What's inSight Summer 2017

Summer 2017

WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? FAMILY: BONDS AND BELONGING EXHIBITION TREASURES FOR GENERATIONS A TRANSFORMATIONAL VISION FOR YOUR MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES BREATHING LIFE INTO RECONCILIATION A SYMPOSIUM

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SUMMER 2017 FEATURE Treasures for Generations FEATURE The Heart of the Matter What’s Love Got to Do with It? Czech-Mate!

Return to Sender LEADERSHIP PROFILE Chief Ron Sam, Songhees Nation Diverse and Thriving Breathing Life into Reconciliation Thank You to All Our Supporters Thank You! Gifts to the Collections CURIOUS Living Languages: Ancestral Voices Rewriting the History of BC Families The Power of Three Natural History Field Work 2017 Finding Family in the BC Archives Standing Together New Horizons The Language of Family What’s On Calendar VOLUNTEER PROFILE Danielle Ashworth PARTNERSHIP PROFILE Peninsula Co-op A Treasure for Generations

MANAGING EDITOR Jennifer Vanderzee Marketing & Sales Manager

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MAGAZINE COORDINATOR Melissa Hogg Membership & Marketing Coordinator

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EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Erika Stenson Head of Marketing & Business Development

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Michelle van der Merwe Publisher

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Erik Lambertson Corporate Communications Manager

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Nathan Oickle 2D Graphic Designer

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Shane Lighter Photographer

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What’s inSight is an electronic magazine released four times annually, in March, June, September and December, by the Royal BC Museum.

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David Alexander Head of New Archives & Digital Preservation

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In the interest of keeping our administrative costs low—and our carbon footprint small—this print version is also provided to members in digital format at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/magazine To switch your What’s inSight subscription preference from print to digital format, please email membership@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca or call 250-387-3287.

COVER IMAGE One of a pair of Chinese canopies used in mid 20th-century Vancouver Chinatown New Year parades.

2015.67. See them in Family: Bonds and Belonging exhibition.

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Dear Friends, No one could have predicted that the museum’s collection of family albums, letters, home movies and items of personal clothing would become the centrepiece for a dramatic portrait of British Columbia. But that is exactly the case with our new exhibition—Family: Bonds and Belonging—which opened on June 2.

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Our archivists and curators have immersed themselves in the subject matter of family histories and sought out compelling narratives, recollections and oral histories about families we are born into and those we choose, bringing these together in an insightful exploration of the role family has played in shaping British Columbia and each of us.

The museum and archives' great and unseen portrait collection, photographs, costumes and very personal items, offers multiple perspectives of family as heritage, family as loss and absence, family as burden and family as a sacred and secure space. With its reflections on intimacy, trauma and celebration, language and memory, this new exhibition will expand the notion of what family is and present a broader definition.

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The design of the exhibition features a giant walk-in family album, a place for families to learn about discovering their own family histories, and a wonderful interactive space created by children for children where all generations can connect through play.

This museum is going from strength to strength. Thank you so much for your enthusiastic and consistent support.

1. Ruby Augusta Ottaway, great-grandfather Ottaway, Elizabeth Mary Ottaway.

Kamloops Museum photograph C-09349.

2. Victoria, Hindu Cremation, 1936. A-02916.

Professor Jack Lohman, CBE Chief Executive Officer, Royal BC Museum

3. An unidentified Chinese family [ca.1900].

Kamloops Museum photograph B-03895.

4. Daniel and his family at the Stony Creek Rancherie, 1905. I-67740.

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Treasures for Generations A Transformational Vision for Your Museum and Archives

By Angela Williams, COO and Deputy CEO, Archives and Museum Operations

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e have a bold vision for the future of the Royal British Columbia Museum and Archives.

We aim to position the museum and archives among the best in Canada, a leader in research, learning, conservation, stewardship of collections, curation, and exhibitions—and at the same time deliver enhanced museum and archives services to our public.

Our bold vision will be a complete transformation of the museum and archives site as we know it today and will include important upgrades, comprehensive core gallery redevelopment, reinvigorated community,

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learning and exhibition spaces. At its heart, this is a project about people and our interaction with BC’s natural biodiversity and landscapes.

The museum and archives will continue to be a hub of community connections in British Columbia, sharing our vast collections, extensive experience and learning programs in innovative and creative ways, inviting in new audiences and welcoming back old friends.

On-site, off-site and online, visitors will explore fresh perspectives and gain deeper insight into the stories that make British Columbia unique in Canada.

As a community hub, we will continue to bring together local audiences with those across BC and around the world though digital connectivity, to reflect on the big ideas and issues relevant to British Columbia and our place in the world.

The first phase of Treasures for Generations will enhance our commitment to education.

Learning is at the heart of our mission, and the Royal BC Museum will assert itself as a place where learners of all ages can access our shared history. More educational spaces within the museum and more digital platforms to allow off-site to access the collections will remove the barrier of geography for learners around the world.

As we renew our collaborations with Indigenous peoples in BC, we aim to provide a common space of encounter and negotiation, where cultural practices overlap, interact and accommodate. This space will be grounded in local values and traditions. Moving forward, it is our intention to meet Indigenous communities in spaces of mutual recognition, accommodation, representation and dialogue.

The First Peoples gallery will also undergo an important review and re-scripting.

When the gallery opened in 1977, First Nations works were usually treated as anthropological artifacts rather than as belongings of cultural significance to Indigenous peoples in British Columbia. At present, the gallery’s interpretation feels dated, and we all notice the absence of contemporary Indigenous voices.

These are the first incremental steps in a transformational journey. We are leveraging our resources, starting small and building momentum. We are on our way toward becoming a modern cultural

precinct, a hub of the community and a significant economic driver in our region: a treasure for generations.

To find out how you can support our projects, please contact Jonathan Dallison at 250-387-3283 or jdallison@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

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The Heart of the Matter A Learning Centre for the Royal BC Museum

By Scott Cooper, Vice President, Collections, Knowledge and Engagement

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ou can glean so much about a museum from the quality of its learning space.

Does the museum even have a learning space? If so, does it cater to learners of all ages and backgrounds or only to schools?

Can it accommodate more than one large group at a time? Does it inspire creativity and facilitate conversation? Is it properly equipped to reach remote learners around the world? Is it tucked away from public view or prominently placed at the heart of the museum’s activities?

