New Indigenous cultural centre to open in Banff
In late April, a group of officials from Indigenous Arts at the Banff Centre travelled to Mini Thni to confer with elders.
Article content
The elders, all from the Stoney Nakoda First Nation community formerly known as Morley, were to decide on a name for the Banff Centre's new building dedicated to Indigenous culture and gatherings.
Article content
'We brought, through protocol, cloth tobacco,' says Janine Windolph, director of Indigenous Arts at Banff Centre. 'That way we were asking in a good way to the elders. That was a really important part of it was the spiritual care.'
Article content
Article content
Alice Kaquitts, Charles Rabbit, Watson Kaquitts and Tina Fox, all community elders from Mini Thni, named the building Îethka Mâkochî Ahogi Chi Pa Bi Ti: Îethka Territory House of Respect.
Article content
Article content
'Part of it was to acknowledge the Stoney connection to space, but also the responsibility to practise hospitality values to other natures that gather here and that role in terms of being grounded together in respect,' says Windolph. 'The elders felt House of Respect was the best one to really understand those relations, nation to nation, and how we can hold each other in a good way.'
Article content
In May, a pipe ceremony and dinner with the elders was held in honour of them bestowing the name on the new building, which is on the side of Sacred Buffalo Guardian Mountain and housed in one of the Banff Centre's former chalets at the top of Ken Madsen path.
Article content
On Saturday, it will officially open to the public and mark a new chapter in celebrating Indigenous culture in the Banff Centre. The building will provide space for ceremonies, feasts and potlucks. There is office space for elders and staff, and it will eventually house permanent exhibitions of artwork by Indigenous artists from across Canada.
Article content
Article content
'There was a need to have more of a casual gathering space but also to acknowledge the Indigenous history and connections,' Windolph says. 'What I find important here is that they are really looking at not only understanding what the Indigenous narrative is on this site, but taking it to the point where they are embodying it and understanding it and helping to share the narrative.'
Article content
Indigenous studies have long been a part of the programming at the Banff Centre. This season, the centre is offering residencies for emerging and established Indigenous artists in fashion, video and audio production and visual arts.
Article content
'A lot of the programs are having knowledge keepers and elders as faculty,' Windolph says. 'So they are not just there to open up and pray, they are there to teach. I lot of the skills they were teaching were porcupine-quill jewelry, caribou tufting, beadwork, of course. In fashion, they were doing different ribbon work, working with hides. The idea is that people might come to the fashion program with a fashion background, but they might not have had the experience of working with elders and learning those traditional adornment techniques. Having that access in many communities is important.
Article content
'Having that access in many communities is important. Sometimes, some communities don't have an active practice that may have been part of their history. Even on a larger scale, a lot of artists come in here learning, and they have been permitted to teach these skills in their communities. What we're seeing is a revitalization of culture that starts with that learning and networking. As they go back into their community, they are teaching these skills and bringing them back.'
Article content
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
7 hours ago
- CTV News
‘Sky's the limit as long as we work together': Squamish Nation, province reach land agreement
The province and the Squamish Nation have signed an agreement that they say will guide forest stewardship in the Sea to Sky region.
