Come, let us tell you a Story

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The Alberta Provincial Museum is telling the story of 500 generations of Aboriginal people in the province, with the opening of the Syncrude Gallery of Aboriginal Culture.

With 900 sq. m of space, more than 3,000 artifacts and an 11,000 year frame of reference, the new, permanent exhibit at the Edmonton museum is an excellent learning tool for Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal people alike.

Eric Nystrom, who entertained visitors to the gallery during the opening days, said the sheer number of artifacts speaks volumes about the past and the future of Aboriginal people in Canada. The new gallery, he said, is very spiritual and very educational.

"These sacred objects want to be here. They have a spirit of their own. They are here for a purpose and that purpose is to be used as a silent teacher," said Nyquist, a story teller and the president of Zone 3 of the Metis Nation of Alberta in Rocky Mountain House. He works as an interpreter at the Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site, and said he was proud to be a part of the gallery's opening.

Despite his years of experience teaching others about Aboriginal culture, Nyquist said he has learned even more during his time at the new gallery.

Walking through the displays during the opening days, Nyquist said he loaded up on new information.

"I've learned a lot of things here," he said.

The teachings range back 11,000 years from some of the earliest artifacts found to the recent past and the 'dark period' of Aboriginal life including the Indian Act, residential schools, and other assimilation attempts.

Organizers and supporters of the new gallery wanted to show the public everything about Aboriginal culture--the high points and the low points. It offers visitors the chance to be awe-struck by the ingenuity of the Native people, share in their laughter, see the culture and tradition through clothing, dance and music, and also to share the pain of the people as they struggle for identity and recognition. Through all the displays, the bottom line is the spirit of the people. That spirit is highlighted at the centre of the gallery with the learning circle.

A large tipi structure at the core of the gallery floor space, the learning circle will be used for education and teaching of Aboriginal culture.

Russell Joseph Willier said the new gallery is a perfect learning tool for young Aboriginal students looking at their culture and roots, as well as non-Aboriginal people who want to know the whole story about Aboriginal culture.

"We are trying to get some education going out to our young people and to people of different nationalities," said Willier, a member of the advisory board for the gallery and a traditional healer from northwest Alberta's Sucker Creek First Nation.

One of the most impressive elements of the gallery, in Willier's opinion, is the spirit depicted on the faces of the murals. He said the paintings have purposefully been depicted with the people smiling. All too often, he said, museum exhibitors show bleak backgrounds with unhappy-looking people. This one is different, and that makes him smile.

"I am very happy with the exhibits. The drawings you see are happy people. Other exhibits you see depictions of people that are sad or starving," he said.

Willier believes the input of a mainly Aboriginal advisory board helped to make the displays more cheerful.

"Today, we have a say in how things are done," he said.

The advisory board behind the gallery is made up of four Aboriginal people with extensive backgrounds in Aboriginal heritage. There was also assistance from more than 500 groups or individuals from the Aboriginal community in putting the gallery together.

Aboriginal groups assisted with all audio-visual recordings, advised on the display of artifacts, advised on the residential school displays, created the replicas and provided recordings of their experiences and traditions.

Reg Crowshoe, a member of the gallery's advisory committee from Bocket, said the co-operative effort brought about an evocative end result which generations of people can enjoy and learn from.

"Native people have had the chance to be a part of this exhibit," he said. That input brought about a great sense of pride in order to present a "cultural renewal" to all people, he said.

Philip Stepney, the director of the provincial museum, was very proud of the new gallery, which takes up one quarter of the museum's total space.

"This is the greatest thing this museum has ever done in its 30 year history," he said.

The fact that the gallery presents the past as well as the present and future of Aboriginal culture is what puts the display a step above the rest, he said.

"This gallery doesn't stop with the history. It is a gallery full of hope and understanding," he said.

The Syncrude Gallery of Aboriginal Culture is now open to the public. The area was made possible by the hard work of many groups and individuals, along with $2.6 million in funding from Syncrude Canada and $268,000 from Heritage Canada.

An additional $75,000 has been contributed by the Northeastern Alberta Aboriginal Business Association.