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Answering these questions reveals much about the values—and leadership—of a museum, about whether it places education at the heart of its mission and about how it positions itself within the community it serves.

In recent years, learning at the Royal BC Museum has moved from the sidelines to front and centre. Programming has been restructured to support changes in the BC curriculum, and focus has shifted from providing a small number of schools with structured on-site education programs to offering inquiry-based, hands-on experiences to learners of all ages. Staff members continue to create innovative programs that nurture critical thinking and inspire active citizenship. Outreach boxes transport collections and knowledge to the furthest reaches of the province, while a Learning Portal delivers online learning to schools around the world. Learning is supported by staff across all departments and by growing numbers of volunteers from all sections of society. More people are enjoying deeper engagement with a wider range of the museum’s collections than ever before.

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And all of this has been achieved without the benefit of a dedicated learning space.

Instead the museum has made use of a single room, without windows or essential utilities, hidden away from view. We are now at the limit of what can be achieved without a facility that is fully fit for purpose.

The Royal BC Museum is now planning a state-of-the-art Learning Centre that will deliver high-quality programs to people across BC—and beyond. It will be housed in what was previously a redundant storeroom and will open directly on to the museum’s busy public plaza, placing it physically and symbolically at the heart of the institution. Glass doors will welcome visitors into a 500 square metre (5,000 square foot) double-height space flooded with natural light from all directions.

They’ll be greeted by an illuminated wall of dynamic open storage displaying an ever-changing cross-section of the museum’s diverse collections. To the right they’ll find a ‘wet’ makerspace for craftbased learning; to the left, a lounge area for informal engagement and a distinctive playspace with glazed break-out rooms beneath. Two interconnected high-tech classrooms will deliver online activities and video broadcasts to staff, students and community groups from around the world, allowing us to share knowledge and bridge cultures through reflection and debate.

Washrooms, cloakrooms and spaces for lunch will ensure that the practical needs of large groups are well catered for.

The Learning Centre will immediately enhance not only the quality but also the quantity and the reach of the programs we provide on-site, off-site and online.

The number of students reached will more than double, with significant growth in the number of BC schools that could be supported through digital classrooms.

All-age programs would be similarly transformed.

Learning is at the heart of our mission: providing an outstanding service is central

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to our values, and lifelong learning is fundamentally important to the provincewide community we serve. Creating the Learning Centre will help realize the full potential of the Royal BC Museum as an inclusive and accessible source of informal learning for every citizen of British Columbia, regardless of age, background or physical location. We hope you will support us in our endeavour.

1. Seniors from the Glenshiel Housing Society co-develop the Outreach Kit for Seniors.

2. Students from South Park Elementary School explore the Learning Portal.

3. Collections Manager Darren Copley conducts a bird dissection for a Home Learners Workshop.

4. Community partners discuss ways of creating a welcoming community. Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria photograph.

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What’s Love Got to Do with It? Family: Bonds and Belonging Exhibition

By Mairin Kerr, Communications Specialist

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amily. Does a white picket fence with a picture-perfect nuclear family come to mind? Well, kick it down. Our feature exhibition Family: Bonds and Belonging wants you to ask yourself: is family determined by blood or by choice?

We hope this exhibition surprises and delights in its presentation of the vast diversity of families in BC. Here’s a preview of some of the people you’ll meet and the objects you’ll see: Owechemis, otherwise known as Kitty White, was a Nuu-chah-nulth woman who lost track of her roots after being removed from her family as a child. Her brother

put all his love into the Nuu-chah-nulth regalia that he made for her when they reconnected in adulthood, helping her reclaim her cultural identity.

Emily Carr always felt as though she somehow didn’t belong to her birth family.

She grew up in a middle class home, but the family she built for herself was one of artists and animals. Look closely at the letters between Emily and a woman she mentored (Carol Pearson, née Williams), which Emily signed as “Mom”.

family-like, with their own cultural rules and hierarchy. Even their structures can mirror those of a family: think about how wisdom is passed down from coach to player, much as it is from parent to child.

Family elicits a sense of belonging—a feeling that can also be associated with a connection to the land. The Guichon family

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What does a soccer jersey have to do with family? Teams are families of choice—groups like these can be

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1. Ium harchitiis ab iliqui voluptatur?

2. Officillam, cone nobitatist, qui solupti

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came from France to Vancouver Island during the gold rush before moving to the mainland to start farming. The objects their lives have touched demonstrate a connection to the landscape of the Nicola Valley, where they farm and ranch to this day.

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You won’t find the answer to “what is family” in our exhibition—we hope you’ll find many answers.

1. Concept sketches for a sculptural ’family tree‘, which will be populated with photos from our archives and notes written by visitors.

2. Exhibit Fabrication Specialist Cindy Van Volsem prepares an artifact mount for a delicate woven garland.

3. Graham Frick from the exhibit fabrication shop builds out a tiered plinth that will support the exhibition’s dramatic central display.

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Czech-mate!

The Royal BC Museum Signs an Agreement with the National Museum of the Czech Republic

By Erik Lambertson, Corporate Communications Manager

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n March 20, 2017, Prof. Jack Lohman signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Royal BC Museum and the Národní Muzeum (the National Museum of the Czech Republic) in Prague.

The intent of the MOU is to foster and further an understanding of First Nations materials in both institutions’ collections—a significant step in the Royal BC Museum’s commitment to establishing a comprehensive record of First Nations artifacts held beyond BC’s borders. This landmark agreement will allow two world-leading museums to share curatorial expertise and best practices.

“This is the first stage in an ambitious plan to ‘map out’ a database of cultural treasures from British Columbia held by international museums,” said Prof. Lohman.

A similar collaborative agreement exists between the British Museum and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, and the relationship has borne significant museological fruit. Among its results is a comprehensive catalogue of the Maori taonga (artistic creations) in the British Museum’s collections.

In broad strokes, the MOU between the Royal BC Museum and Národní Muzeum reflects an agreement that the institutions

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will share professional expertise and knowledge. Together, the two institutions will develop collaborative activities; record their collections; employ digitization as a tool for sharing knowledge, understanding and awareness of the collections; and, focusing on the Pacific Northwest Coast collections, facilitate visits by Indigenous peoples, share information about cultural heritage and consider holding exhibitions and producing a joint publication.

