2005 officially established the Office whose object and purpose is to create and promote an integrated approach to matters relating to the African Nova Scotian community; to represent Nova Scotia in intergovernmental and other initiatives and negotiations on matters integral to the African Nova Scotian community; to provide the minister responsible with research analysis and policy advice on African Nova Scotia issues; to develop cooperatively communication strategies and public education in order to improve general understanding and appreciation of African Nova Scotia culture, heritage and community identity; and to advocate for the interests and concerns of the African Nova Scotian community. Wayn Hamilton was appointed as the Office’s Chief Executive Officer in September of 2005. In January 2011 the Office was integrated into the Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage for administrative purposes through legislative amendments under the Government Administration Amendment (2011) Act which removed the Office as a separate and distinct public body.
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Scope and content
Fonds documents the creation and mandated activities of the Office of African Nova Scotian Affairs in Halifax, NS and one of its regional offices in Sydney through the records of its Minister and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Records include the Minister’s and CEO’s incoming and outgoing correspondence (2003-2010); Minister’s and CEO’s speeches to community groups, conferences, and those of the Minister to the Legislature (2003-2010); annual accountability reports and business plans (2005-2011); and briefing notes to the Minister (Barry Barnett, Percy Paris), to Executive Council and to the Premier (Darryl Dexter) as well as other departments in government such as Justice, Health and Education (2004-2012).
Some subjects covered in the files include Africville memorial museum, Lincolnville community protests regarding the landfill site (dump) for Guysborough County, and addressing anti-black racism.
Fonds also includes African Heritage Month programming development files (2006-2009); the U.N. declaration of 2010 as the International Year for People of African Descent; departmental policy and program advice files (2003-2008); a few research reports (2005-2007); and materials related to the governance renewal and re-visioning of the Black Cultural Centre of Nova Scotia (2004-2009). Also includes a CD of digital photographs of speakers at a health conference organized by ANSA in 2007.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
The files were transferred to Nova Scotia Archives from the Office of African Nova Scotian Affairs in 2013 and 2018 under the agency’s records schedule approved in March 2009.
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- English
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Copyright held by the Nova Scotia Government (crown copyright).
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Associated materials
See also the Department of Communities, Culture, and Heritage fonds for related records.