Series 4 - Personal

1 m of textual records, 15 photos, and 11 artifacts.

This series consists of personal materials ranging from biographical information to records documenting Trigger’s student life to honours and awards. This series also contains newspaper clippings on Trigger, as well as personal correspondence files.

Biographical information consists of correspondence with biographical information sources such as Who’s Who, as well as a curriculum vitae and official documents such as an expired passport, 1984-2005, 1961, 2006 (Container 8, Files 405, 406; Container 6, File 323). Textual records include newspaper clippings and articles on Trigger, including Boyce Richardson’ article in Saturday Night, 1958-1996 (Container 15, File 581; Container 4, File 207; Container 6, File 326), which celebrates Trigger’s intellectual
contributions to society. Also included in this series are files entitled “Lubicon Business”, 1987-1988 (Container 5, 281-284), which provide a thorough overview of Trigger’s resignation from the board of the McCord Museum when members refused to join a First
Nations’ organized boycott of an exhibition of native artifacts at the Calgary Olympics, as well as a subject file entitled “Native Issues”, 1978-1991 (Container 6, File 327) which reveals his interest in First Nations’ issues. Trigger’s lengthy involvement with the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul in Montreal, including his participation in the Presbyterian College Continuing Education Program, is also documented here, 1992, 1998-2005 (Container 7, File 362; Container 16, File 640). Agendas from Trigger’s office record his daily appointments and deadlines, 1984-2005 (Container 16, Files 627-633).

Trigger’s activities as a student are documented by old high school and university yearbooks, 1953-1979 (Container 8, File 416; Container 10, Files 417-418); his Sigma Xi initiation and certificate, 1963 (Container 8, File 411; Container 21, File 2); as well as his university degrees, 1959-1964 (Container 21, Files 6-7) and University of Toronto class graduation photos, 1959 (Container 21, File 20 and unnumbered). A selection of Trigger’s student papers reveals Trigger’s early scholarly potential, 1958-1959 (Container 12, Files 539-540; Container 14, Files 584-585; Container 16, File 637). A play manuscript entitled Ikhnaton: A Verse Play in Five Acts demonstrates Trigger’s effort at creative writing (Container 8, File 414). These records reveal how Trigger carefully documented his past, commencing in his teenage years, as well as his level of involvement in both scholastic and extracurricular activities. Additional correspondence files include early job offers from several universities, 1959-1961 (Container 4, File 279; Container 5, File 289).

Nominations of friends and colleagues for diverse awards, his own awards and accompanying letters and speeches, as well as memberships in honourary societies, 1983 (Container 8, File 412) reveal the extent of Trigger’s social network and his prominence in his field. In particular, Trigger’s nomination of Jerome Rousseau, a colleague and friend in McGill’s Department of Anthropology, for the Royal Society of Canada, demonstrates Trigger’s regard for others, 1999 (Container 12, Files 563). Another example of this includes Trigger’s convocation speech for the awarding of Dr. Marc-Adélard Tremblay’s honourary degree, 1998 (Container 5, File 287). This series also contains correspondence files, certificates, convocation programs, and convocation speeches from Trigger’s own honourary degrees which he received from McMaster University, 1999 (Container 5, File 286); the University of Waterloo, 1990, 1987-1990 (Container 5, File 288; Container 8, File 410); the University of New Brunswick, 1987- 1990 (Container 14, File 583; Container 8, File 410); the University of Western Ontario, 1987-1995 (Container 17, File 660; Container 8, File 410; Container 21, File 13); the University of Toronto, 2002-2003 (Container 6, File 297; Container 21, File 13; Container 16, File 643); and the University of Waterloo, 1990-1993 (Container 7, File 350).

Trigger earned such distinctions as the Order of Canada (Container 6, File 310, 328); the Innis Guérin Medal (Container 8, File 407); the Corn Planter medal (Container 8, File 408); the Ordre du Quebec, 2001 (Container 12, File 541); and the Prix du Quebec, 1991-2001 (Container 12, File 543). Associated artifacts, certificates, plaques, medals, and memorabilia are also found here, 1955-2006 (Container 21, Files 1, 2-5, 8-12, 14- 18, 26). Additional speech notes, news clippings, and correspondence files accompany Trigger’s many honours, 1958-2006 (Container 6, File 321; Container 10, File 518; Container 15, File 611; Container 16, File 639; Container 8, File 409).

The impact of Trigger’s fifty year distinguished career as an archaeologist is best exemplified in Retrospection: The Archaeology of Bruce Trigger, in which 22 of his colleagues and friends reflect on his significant contributions to the discipline of archaeology, 2003-2006 (Container 6, File 318). Trigger, himself, reflects on his own career in an interview by Eldon entitled “Understanding Antiquity- Bruce Trigger on his life’s work in archaeology”, 2005-2006 (Container 6, File 319; Container 15, File 609). Correspondence files, conference programs, and drafts for Trigger’s festschrift and symposium demonstrate the stature he attained as a scholar, 2003 2006 (Container 15, Files 612-613).

Trigger’s declining health is documented by get well cards and correspondence from friends, students, and close colleagues, and letters of condolence to his family in the aftermath of Trigger’s death, 2006 (Container 6, Files 324, 322; Container 21, Files 23- 25). Trigger’s obituary, eulogy, and funeral program are also found in this series, 1954- 2006, 1985-2006 (Container 6, Files 329-334; Container 8, File 415, 428-429; Container 10, Files 519-523).