“This partnership with the Czech National Museum is a pilot project, the first opportunity for First Nations and Royal BC Museum professionals to work together to study, catalogue and share knowledge of valuable collections held abroad,” said Prof. Lohman.

Prof. Lohman and Royal BC Museum Ethnology Curator Dr. Martha Black viewed the approximately 150 artifacts in the Národní Muzeum’s ‘Canadiana’ collection over the course of two days, starting the process of understanding and recording the collections.

The emphasis on gaining a more comprehensive understanding of the First Nations artifacts in the Národní Muzeum was particularly significant as it came just weeks before the Royal BC Museum co-hosted, with the First Peoples’ Cultural Council, a symposium on First Nations repatriation in Kelowna.

Dr. Katerina Klapstova, curator of North American collections at the Czech National Museum, and Dr. Martha Black, Royal BC Museum curator of ethnology, examine artifacts from the Czech National Museum’s collection.

Return to Sender Returning Wartime Books to China

By Erik Lambertson, Corporate Communications Manager

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n 1986, the BC Provincial Museum—now the Royal BC Museum—acquired much of the estate of David Taylor (1904–1986), the long-time owner and publisher of the Princeton Star.

Taylor led a colourful life. After working at the Vancouver Province he moved to Princeton, where he purchased the Princeton Star. But in around 1937, seeking excitement, he boarded a freighter for China.

Taylor lived and worked in Nanjing during the Japanese occupation. While his primary

occupation was reporting for various news organizations, he was also a collector, sending various “Oriental curios” back to BC. Among them was a library of books published in Manchukuo by the Japaneseowned South Manchuria Railway Company.

Taylor was in Nanjing until 1942. When he returned to Canada in 1947, Taylor resumed his career at the Princeton Star, publishing the paper until his death in 1986.

After his death, the BC Provincial Museum was invited to assess and acquire the

contents of the Princeton Star building, which Taylor had owned. Some of the materials, such as the printing press machinery and recruitment posters from the First and Second World Wars, have been added to the Royal BC Museum’s modern history collection.

But museum staff believed that his library of 328 individual books, maps and journals, all collected in and related to China, had more relevance and historical meaning for a Chinese museum. Happily, in February 2017, Royal BC Museum CEO Prof. Jack Lohman had the opportunity to return 64 publications from Taylor’s library to China. The Nanjing Library (南京图书馆) graciously accepted these repatriated books.

We celebrate this repatriation, and we are honoured by the Nanjing Library’s willingness to become part of an extraordinary chapter in BC history.

Dr. Lorne Hammond, curator of human history, and Prof. Jack Lohman, CEO, examine one of the publications before its repatriation to China.

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LEADERSHIP PROFILE

Chief Ron Sam, Songhees Nation

By Erik Lambertson, Corporate Communications Manager

Chief Sam, what are your responsibilities as chief?

I’ve been on the political team here for eight years, starting as a council member, and I’m just wrapping up my fourth year as elected chief of the Songhees Nation. We hold the same responsibilities as a mayor and council in a municipality. We’re a lot closer to our people, though, and that’s what I find most rewarding.

We oversee the political aspect of our nation. That includes business, municipal, provincial and federal relations— government-to-government meetings.

My everyday duties include being the go-to person for our nation, bringing issues forward on behalf of our people.

We’re sitting in the Songhees Wellness Centre. What can you tell me about this space?

There’s no better thing than to walk out of this boardroom and hear the laughter of the kids rolling in. It’s great to be able to have that interaction with young ones on a daily basis. It really keeps you grounded.

This building has brought a lot of us together. We used to work out of about eight different old trailers and apartments on the reserve, but now we’re all under one roof: everything from health and education to after-school care and a gym.

The after-school program is very successful. The kids come here right after school ends and head downstairs, where we have tutors to help with their 12

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homework. They do that for about an hour and then they spend the second hour up here with different people, doing programs, running and playing and burning off their energy.

Who were your role models when you were growing up?

Our late chief, Robert Sam [uncle of the current Chief Sam] was someone I looked up to. He was always involved in Indian politics, since he was a young man. I was witness to the strengths and wisdom he carried, the knowledge, the caring—not only for our family, but for First Nations people in general.

When he wasn’t working for our community he was working for organizations outside our reserve, like the Indian Brotherhood and the Assembly of First Nations. Starting way back, he was on the road to reconciliation, reaching out to our municipal neighbours.

When I first got on council he was our chief.

I was able to spend time under his wing, travelling with him, going to government meetings and really seeing who he was.

When he decided not to run again as our chief, he supported me. He passed away before I was elected chief, which was a little heartbreaking for me.

You know, in the Sam family we’re all kind of short. He was not a big man, but I saw how well he was respected by people we worked with. He was a small man, but with a big heart and a big voice.

My mom was a role model for me, too. It was the way she carried herself and the

way she made sure we did our homework and went to school.

Then there are our elders. They’re the ones that really set direction. They’re the ones that really fought hard for where they’re at, and where we’re at. The door is never closed to our elders. If they want to talk to me, I make that time. They carry on the knowledge of those elders who are gone. There’s a continuation of sharing knowledge.

Did any other life experiences shape how you were going to lead as chief?

I grew up as an athlete, playing soccer and rugby, so being a team player was always important.

One major life experience that influenced me was the stand-off at Bear Mountain.

I was our nation’s representative on the whole Bear Mountain fiasco. I’m quite proud that we made that stand, because some of the most significant inland archaeological sites were found there.

I was the go-between in the stand-off, making sure what we wanted protected was protected. It was a fine line to walk, but at the end I gained the respect of the

main people up there. We managed to get them to come around and respect what the land held.

Are there any messages you’d like to convey to the youth of your community?

I have a young son, 13 years old, so I think of the youth a lot. I have a lot of interaction with our kids, and I try to convey to them that life may seem hard, but I believe it’s hard because it makes us better and who we are. I encourage our youth to never give up. I encourage them to reach for what they believe in and what they want to be.

It’s how you pick yourself up and move on from those mistakes.

And I tell them to support each other.

That’s what we, council, are here for. We’re a political body—but we’re also family.

Family leans on family and our successes and failures are everybody’s.

That’s why I’m so honoured and glad to be in this role.

Chief Sam, thank you very much.

Chief Ron Sam of the Songhees Nation.

