Steering Committee
The Steering Committees for each phase are comprised of the chairs of the clusters, who establish goals and supervise students and postdoctoral fellows within a specialized area of research or knowledge mobilization. Steering Committee (SC) members are also responsible for designing, implementing, and overseeing activity in their cluster; managing, with the Project Director, funds within the cluster; setting, with the Executive Committee, semiannual and annual milestones for progress; reporting, semiannually, toward milestones; meeting annually in-person with the team to present results to date, participate in student training, and coordinate project activity; and presenting, together with students and postdoctoral fellows, research findings. Note: The SC also includes “at large” members who play vital roles in this project but are not responsible for leading a cluster. These members represent partners connected to the Phase 2 clusters and the Japanese-Canadian community and attend committee meetings, vote on key issues, and contribute to project activities. There are also 2 representatives from the Community Council.
PHASE 2 (2018-2021) STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Jordan Stanger-Ross
Steering Committee Chair Narrative Website Cluster Co-chair Jordan Stanger-Ross is an associate professor of history at the University of Victoria. He was the founding chair of UVIC’s Committee for Urban Studies, which initiated the interdisciplinary lecture series, The City Talks. He is Chair of the Canadian Committee on Migration, Ethnicity, and Transnationalism, which is affiliated... Read More >>
Lorene Oikawa
NAJC rep and Steering Committee Vice-chair Lorene Oikawa is the President of the National Association of Japanese Canadians (NAJC). She works for the Province of British Columbia. She speaks, writes, and works on her passions, including human rights and her heritage. She is a co-editor of the book, Honouring Our People: Breaking the Silence, which shares the stories of.... Read More >>
Eric Adams
Phase 1 Cluster Chair rep A member of the University of Alberta, Faculty of Law, Eric Adams chairs the Legal History cluster. A Canadian constitutional historian specializing in the history of rights and an award-winning teacher and scholar, Adams has published in Canada’s leading law journals. His work has been cited by the Supreme Court of Canada and in the House of Commons...Read More >>
Audrey Kobayashi
Executive Committee rep Audrey Kobayashi has a long history of research on the Japanese Canadians and in addition to her participation in Landscapes of Injustice, she is also involved in the "Right To Remain" project that includes a number of university researchers and graduate students in partnership with community advocacy organizations in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver... Read More >>
Sherri Kajiwara
Museum Exhibit Cluster Co-chair Sherri Kajiwara is currently the Director|Curator of the Nikkei National Museum and has been a fine arts professional since 1992. Her association with the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre began in 2010 when she was Acting Executive Director for 13 months. In 2012 she guest curated the Yo-In exhibit at the Nikkei National Museum that addresses the...Read More >>
Leah Best
Museum Exhibit Cluster Co-chair Leah Best comes to Victoria via Nelson, BC, where she spent the last ten years as executive director of Touchstones Nelson: Museum of Art and History. Previously she worked at the Vancouver Art Gallery for several years as an assistant curator. Leah has a Master's Degree in Art History from the University of Toronto and completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Victoria...Read More >>
Stewart Arneil
Digital Archives Cluster Co-chair Stewart Arneil oversees the development of a digital database to store and integrate community records and co-chairs our Digital Archival and Community Records and Directories clusters. He is the Head of Research and Development at the Humanities Computing and Media Centre at UVIC. He has 20 years of experience in the development of software with a special...Read More >>
Lisa Uyeda
Digital Archives Cluster Co-chair Lisa Uyeda is an archivist and a Nikkei yonsei with deep family roots in the Powell Street area. Born and raised in the Toronto region, Lisa volunteered and worked at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre where she documented over 100 oral histories, coordinated three conferences, and contributed to the early development of the Moriyama Nikkei Heritage Centre. She holds a Masters Degree in...Read More >>
Greg Miyanaga
Teacher Resources Cluster Co-chair Greg Miyanaga co-chairs the Teacher Resources cluster with Mike Whittingham. Greg has taught in the Coquitlam School District for over 25 years, grades 2-7, and served as a district resource teacher. Landscapes of Injustice is a pet project for Greg as his father's family was relocated from the Lower Mainland in BC to the sugar beet fields of southern... Read More >>
Mike Perry-Whittingham
Teacher Resources Cluster Co-chair Mike Whittingham co-chairs the Teacher Resources cluster with Greg Miyanaga. Mike is currently a District Vice Principal overseeing training and support for the MyEducation BC Student Information System (SIS) for the Richmond School District. Oversight of the MyEd BC SIS includes training, resource guide development,...Read More >>
Theressa Takasaki
JCCC rep Theressa Takasaki began volunteering with the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre in 2004 and joined the Archives and Collections Committee at its inception in 2010. Over the past 7 years, Theressa has contributed to the formation of an active Archives Volunteer group, assisted with the planning and design of the Moriyama Nikkei Heritage Centre and has curated many... Read More >>
Steve Schwinghamer
