Collaboration for Cultural Revitalization: Researching the Songs and Stories of Early 20th-Century Woods Workers in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

This paper provides an account of the interrelated collaborations that emerged as part of an interdisciplinary research project designed to document and revitalize the occupational songs and stories of early 20th-century woods workers in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. In the context of a paucity of research related to these industries and occupations and their cultural legacies, we approached the songs and stories not only as cultural and musical texts but also as specific social histories and embedded literacy practices. Our purpose was to identify, primarily through archival research and textual analysis, the extent of this song and story tradition and what it revealed about those at its centre. We then determined ways to reframe and represent this tradition to contemporary audiences interested in the intersections of history, culture, and identity through story and song. The ten-year multi-faceted project unfolded organically through a series of university-community collaborations that spawned communities of practice in Newfoundland, Labrador, and Scotland. In this paper, we explore the nuances of these multi-tiered collaborations, the intersecting and diverging goals and needs that informed them, and the insights and benefits that accrued throughout their duration.