Through this project, I’ve had to thoughtfully reckon with the complexities of my position as a guest passing through the Maritimes. I recognize there are deep and layered histories of Black presence in this region, which reflect legacies of resilience, resistance, and community that have long shaped the cultural fabric here, even as they remain underrepresented in Canadian history. I approach this work with humility and care, aware that I am engaging with a place that holds its own specific and ongoing struggles and stories.

Throughout my time in the Maritimes, I’ve also come to learn about and deeply respect the work of those rooted in the region who are meaningfully preserving and honouring Black history through research, storytelling, art, and activism. I acknowledge the privilege of my formal academic training, which has provided me with tools to grapple with the complexities of race, identity, and subjectivity, as well as the opportunity I have to carry out a project like this. While this work does not seek to remedy historical erasure, it aims to contribute to the broader archive by offering space for additional narratives to emerge, grounded in listening, relationship-building, and sonic exploration. I’m incredibly grateful to Struts Gallery for supporting this opportunity and for making space for this work to unfold.

I’d also like to recognize and pay respect to the First Peoples on whose territories I have the privilege of engaging in this research and creative work. From my time spent in Kjipuktuk (Halifax), the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq, to my time in what is now New Brunswick, I am grateful for the opportunity to be a guest on these lands. I acknowledge the enduring presence, stewardship, and cultural contributions of the Mi’kmaq, Wolastoqiyik and Peskotomuhkati peoples, and commit to approaching this work with respect, responsibility, and an awareness of the histories and sovereignties that shape these lands.

Special thanks to Michèle Pearson Clarke for generously sharing examples of participatory project-based websites, and to Jessica Thompson for her review of the “About the Project” text.

Image credits:
Top image: Remixed version of Amanda Yuu’s Visualization of Sound Waves, sourced from Wikimedia Commons (open source).

Headshot: Gideon Kyei