CMI Pier 21 rep Steve Schwinghamer coordinates the participation in this project of the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 (CMIP). He has been an Historian with CMIP for more than 10 years, providing research support for exhibitions and projects related to the history of Canadian immigration, and co-creating more than 100 oral histories. He is an affiliate... Read More >>
Art Miki
Community Council Co-rep Arthur Miki has had a distinguished career as an educator and community activist. He began his career as an elementary school teacher and later served as principal for 18 years. He is president of the Asian Heritage Society of Manitoba that organizes Asian Heritage Month activities and also president of the Japanese Cultural Association of Manitoba...Read More >>
Susanne Tabata
Community Council Co-rep Susanne Tabata is a digital media producer whose passion is to elevate west coast stories into the arts. Susanne was born in Nanaimo, and lived in Tokyo and Victoria before moving to Vancouver in 1978 to study International Relations at UBC. Tabata’s father is a Japanese Canadian whose internment experience during and after WWII has impacted Susanne's... Read More >>
Laura Saimoto
VJLS &JH rep
Laura Saimoto is a third generation Japanese Canadian living in Vancouver British Columbia Canada. She has a BA in History and Japanese (University of British Columbia) and an MA in Sociology(Sophia University, Japan). Laura is a board member of the Vancouver Japanese Language School & Japanese Hall. In addition to being a graduate, Read More >>
RA rep
RA rep... Read More >>
PHASE 1 (2014-2018) STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Jordan Stanger-Ross
Land Title & Government Records Cluster Chair Jordan Stanger-Ross is associate professor of history at the University of Victoria. He was the founding chair of UVIC’s Committee for Urban Studies, which initiated the interdisciplinary lecture series, The City Talks. He is Chair of the Canadian Committee on Migration, Ethnicity, and Transnationalism, which is affiliated…Read More >>
Eric Adams
Legal History Cluster Chair A member of the University of Alberta, Faculty of Law, Eric Adams chairs the Legal History cluster. A Canadian constitutional historian specializing in the history of rights and an award-winning teacher and scholar, Adams has published in Canada’s leading law journals. His work has been cited by the Supreme Court of Canada and in the House of Commons…Read More >>
Sherri Kajiwara
Community Records & Directories Cluster Co-chair Sherri Kajiwara is currently the Director|Curator of the Nikkei National Museum and has been a fine arts professional since 1992. Her association with the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre began in 2010 when she was Acting Executive Director for 13 months. In 2012 she guest curated the Yo-In exhibit at the Nikkei National…Read More >>
Stewart Arneil
Community Records & Directories Cluster Co-chair Stewart Arneil oversees the development of a digital database to store and integrate community records and chairs our Archival Website and Community Records and Directories clusters. He is the Head of Research and Development at the Humanities Computing and Media Centre at UVIC. He has 20 years…Read More >>
Reuben Rose-Redwood
Historical GIS Cluster Chair Reuben Rose-Redwood chairs the Historical GIS cluster. His research in urban historical GIS involved digitally reconstructing a model of New York City’s historical topography. He has published in leading geographic journals, including the Geographical Review and The Professional Geographer. He has been featured in popular media, including the…Read More >>
Greg Miyanaga
Teacher Resources Cluster Co-chair Greg Miyanaga co-chairs the Teacher Resources cluster with Mike Whittingham. Greg has taught in the Coquitlam School District for over 25 years, grades 2-7, and served as a district resource teacher. Landscapes of Injustice is a pet project for Greg as his father’s family was relocated from the Lower Mainland in BC to the sugar beet fields of southern…Read More >>
Mike Perry-Whittingham
Teacher Resources Cluster Co-chair Mike Whittingham co-chairs the Teacher Resources cluster with Greg Miyanaga. Mike, currently a secondary school adminstrator in the Richmond School District, taught high school history, law and social studies for 17 years in Richmond. Mike has collaborated and co-authored numerous curriculum resources in law and history including…Read More >>
Leah Best
Steering Committee Member at large Leah Best comes to Victoria via Nelson, BC, where she spent the last ten years as executive director of Touchstones Nelson: Museum of Art and History. Previously she worked at the Vancouver Art Gallery for several years as an assistant curator. Leah has a Master’s Degree in Art History from the University of Toronto and completed her undergrad…Read More >>
Brian Owen
Steering Committee Member at large Brian Owen, Associate University Librarian, SFU, chairs the Public History Website cluster. Owen brings significant administrative experience to the Steering Committee, in accordance with the suggestion of the SSHRC committee. He is Managing Director of the Public Knowledge Project, a multi-university initiative based at SFU…Read More >>
Nicholas Blomley
Steering Committee Member at large Nicholas Blomley provides intellectual leadership in the theorization and analysis of property in all clusters, particularly with respect to qualitative sources. Blomley is author of four books and dozens of articles and book chapters, including Unsettling the City: Urban Land and the Politics of Property, which focuses on the Downtown Eastside, the former…Read More >>
Steve Schwinghamer
Steering Committee Member at large Steve Schwinghamer coordinates the participation in this project of the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 (CMIP). He has been an Historian with CMIP for more than 10 years, providing research support for exhibitions and projects related to the history of Canadian immigration, and co-creating more than 100 oral histories…Read More >>