Songhees Nation photograph.

I always encourage them to do their best every day. You’re not always going to do your best, and it’s okay to make mistakes.

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Diverse and Thriving Celebrate Indigenous Cultures, June 16 to 18, 2017

By Paul Amos, Director of Partnerships and Corporate Initiatives, Aboriginal Tourism BC

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his summer, locals and visitors alike are invited to kick off the festival season with the celebration of National Aboriginal Day at an engaging all-ages cultural weekend packed with authentic festivities.

From June 16 to 18, between 11:00 am and 6:00 pm, the Victoria Aboriginal Cultural Festival will honour and showcase the rich arts and cultures of Indigenous peoples.

The event is free, and the public is welcome to participate in immersive culinary experiences, meet First Nations artisans and experience live shows bursting with pride and enthusiasm. Adding to the excitement this year are special guests from Maori performing arts group He Waka Kōtuia, who will travel all the way from New Zealand to perform exclusively at the festival.

Organized by the Aboriginal Tourism Association of BC (AtBC) in partnership with the Songhees and Esquimalt nations, the Royal BC Museum, Tourism Victoria, the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority and the University of Victoria, these National Aboriginal Day celebrations take place on the Royal BC Museum grounds. This year’s program features more than 100 performers from across BC and around the world, who will tell their compelling stories in a multitude of ways, from song and dance to educational tours. Visitors won’t want to miss the mesmerizing athletics of three-time world champion hoop dancer Alex Wells, who comes from the Lil’wat Nation and performs as a guest of the Songhees and Esquimalt nations. Other must-do activities include browsing beautiful wares at the Indigenous Arts Marketplace, observing a traditional smudge ceremony, joining an

educational tour centred on the history of totems, and indulging in tantalizing treats like fry-bread, barbecued sockeye salmon and West Coast clam chowder from the Songhees Seafood and Steam food truck at the outdoor dining area.

Performers and artisans participating in National Aboriginal Day at the Royal BC Museum come from Coast Salish, Nuuchah-nulth and Kwakwaka’wakw nations, as well as many others. The festival is held in traditional Esquimalt and Songhees territories, and each day begins with a welcome from the host nations. You can view the full program and plan your cultural experience at aboriginalbc.com/yyj and follow the conversation on social media through #YYJAboriginalFest.

Guests attending the event are encouraged to visit the Royal BC Museum’s extensive First Peoples gallery to learn more about First Nations history in BC. The museum’s collection of photographs, films, recordings and objects represent 10,000 years of history, collectively showcasing the diversity and resilience of Indigenous peoples throughout the province. Check the museum website for details at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.

See next page for schedule.

1. Alex Wells, Lil’wat Nation, three-time world champion hoop dancer.

2. Lekwungen Dancers, Traditional Dancers’ performance.

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ABORIGINAL CULTURAL FESTIVAL 2017 FRIDAY, JUNE 16

SATURDAY, JUNE 17

SUNDAY, JUNE 18

10:30 am Canoe crossing protocol welcome

at Commonwealth Corner

11:00 am Festival and Artisans’

Village opening

11:00 am Festival and Artisans’

Village opening

11:00 am Canoe protocol procession to

Festival Stage

11:00 am Smudge ceremony with

Frank Antoine (Bonaparte Nation)

11:00 am Smudge ceremony with

Frank Antoine (Bonaparte Nation)

11:00 am Artisans’ Village opening

11:15 am Wawadit’ła and totem tour with

Andy Everson (K’ómoks Nation)

11:15 am Wawadit’ła and totem tour with

Andy Everson (K’ómoks Nation)

MAIN STAGE PERFORMANCES

MAIN STAGE PERFORMANCES

12:00 pm Host Nations’ Welcome

Lekwungen Traditional Dancers

(Songhees Nation)

Esquimalt Singers and Dancers

(Esquimalt Nation)

12:00 pm Host nations’ welcome

Lekwungen Traditional Dancers

(Songhees Nation)

Esquimalt Singers and Dancers

(Esquimalt Nation)

1:00 pm Le-La-La Dancers (Kwakwaka’wakw Nation)

1:00 pm Le-La-La Dancers (Kwakwaka’wakw Nation)

2:00 pm Alex Wells, three-time world

champion hoop dancer

(Lil’wat Nation)

2:00 pm Git Hayetsk Dancers (Haida,

Haisla, Tahltan, Tlingit, Lil’wat

and Musqueam Nations)

3:00 pm He Waka Kōtuia Dancers (Māori)

3:00 pm He Waka Kōtuia Dancers (Māori, New Zealand)

11:30 am Festival official opening

Acknowledgement and

introduction of partners

and dignitaries MAIN STAGE PERFORMANCES 12:00 pm Host nations’ welcome

Lekwungen Traditional Dancers

(Songhees Nation)

Esquimalt Singers and Dancers

(Esquimalt Nation) 1:00 pm Le-La-La Dancers (Kwakwaka’wakw Nation) 2:00 pm Hoomis Dancers

(Nuu-chah-nulth Nation) 3:00 pm He Waka Kōtuia Dancers (Māori)

4:00 pm Le-La-La Dancers (Kwakwaka’wakw Nation)

4:00 pm Alex Wells, three-time world

champion hoop dancer

(Lil’wat Nation)

5:00 pm Alex Wells, three-time world

champion hoop dancer

(Lil’wat Nation)

5:00 pm Hoomis Dancers

(Nuu-chah-nulth Nation) In partnership with Aboriginal Tourism BC

4:00 pm Alex Wells, three-time world

champion hoop dancer

(Lil’wat Nation) 5:00 pm Git Hayetsk Dancers

(Haida, Haisla, Tahltan, Tlingit,

Lil’wat and Musqueam Nations) Indigenous cuisine provided by the Songhees Seafood & Steam food truck 11:00 am – 5:00 pm daily Esquimalt Dancers performing.

*Schedule subject to change. For up-to-date information see the 2016 Aboriginal Cultural Festival website at aboriginalbc.com/victoria-aboriginal-festival/

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Breathing Life into Reconciliation Indigenous Perspectives on Repatriation: A Symposium

By Sebastian Irvine, Special Projects Advisor

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n March 2017, Indigenous scholars, museum professionals and community leaders gathered in Kelowna, BC, for a symposium on repatriation of cultural belongings, ancestral remains and intangible heritage. The goal was to discuss past repatriation efforts and determine what steps need to be taken to advance this important conversation.

