New home for Native Heritage Cultural Centre

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From its humble beginnings in the basement of a home where it began in 1965, the Native Cultural Heritage Centre has survived more than one change of address in its 24-year

history.

On Sept. 30, volunteers and staff of the centre marked another chapter in the evolution of what is considered one of the most unique Native resource centres in Canada.

An open house welcomed in the public to the centre's newest home at 10826-124 Street. The centre was once previously located in Calder and then in the downtown area.

Staff and volunteers want to make the newest centre a permanent home.

The centre's driving force is Dr. Anne Anderson - noted author, instructor, historian and Cree translator.

At 83, Dr. Anderson's dedication and commitment to the centre remains unwavering where she still spends most of her waking hours doing what she has always believed in -

preserving the Cree language.

The learning centre houses the 90 books and dictionaries which Dr. Anderson has written in her lifetime and hundreds of photographs depicting the history of the Metis and Indians

in Canada.

Requests from all over the world for resource material are not uncommon. Most of them are for Cree translations, which Dr. Anderson is famous for.

The University of Alberta and the Catholic school board use the centre, using many of Dr. Anderson's books as resource material.

School classes often come in on field trips to learn about Native culture. A craft centre is available where people can leave their crafts to be sold.

People come into the centre to trace their family lineage or to watch a video which tells legends behind Native folklore. Others take Cree classes from Dr. Anderson, who still teaches

twice a week.

"There's no other resource centre like this," declares Shauna McNicoll, who is chairman of the non-profit organization's first active board of directors.

McNicoll says the board would like to take much of the burden off Dr. Anderson's shoulders and establish the resource centre as a permanent part of the Native community.

"We'd like to make it an established agency so it can be here forever," she said.

Over the years, Dr. Anderson has kept the centre going with her own pension funds.

"She's had to make all the decisions herself for so long. Now we'd like to help her," says board member Judy Dumont.

"If it wasn't for her, this place wouldn't have happened," she noted.

The centre's board of directors plan to seek help from various agencies.