Around Alberta Glimpse the past

The Provincial Museum of Alberta is telling the story of 500 generations of Aboriginal people in the region at the Syncrude Gallery of Aboriginal Culture.

More than 3,000 artifacts are on permanent exhibit at the museum, which is located in Edmonton. Some artifacts date back 11,000 years, others are from the recent "dark period of Aboriginal life," including information on the Indian Act, the residential school experience, and the federal government's Statement of Reconciliation of this year.

Some of the most impressive elements of the gallery are the murals, depicting the people and places of the past. All too often, museum exhibits show bleak backgrounds with unhappy people. These murals show Aboriginal people as smiling, happy people who are busy socializing and going about the business of their day to day lives.

Of particular interest is the sacred Manitou Stone, a meteorite that fell to earth thousands of years ago. The people of the time felt this was a gift from the great Manitou himself, very powerful medicine and a message heralding the difficulties the people would face in the future.

The Syncrude Gallery of Aboriginal Culture fills one-quarter of the museum's total space.

"This is the greatest thing this museum has ever done in its 30-year history,"said Philip Stepney, museum director, adding the fact the gallery presents the past, present and future of Aboriginal culture puts the display a step above the rest.

Pilgrimage to the waters

Thousands of people are expected to take part in this year's Lac Ste. Anne pilgrimage. It is said to be the largest annual spiritual gathering of Native people in Canada.

Upwards of 30,000 people come to the broad, shallow lake in north-central Alberta to meet old friends, to celebrate, to do penance and to pray for their needs and for each other. This is the water the Cree call Manito Sakahigan - Lake of the Spirit.

The Cree and Blackfoot journeyed to the lake for centuries. It was a place of ceremonies and of great spiritual encounters for Native people.

This year, the pilgrimage to Lac Ste. Anne, 100 km west of Edmonton, takes place from July 25 to 28.

"This year at Lac Ste. Anne, we will try to live the words: 'Come Holy Spirit, set us on fire with your love,'" said Father Alex Carrier, OMI, the program director at the Missionary Oblates office in Edmonton.

People making the holy pilgrimage come from across North America to step into the holy waters and be blessed.

The pilgrimage is an annual gathering set aside for people to come together and pray and to discover the presence of God in each other. For many, it is also a chance to honor the Grand Mother Saint Anne.

The gathering at Lac Ste. Anne may be more significant for some in the next two years, as the world prepares to enter the next millennium.

Camping is free, but donations will be taken at the gates. Money collected goes toward security. There will be a grocery store, food outlets, showers and washroom facilities at the site. Drugs, alcohol, gambling or peddling of products is prohibited.

Tribal Day heats up summer

Tribal Day has been a part of the summer attractions scene of southern Alberta for the last five years. The event, hosted by the Buffalo Nations Cultural Society, is a showcase of Aboriginal culture, talent, arts and entertainment.

Over the years, thousands of people have made their way to this Rocky Mountains destination to see, touch and speak to Aboriginal performers and Aboriginal families who open up their lives to the questions of tourists from as near as Banff and as far away as Europe.

The event for many is like touring a living museum. Traditional chiefs roam through the crowds, answering questions about the regalia they wear and the cultures they represent.

There is traditional Aboriginal food available at the event, enabling visitors to fill up on soup and bannock as they watch the impressive moves of dancers.

Journey along the powwow trail

ummertime in Alberta means hitting the powwow trail for many Aboriginal people. It was originally a Plains Indian activity, but many communities across North America have adopted it as their own.

Originally, dances were performed to give thanks, or to pray for success in food gathering, hunting, or warfare. Dancing was also for honoring the deceased, naming children and for marking the transfer of sacred or cermonial objects.

Today, people attend powwows to socialize, to compete, to visit friends and relatives, to sell crafts, to learn songs and dance moves, to play cards or hand games, for spiritual reasons and to rejuvinate the culture in the family.

If you haven't seen the beauty of the grand entry, a time when all dancers present themselves in the dance arbor, you are missing out on the ultimate Aboriginal experience.