The symposium, organized by the Royal BC Museum in partnership with the First Peoples’ Cultural Council, was entitled Indigenous Perspectives on Repatriation: Moving Forward Together. It was opened by Grand Chief Stewart Philip of the Okanagan Nation Alliance, who requested that all those in attendance “breathe life into the notions of reconciliation” and said that they must follow through on this with concrete action—words that would return again and again as a continuing theme throughout the symposium.

First Nations leaders, scholars and artists from across the province spoke powerfully on the urgent need for repatriation and the strong partnerships that the process can

build between museums and Indigenous peoples. More than 40 presenters spoke during the two days of the symposium, among them Nika Collison, curator of the Haida Gwaii Museum; Dianne Hinkley, lands research director of Cowichan Tribes; Elder Vern Jacks of Tseycum First Nation; and Chief Roxanne Lindley of Westbank First Nation. Their presentations attested to the value of repatriation not only for their communities but also for the museums and cultural institutions that they partnered with.

Among the international experts who spoke were Jackie Swift, repatriation manager at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian; Dr. Wojciech Kowalski, the Polish government’s Ambassador for the Restitution of Cultural Goods; Rick West of the Autry Museum of the American West; and Aroha Mead from the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

Presenters touched on a broad range of issues, illustrating how repatriation is connected with questions of selfdetermination, Indigenous language

revitalisation, archaeology and reconciliation. From the two days of presentations and discussions, there emerged a sense that museums and First Nations must continue to work collaboratively towards repatriation, and that in this way cultural institutions can play a leading role in the work of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

In response to the powerful calls for action heard throughout the symposium, Royal BC Museum CEO Professor Jack Lohman offered these closing words: "This subject is huge, and as many speakers have pointed out, it’s complex and very emotional. There is a sense that we need to cut through obstacles from our side, to cut through the museum red tape and to progress urgent repatriation. I promise you that we will work tirelessly to achieve this."

1. Heiltsuk First Nation Hereditary Chief Harvey Humchitt speaks about his community’s repatriation initiatives.

2. Syilx dancers welcome delegates at reception hosted by Westbank First Nation and the Okanagan Nation Alliance.

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THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS

April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017

schools across the province. We continued our travelling exhibition Species at Risk, visiting 10 new locations, and engaged in community consultations that will help guide us as we refresh our core galleries.

On October 25, we celebrated our 130th anniversary in our refreshed Newcombe Conference Hall. This revitalized space is now a much more welcoming and effective community hub and is already humming with activity. But the Newcombe Conference Hall refresh is just the beginning. With supporters’ help, we plan to create an all-new Learning Centre that will double on-site participation in learning programs and dramatically enhance engagement with our collections and expertise (see article, page 6).

Please join us in thanking our generous supporters for their invaluable contributions to our work during the past fiscal year.

Together, we are building the future of the Royal BC Museum.

$500,000+ Province of British Columbia

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he Royal BC Museum greatly appreciates the ongoing support of the province of British Columbia, the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development and the Royal BC Museum Foundation. Their support makes our work possible.

Increasingly, we rely on donations, grants and sponsorships to help us do our work.

This past year, thanks in part to our generous supporters, we have been able to digitize approximately a 100,000 new

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images, increasing online access to our collection. We have continued to conduct significant research into both human history and natural history—research that we were able to share with our Francis Kermode Group patrons and our Affinity Members for the first time at Research Day this past March. We animated our famous Woolly mammoth for our visitors with a new augmented reality feature.

We added eight new education kits to our outreach box program, which is used by

$100,000 – $499,999 CHEK Media Global BC/Shaw Media Inc. Rogers Media Royal BC Museum Foundation

$25,000 – $99,999 BC Transit Corporation Francis Kermode Group Government of Canada – gouvernement du Canada Helijet John and Joan Walton Innovators Fund Lamar Advertising Company North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) Pattison Outdoor Advertising Sunset Magazine Times Colonist Tourism Victoria Truffles Catering W. Garfield Weston Foundation

$5,000 – $24,999 Andrew Mahon Foundation Audain Foundation Black Ball Ferry Line Butterfly Gardens Canadian Museums Association Joyce Clearihue CTV Vancouver Island Decorate Victoria Terry and Leslie Farmer Franny’s Cultured Cow Products Ltd. IMAX Victoria Jim Pattison Broadcast Group Jim Pattison Foundation Audrey Johnson Elizabeth Kennedy Lynne and Gerry Kennedy Lyall and Susan Knott Robert Lashin Ron and May Lou-Poy Manson Family Newcap Radio Gwendolyn Page Peninsula Co-op Quality Foods Robert and Devi Jawl Foundation Telus Tricom Canada Vancity Jack and Bev Wallace John Walton

$1,000 – $4,999 Eric and Leonda Adler Patrick and Anne Anderson Anonymous (4) Robert and Birgit Bateman Jocelyn Braithwaite Gary and Susan Braley Cedric Steele Realty Ltd. Clipper Vacations Daphne Corbett Carol Cullimore Digital Direct Derek Ellis Robert and Marianne Eng Friends of the BC Archives Jim Haggart Hotel Grand Pacific Immediate Images

Island Parent Group Barbara Kaminsky Karl Kuchnow Professor Jack Lohman CBE Julie Mathews and David Schneider Tracey Mellor Jim and Isabel Merston Monk Office David and Dixie Obee Stefan and Magdalena Opalski Tom Osaki Pacific Coastal Airlines Paladin Security Mary Ann and G. Peter A. Pollen Barbara Potash Provincial Employees Community Services Fund Pauline Rafferty and Bob Plecas Matthew Rainsberry Melissa Sands and Robert Kiddell Terry Segarty Pete Seward Sharon Smith Anthony and Darlene Southwell David Starr Kiirsten Suurkask Ukrainian Canadian Cultural Society of Vancouver Island University of Victoria Continuing Studies Victoria Airport Authority Victoria Conference Centre Angela Williams David Zussman and Sheridan Scott

$500 – $999 Michael Albrechtson Heidi Dale-Johnson and Kareem Allam Anonymous BC Ferries

J. Roger and Mavis Begg Michael and Sirpa Bell Jeff Bray Helen Buck Paula Carey and Nick Wemyss William and Jean Cave Lily Chow Kelly and Rose Chu Mavis DeGirolamo Fernand and Suzanne Ellyin Barbara Fields Mir Huculak Nataliya Jatskevich Joan Laharty Erik Lythgoe McIndoe Family Foundation Fund at the Calgary Foundation Susan K. McMillan in memory of David H. McMillan Theresa McMillan C.N. and M.J. Moser John and Fern Spring Mark and Elizabeth Taylor Betty Thacker Alan Tompson in memory of Anne Tompson Ukrainian Community Society of Ivan Franko Angela and Gerald Wesley Every effort has been made to ensure our supporters are recognized accurately. If you notice an error, please call the Royal BC Museum’s Fundraising and Development Department at 250-387-7222. Thank you!

