Edmonton Briefs - December 2012

Chris Robinson, executive director with the Royal Alberta Museum, introduces the museum’s newest collection, Innujaq: Dolls of the Canadian Arctic.

Inuit collection of dolls on display

Innujaq: Dolls of the Canadian Arctic is the first of a suite of four northern exhibitions the Royal Alberta Museum will be hosting over the next few months.  Innujaq is the colourful collection of traditional Inuit dolls and is a combination of dolls from the museum as well as private collectors. Chris Robinson, executive director with the Royal Alberta Museum, said the dolls have “their own distinct personality,” with some as portraits of specific people while others are dressed in garments that depict the dollmaker’s community. The 80 dolls, chosen from 120 by guest curators Bill and Michelle Tracy, are from 19 different Arctic communities throughout the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Arctic Quebec. The Tracys also wrote the text for the exhibition.  Innujaq: Dolls of the Canadian Arctic will be on display until Apr. 28, 2013.

Gritty film looks at the sex trade

“Who Cares?” is a heart-wrenching cinema vérité style film that enters the gritty and dangerous world of Edmonton’s sex trade workers. It debuted to a special screening on Nov. 27 at the Metro Cinema. Director Rosie Dransfeld and her crew rode along with the RCMP’s Project KARE in the summer of 2011, following Cpl. Joe Verhaeghe as he collected data and DNA samples from women in high-risk lifestyles. That DNA will be used to identify the women if they are murdered and will hopefully assist in bringing their killers to justice. Edmonton has the second highest rate of missing and murdered women in Canada. “There’s always a difference between me being a filmmaker and a person,” Dransfeld told Gig City. “As a person it was really heart-wrenching. It really took a piece of me. But on the other hand, as a filmmaker, I have an obligation to step back and look at it from a story perspective. I sometimes think I would love to step in and make life better in that moment, but then people wouldn’t have the chance to experience this devastating moment. I have to step back and just let it happen.”

Work in Métis settlements recognized with inaugural award

The TAPWE Warriors were among the first-ever recipients of the Inspiration Awards, established to recognize Albertans who demonstrate a commitment to ending family violence in their communities. The TAPWE Warriors, who won in the youth category, work in Edmonton and Métis settlements, sharing stories of personal trauma to help others heal. They also raise the collective awareness of policy and decision-makers on the effects of family violence. Lisa Higgerty, of Hinton, was recipient in the individual category for helping to develop the Mamowichitowin program, a regional therapy program designed to help families heal from intergenerational family violence. There were 17 recipients altogether in categories of youth, adults, groups/organizations, and businesses.

Connection between health, literacy addressed

The Northeast Edmonton Literacy Network, which includes Ben Calf Robe Society and Métis Child and Family Services, presented a literacy and health workshop at the end of November. Literacy and Health – What’s the Connection was an interactive workshop that brought together health care providers, government representatives, literacy and community service organizations, and people who face literacy learners. They discussed and engaged in activities focused on health literacy challenges. There is a connection between literacy and health when it comes to patients being able to effectively self-manage their health conditions.

Edmonton hosts first of three national programs

The Canadian Native Friendship Centre was the location of the first of three OSMOSIS programs to be delivered in Canada. The four-day event, held from Nov. 22-25, brought Indigenous and non-Indigenous young people together to discover, dream, design and deliver a desired future. It is inter-generational, fostering the exchange of ideas between Elders, youth and the wider Edmonton community. The gathering addressed the goal of understanding the impact of the Indian Residential School, looking for ways forward to build on the best of the past. OSMOSIS is a program delivered by IEmergence to engage youth. The event kicked off at City Hall.  

Education symposium examines MOU

Treaty 8 hosted its first annual education symposium Nov. 13-14. Shawn Atleo, Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, was keynote speaker, along with lawyer Lesra Martin. Martin is best known for his involvement in the release of boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter. Included in discussions were the Memorandum of Understanding for First Nations Education in Alberta signed in 2010, the Indigenous Knowledge Centre, and the challenge of school retention.