AI-Assisted Transcription of Indigenous Affairs Historical Records

This system uses AI-powered handwritten text recognition to transcribe approximately six million pages of historical records from the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (the RG10 collection), making them searchable and accessible to the public. It was developed by Library and Archives Canada in partnership with the Canadian Research Knowledge Network and the European company READ-COOP (Transkribus). Because the records document Indigenous history and contain personal information, access and accuracy have significant implications for affected communities. The system has since been retired.