FEELING INSPIRED TO ADD YOUR SUPPORT? To make a donation or bequest to the Royal BC Museum, please contact Jonathan Dallison at 250-387-3283 or jdallison@royalbcmusuem.bc.ca.

Thank you!

royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 19

THANK YOU!

GIFTS TO THE COLLECTIONS April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017 Throughout the year the Royal BC Museum and Archives accepts into its permanent collections documents, images, objects and specimens of significance to the province’s human and natural histories. Through the generosity of donors near and far, we are granted the opportunity to care for the enduring legacy of these important acquisitions for generations to come.

We value and respect the opportunities to work with individuals and organizations that each donation offers. Taken together, our diverse collections provide the context for an understanding of what was and what is British Columbia. These donations initiate a process that enables preservation, research, exhibition, learning and public programs as well as collaborations and other projects.

Our team of specialists recognize that it is the people connected to our province who enrich us and our many visitors through their generosity. Thank you to all who have contributed to the collections of the Royal BC Museum.

If you’d like to know more about donating to the provincial collection, please do not hesitate to email us at registrar@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca Sincerely, Caroline Posynick and Paul Ferguson

Archipelago Marine Research Ltd. Graham Beard David Blades Estate of David J. Blair Tom Bown Marian Kovalick Brown Lee Ann Bryant Judy Burgess Patricia Burns Canadian Sablefish Association R.J. Cannings Rob Cannings and Joan Kerik Alice Chang Darren R. Copley James A. Cosgrove Jeannie D. Cosgrove Ian Cruickshanck Cory and Robin Denis Department of Fisheries and Oceans Patrick Dunae Clara Eberts Terry Erskine In memory of Mrs. Grace Faulds 20

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Diane Fraser James A. Gerry Kim Gough Raymond Graham Balbir Gurm Doug Hammond Lorne and Monica Hammond Gavin Hanke Chris Heaman Jennifer Heron Genevieve Hill Mary Hill Dave Holden Jessica Holden Carrie Human Gord Hutchings Integrated Ecological Research InTent City Camp Council Mrs. M. James Ross Edwin Johnson Justice Institute of British Columbia Grant Keddie David Ker

Norma Kerby Staffan Lindgren Frank Lomer Wyatt Maddox M.A. Susan Marles Melvin and Peggy Massey Family of Sir Richard McBride Marilyn J. McCurrach Sandy McLachlan Linda Michaluk Ministry of Agriculture Ministry of Environment Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Sandy Munns Ryan Ogilvie Alima Ouattara Kristiina Ovaska Parks Canada John A. Pearkes Oliver Peter Antony Porcino and Tom Graff Provincial Council of Women BC Mary V. Rambold Clio Reid Hans Roemer Rick Ross Betty Anne Russell Saanich Police Department Jay Sherwood Liam Singh Alexandra Diane Springford Thomas Stark Logan Stewart Daphne N.B. Stevens (née Chambers) Olivia Thornburn Yaroslava Gloria Tatarniuk Transportation Authority Police Service Les Underwood University of Victoria Jean Vantreight Colleen Wilson Phyllis Young

CURIOUS

Living Languages: Ancestral Voices

By T’łat’łakuł (Trish Rosborough), Curious contributor

C

urious is an online publication and app which collects essays, research, archival items and photography from curators, archivists and other experts at the Royal BC Museum. Each issue of Curious engages with a particular theme that is important to British Columbia residents and visitors.

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In this issue, members of First Nations in British Columbia join Royal BC Museum staff to explore themes of belonging, self-discovery and community.

A member of the Kwaguł Nation on Vancouver Island, T’łat’łakuł (Trish Rosborough) is an assistant professor of Indigenous education at the University of Victoria. She teaches and researches in the field of Indigenous language revitalization and is currently learning her mother’s first language, Kwak’wala.

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This is an excerpt from her article: On my first visit to the Our Living Languages exhibition, I was curious to see how the Royal BC Museum would tell the stories of the languages that are Indigenous to these lands. As a professor of Indigenous education I have the privilege of teaching in programs with people who are revitalizing their endangered languages and who are working to develop new generations of speakers who are able to teach their languages in their communities. I am from the Kwaguł Nation and am an adult language learner of my mother’s first language, Kwak’wala. Like other Indigenous languages, the generational transmission of Kwak’wala has been disrupted. My late mother was born into a time when Indigenous children were punished for speaking their language in school. I am now working hard to recover Kwak’wala in my own life.

Because of my passion for Indigenous language revitalization, both personally and

professionally, I have a special interest in the languages exhibition.

On my first visit to the exhibition, I entered through the “language forest” stopping to listen to each of the distinct languages that live in the territories now known as BC. Each time I visit the exhibition I enjoy hearing the greetings in the languages of the people with whom I have worked and the territories I have visited. Every one of the Indigenous languages in BC is considered to be endangered and to hear them spoken is a reminder of the rich linguistic diversity that communities are working hard to sustain and revitalize.

Explore ancestral voices with T’łat’łakuł, and discover other Curious articles online at curious.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.

1. Storytellers and Language Keepers, Jaalen Edenshaw, Haida, 2014. An art commission for Our Living Languages.

2. View of the entrance to the “language forest” in the Our Living Languages exhibition.

royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 21

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Rewriting the History of BC Families

By Chrystal Phan, Major Gifts Manager

n honour of Canada’s 150th, the CBC asked Canadians to tell a story about what defines them. Take a look at their collection and you will be bombarded with images of flag-waving crowds and stories about outdoor hockey rinks—strong staples of Canadian identity. By celebrating this anniversary we celebrate our citizenship, a shared identity that makes each of us part of one big happy family, right?