Winnipeg Free Press
14 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Indigenous women celebrated at graduation gala
Victoria McIntosh clutches the graduation cap her daughter beaded for her, and the jacket she wore on the first day she attended residential school. The 66-year-old woman from Sagkeeng First Nation has just graduated from the University of Manitoba with a master's degree in education after starting university when she was 50. 'I want to say to all those survivors of the residential school, the ones that didn't make it, this is for you,' she told reporters. 'That first step is always going to be the hardest, and when you take that last step, you're going to be glad you took that first step.' MATTHEW FRANK / FREE PRESS Victoria McIntosh was one of more than 250 Indigenous women honoured by the Manitoba government Thursday during the first annual gala to celebrate graduates. McIntosh was one of more than 250 Indigenous women honoured by the Manitoba government Thursday during the first annual gala to celebrate graduates, held at a downtown hotel. The honourees included high school, college and university grads. The event was paid for by Onashowewin Inc., an Indigenous restorative justice non-profit. The cost of the event wasn't released. From her first day in a residential school, when she was four years old, McIntosh knew she wanted to be a teacher. She said she wants to use her experience to teach young people how to overcome obstacles and use their voices for change. McIntosh remembers a conversation with her mother in which she encouraged her to push through university. 'She said 'if you're going to do it, go all the way to the end of the journey,'' McIntosh said. McIntosh hopes to continue that journey by working on her PhD at the U of M. Bailee Hatch, 19, was honoured for graduating from St. John's High School in Winnipeg. She had a beaded graduation cap made by her aunt to match her green grad dress. While the actual graduation day didn't seem like a 'big deal,' she said she's happy to finish school despite having a learning disability. 'I'm glad I'm not the only Indigenous person graduating,' Hatch told reporters. She loved cooking Kraft Dinner and hot dogs as a child, which sparked her dream to become a chef. Hatch hopes to go to culinary school and eventually open a restaurant. Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine said the province wanted to honour Indigenous women who graduate because, when Indigenous women are mentioned, it's often about the harmful experiences they have endured. Their accomplishments are overlooked, she said. Wednesdays A weekly dispatch from the head of the Free Press newsroom. 'It shouldn't be lost on anybody that Manitoba is ground zero for missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirited people,' Fontaine said. 'If you want to effect change in Indigenous women's lives and in our communities, you can't always just focus on this.' Fontaine said she expects the new graduates do transformative work in the community. 'Some of them are going to become entrepreneurs. Some of them are going to become involved in politics. You can only imagine the growth of that over the next five to 10 to 20 years,' she said. 'It's really important to celebrate Indigenous women whenever we have the opportunity.'
Calgary Herald
18 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
New Indigenous cultural centre to open in Banff
In late April, a group of officials from Indigenous Arts at the Banff Centre travelled to Mini Thni to confer with elders. Article content The elders, all from the Stoney Nakoda First Nation community formerly known as Morley, were to decide on a name for the Banff Centre's new building dedicated to Indigenous culture and gatherings. Article content 'We brought, through protocol, cloth tobacco,' says Janine Windolph, director of Indigenous Arts at Banff Centre. 'That way we were asking in a good way to the elders. That was a really important part of it was the spiritual care.' Article content Article content Alice Kaquitts, Charles Rabbit, Watson Kaquitts and Tina Fox, all community elders from Mini Thni, named the building Îethka Mâkochî Ahogi Chi Pa Bi Ti: Îethka Territory House of Respect. Article content Article content 'Part of it was to acknowledge the Stoney connection to space, but also the responsibility to practise hospitality values to other natures that gather here and that role in terms of being grounded together in respect,' says Windolph. 'The elders felt House of Respect was the best one to really understand those relations, nation to nation, and how we can hold each other in a good way.' Article content In May, a pipe ceremony and dinner with the elders was held in honour of them bestowing the name on the new building, which is on the side of Sacred Buffalo Guardian Mountain and housed in one of the Banff Centre's former chalets at the top of Ken Madsen path. Article content On Saturday, it will officially open to the public and mark a new chapter in celebrating Indigenous culture in the Banff Centre. The building will provide space for ceremonies, feasts and potlucks. There is office space for elders and staff, and it will eventually house permanent exhibitions of artwork by Indigenous artists from across Canada. Article content Article content 'There was a need to have more of a casual gathering space but also to acknowledge the Indigenous history and connections,' Windolph says. 'What I find important here is that they are really looking at not only understanding what the Indigenous narrative is on this site, but taking it to the point where they are embodying it and understanding it and helping to share the narrative.' Article content Indigenous studies have long been a part of the programming at the Banff Centre. This season, the centre is offering residencies for emerging and established Indigenous artists in fashion, video and audio production and visual arts. Article content 'A lot of the programs are having knowledge keepers and elders as faculty,' Windolph says. 'So they are not just there to open up and pray, they are there to teach. I lot of the skills they were teaching were porcupine-quill jewelry, caribou tufting, beadwork, of course. In fashion, they were doing different ribbon work, working with hides. The idea is that people might come to the fashion program with a fashion background, but they might not have had the experience of working with elders and learning those traditional adornment techniques. Having that access in many communities is important. Article content 'Having that access in many communities is important. Sometimes, some communities don't have an active practice that may have been part of their history. Even on a larger scale, a lot of artists come in here learning, and they have been permitted to teach these skills in their communities. What we're seeing is a revitalization of culture that starts with that learning and networking. As they go back into their community, they are teaching these skills and bringing them back.' Article content
