Choose culture as a career

Page 10

A new trend in Aboriginal communities is the establishment of cultural centres. Museums have long since been the stronghold for housing old cultural materials, but now First Nations are demanding the return of their artifacts.

The combination of cultural tourism opportunities, artifact repatriation, and heightened community interest in culture and language, has seen cultural centres popping up everywhere from Aboriginal communities in Australia to Nunavut.

In British Columbia alone, there are several new initiatives currently underway. Haida Gwaii is developing two centres for their two major communities. Osoyoos Indian band is working on a desert museum. The Ktunaxa are renovating a former residential school into a destination resort with an interpretive centre. Existing institutions include the Secwepemc Museum in Kamloops, the Native Heritage Centre in Duncan, Umista Cultural Centre in Alert Bay, and the Ksan Heritage Centre in Hazelton.

It is also important to note that the Nisga'a have been repatriating many objects as a result of their treaty and they too are planning a cultural centre. In the east, it is noteworthy to mention the Woodland Cultural Centre. The Mohawks have been repatriating their wampum belts and now house them in their facilities.

With this surge in building Aboriginal cultural centres, there has come a demand for skilled workers in cultural resource management. Opportunities such as curators, fund-raisers, marketing specialists, communications officers, archaeologists, conservators, exhibit designers, caterers and administrators are just some of the positions that Aboriginal people can train for in the cultural sector.

Education is the key factor in getting employment within a cultural centre. The University of Victoria offers a diploma in Cultural Resource Management through the division of continuing studies. It's program is geared for the museum professional who is looking to upgrade his skills by taking immersion courses and distance education through the Internet. Generally, an undergrad degree in a related field is a requirement for the diploma. Such other university training useful in the cultural sector could be anthropology, First Nations Studies, archaeology, or business management.

Employment in a cultural centre may be seasonal, especially if the centre relies on tourism for its revenue. Cultural resource managers usually make a decent salary depending upon their level of expertise and knowledge. In smaller centres, it is not out of the ordinary for a worker to wear many hats, as there are many responsibilities. Funding for arts and culture is competitive and the success of the centre must take revenue generation into consideration.