I

"[Little Mosque on the Prairie] has shown viewers that despite our funny bowing at prayer and our asalam u alikum exchanges, we aren’t that much different from them.

We love, we laugh, we have families and we have the problems of any family. A girl’s choice as a teenager not to wear the hijab is treated as equally 'right' as the woman who does wear one."

Well, it depends on who you ask.

Through the concept of family we can find common ground to bind us in times where significant immigration and social change test the durability of Canadian identity, an identity that can no longer rely on a shared history—largely European, nuclear, patriarchal and heterosexual—as its foundation. Change is slowly chipping away at this prevailing narrative, but it is our duty to help it along.

When actor Zaib Shaikh (of Little Mosque on the Prairie fame) delivered a keynote address to the Association of Progressive Muslims in Canada, he recognized the challenges that Canadians need to overcome as we learn how to piece together the tiles of our changing cultural mosaic. He described his show as instrumental in building a bridge of understanding between Canadian Muslims and the rest of Canada through the idea of ‘family’: 22

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Family: Bonds and Belonging challenges us to break away from these narrow definitions and emerge invigorated by a more complex understanding of family—one that all

Canadians can relate to. The exhibition gives voice to families who have never before had an official platform to represent BC identity and history. It allows us to recognize how family can be defined and legitimized not only through legal rights but through love and relationships—through kinship and clan. We see too how family, as remembered through stories of separation, can signify dislocation, exile, diaspora, isolation and discrimination.

British Columbia is Canada’s most ethnically diverse province and, in Family: Bonds and Belonging, we strive to capture these stories in ways that reflect our diversity. The early 20th-century photo albums of the Dunsmuir family, which document a legacy extending from influential industrialist Robert Dunsmuir to modern philanthropist Michael Audain; the personal correspondence of H.Y. Louie, who found success in business at a time when discrimination against Chinese Canadians was rife, and who imparted his entrepreneurial

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acumen to his descendants who continue to expand the family-run H.Y. Louie Company Limited—these objects convey the sense of continuity that family can offer us: the importance of remembering and preserving our histories for those yet to come. The late Guoquan Peng’s paintings express the way modern families come apart and gather together, extending across the globe and across the table, while the suits worn by the first same-sex couple to legally marry in BC pinpoint in memory a moment of radical change in the social and legal landscape of our province.

We all connect to the burdens, pain, duty, love and joy of our family relationships on a human scale—material objects activate our memories in a truly unique way. The objects chosen for this exhibition rewrite the script on what it means to be a Canadian family; at the very least, they stir us into conversation and debate. As the voices of British Columbians grow louder and more diverse through social and political action, museums have an increasing responsibility to legitimize and respond to the cultural shifts in our human history.

The Royal BC Museum was founded in 1886, but it was not until the 1960s that the human history collection began to evolve, mainly through the efforts of people like you. Our donors are often the families of fondly remembered relatives or individuals looking for a safe place for heirlooms of significant personal or historical value.

Many gaps remain, but we are committed to this iterative process—one that requires all of us to take part.

1. Family captured through photography. Dunsmuir albums give context to the lives of early immigrants.

2. Letter from H.Y. Louie to his third son Bill/Bew, March 30, 1934. Courtesy of H.Y. Louie Company Limited.

3. The Louie brothers Ernie, Willis and John, taking a break from warehouse duties to go fishing with John Lowe, 1941. Courtesy of H.Y. Louie Company Limited.

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Royal Museum Shop Intriguing and Unique

Your purchases support the Royal BC Museum.

No Admission Required.

Royal BC Museum members and IMAX season pass holders receive 10% off all purchases.

Use coupon code: member shop.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/ Shop hours 10:00 am – 5:00 pm daily Tel 250-356-0505 Find us on Facebook and Instagram!

royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 23

The Power of Three Canada C3—Coast to Coast to Coast Partnership

By Janet MacDonald, Head of Learning

W

hether you’re a mathematician, a marketer, an artist, a Celtic spiritualist or even a fan of Doctor Who–there’s no denying the power of three.

In celebration of the 150th anniversary of Canada’s confederation, the Students on Ice Foundation is launching a cross-Canada initiative called Canada C3. The centerpiece of this national outreach program will be “an epic 150-day expedition from Toronto to Victoria via the Northwest Passage.” Its aim is to “connect Canadians from coast to coast to coast and inspire a deeper understanding of our land, our peoples and the past, present and future of our country.”

Connecting Canadians through Community Hubs To realize this vision, Students on Ice, in partnership with the Alliance of Natural History Museums of Canada [ANHMC] and the Canadian Museum of Nature, has initiated a ‘community hub’ program with outposts in every province and territory

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across the country. At every hub, Canadians can follow the research vessel’s journey and learn about the people and places that unify and distinguish Canada’s three coasts. An active member of ANHMC, the Royal BC Museum is one of many natural history museums and cultural institutions stepping up as a host.

coastal regions. C3 updates will remain a core component throughout, but there will also be a succession of fresh content that highlights the interdisciplinary nature of behind-the-scenes work here at the museum. Both curators will join the vessel as scientific experts as it travels down the BC coast. In October, we can all watch their journey in real time.

From early May until the end of October, our hub will provide a variety of opportunities to engage with the journey, including a touch screen interactive map, live videos, weekly chats with scientists on board the research vessel, virtual reality equipment to provide an immersive experience, and access to an abundance of educational, scientific and cultural content developed during the C3 voyage.

C3 resources and materials will be incorporated dynamically into our summer camp programs and special events this year.

A Learning Lab school program beginning this fall will focus on marine ecosystems while the research vessel is in BC waters, while virtual classroom events, delivered in partnership with C3 and the National Film Board, will broaden our digital field trip complement.

We wanted the hub location to be accessible to everyone, and we agreed that the Pocket Gallery on the main floor was a perfect place to showcase the collaboration. To this end, both Dr. Henry Choong, curator of invertebrate zoology, and Dr. Joel Gibson, curator of entomology, will be developing exhibitions that focus on their fields of study, incorporating relevant research from BC’s

Consider this a six-month invitation to drop by: visit our community hub, enroll your kids in programs that explore our coastal splendours, and connect with Canadians across the country during a coast-to-coastto-coast celebration.

