Nuu-chah-nulth share their culture

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VICTORIA - Nuu-chah-nulth history and culture are being celebrated at the Royal British Columbia Museum with the exhibit 'Out of the Mist.' But you have to be quick to catch it, because the exhibit closes on May 31.

In conjunction with the exhibit, a number of cultural events have been held, allowing the Nuu-chah-nulth people a chance to bring information about their people to life for museum visitors.

The exhibit itself is made up of 241 objects and 75 images showing aspects of the Nuu-chah-nulth culture. Janet MacDonald is program producer with the Royal BC Museum. She explained the exhibit and accompanying cultural events were a collaborative effort between the museum and the Nuu-chah-nulth people.

"A number of artifacts were in the collection, and a number of artifacts that the Nuu-chah-nulth out and out own, from their homes, came into the collection as well," she said.

For the cultural programs, MacDonald explained, a Nuu-chah-nulth cultural liaison was hired, "who then went out into the community and brought weavers and carvers in, and fashion designers and jewellers and all kinds of people."

The cultural events held in conjunction with the 'Out of the Mist' exhibit began with a weaver's weekend, then continued with a carvers' weekend, a contemporary artists weekend, a canoe making weekend, and a drum making weekend in March.

The final in the series of cultural events is the Nuu-chah-nulth Youth Festival to be held April 28 to 30.

Four cultural schools will be participating in the youth festival. Nuu-chah-nulth children will be coming down for the event, joined by children from Haahuupayak school in Port Alberni who will be performing the play We Were A Happy Singing People written by the late Dr. George Clutesi. Clayoquot children from Tofino will also be coming to the festival, which will feature displays, singing, dancing and regalia.

MacDonald said she hopes the children will bring Elders with them to take them through the exhibit, giving them 'a chance to experience it before it goes.' She said the exhibit and programs have been a fantastic experience, both for the public and for the Nuu-chah-nulth people, and have attracted a large number of people.

Once the exhibit closes in Victoria, it will begin a three year tour starting in October at the Denver Museum of Natural History in Colorado.