Lee Narraway photograph.

Natural History Field Work 2017

By Dr. Joel Gibson, Curator Entomology

S

ummer means warm weather—but for researchers interested in the natural biodiversity of BC, it also means field season.

This summer will be no exception: Royal BC Museum’s curators, collection managers and research associates will travel the province conducting research, adding to the museum’s natural history collections and meeting with the people of BC. In August, Dr. Henry Choong, curator of marine invertebrates, will be part of a team of scientists participating in the Smithsonian-led MarineGEO program—an intensive two-week biodiversity survey in the vicinity of Calvert Island on BC’s central coast, conducted in partnership with the Hakai Institute, local First Nations and affiliate researchers from the region. One of its aims is the documentation of recovering sea-floor communities on rocky reefs where Sea Otters once lived and the associated shifts in other marine ecosystems.

The Royal BC Museum is also building unique world-class collections of alpine plants, insects and spiders through field expeditions to remote mountains in BC. These collections, with their outstanding breadth and depth, represent an exceptional asset for the museum and are of national and global importance in documenting the flora and fauna of BC. In June and July 2017, Royal BC Museum botanists Dr. Ken Marr, Dr. Erica Wheeler and Dr. Richard Hebda, alongside entomologists Claudia Copley, Darren Copley and Dr. Robb Bennett, will collect in northwestern BC, partnering with Atlin Provincial Park. They have also been invited to collect in Kluane National Park, in the southwestern Yukon, as part of Bioblitz Canada 150. This region, at the crossroads between North America and Asia, is under-represented in our collections.

The northeast of the province will also feature in our summer plans. In mid-June, Dr. Ken Marr, curator of botany, will offer a plant ID workshop in Fort St. John, where he will also be collecting plants. In early July, I will give a seminar, participate in community discussions, and collect insects and spiders in Fort Nelson.

Dr. Richard Hebda, curator of botany and earth history, will be investigating fossil pollen and magnetic signals in sediment north of Sooke. There will also be bioblitzes taking place all over the province throughout the spring and summer. The museum will be represented at Parks

Canada events in Pacific Rim National Park, Fort Rodd Hill National Park and the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve (Pender Island). Community-led bioblitzes at Government House, on Galiano Island and on Valdes Island will also include Royal BC Museum staff members.

All in all, it looks to be an action-packed summer for our Royal BC Museum natural history team!

royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 25

Finding Family in the BC Archives Curious Beginner and Seasoned Genealogist Resources

By Genevieve Weber, Archivist

F

amilies. Loving or feuding, close or distant, conventional or unconventional, they’re something we all have in one form or another—and often can’t avoid. But what do we really know about our families? For many people, family history goes back one or two generations at most. But as any dedicated genealogist will tell you, your roots run deep, and they often have fascinating stories to tell—if you’re willing to dig them up.

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This year, to coincide with the Family: Bonds and Belonging exhibition, the BC Archives is hosting a number of events focusing on researching your family history and building on the information you gather. A Live @ Lunch talk in May kicks off our series with a broad overview of the resources we have in our reference room. If you’re brand new to family research, or if it’s been a while since you’ve been into the reference room, this is a great chance to refresh your memory and feel inspired.

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For a more in-depth introduction to conducting family research, the BC Archives will be hosting a three-workshop series in partnership with the Greater Victoria Public Library. The first workshop—held in the archives reference room—will delve deeper into our genealogy databases and demonstrate the skills needed to get started on building your family tree.

Participants will leave feeling confident about using the archives, databases and equipment they’ll need to continue their research.

In August, spend some time with the ‘black sheep’ in your family. Do you have an ancestor who went to prison? Or perhaps there was a mysterious death in the family tree? Court records, police records, hospital patient files 26

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and coroner’s reports are an excellent source of information, often providing details that are hard to find elsewhere. Many of these records are restricted, which often discourages researchers from requesting them. This workshop will guide you through the process of requesting access to these records.

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For the third and final workshop, head over to the Greater Victoria Public Library to learn about writing your family story. Experienced genealogists will discuss how to turn your research into something that can be shared with others. Take the opportunity to explore the library’s local history room, too!

For more information, see our calendar of events.

1. William Ketlo and family, Nechako Road.

G-03878.

2. Pioneer medallion application forms.

Series GR-1490.

3. Lee Mong Kow family. F-08202.

TF8 – ©Gail Harvey A travelling exhibition organized by the Canadian Museum of History, in partnership with the Terry Fox Centre.

EXHIBITION OPEN

APRIL 12 ­– OCTOBER 1

GET TICKETS AT RBCM.CA/TERRYFOX

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Standing Together Tribal Journeys 2017

By Jodi Simkin, Executive Director, Nuyumbalees Cultural Centre

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n the days before the arrival of settlers in British Columbia, the sight of traditional dugout canoes on the water would have been familiar. As the primary means of transporting people and goods, the canoes connected communities and relations. Today, however, as canoe families from throughout the coastal corridor begin preparations for their journey to the We Wai Kai (Cape Mudge) and Wei Wai Kum (Campbell River) nations, things are somewhat different.

For more than 25 years, Tribal Journeys has worked to rejuvenate canoe culture along the west coast of North America, from Alaska to California. Pullers of all ages participate, retracing the steps of the ancestors who travelled before them. For some, it is a journey of exploration, connecting them to the water, land, sky and one another in ways unimaginable to most. For others, many of whom are residential school survivors, it is a journey of health and healing—an opportunity to work towards reconciliation.

An estimated 100 canoes will arrive at Quadra Island on Saturday, August 5. They will be met by We Wai Kai leaders, who will welcome them ashore and, in the tradition of the ancestors, will offer a great feast in their 28

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honour. The public, who play an important role as witness to the ceremonies, are not just welcome but encouraged to attend. After two-and-a-half days the canoes will move to Campbell River Spit, where they will be welcomed by leadership of the Wei Wai Kum Nation and another community feast will be held—again, all are welcome. Daily protocol ceremonies, which take place throughout the six-day event, are also open to the public.

Thousands of spectators will follow the canoes as they journey to our territories, and we hope that you will be among them. To

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learn more about Standing Together – Tribal Journeys 2017 and how you can participate, please visit tribaljourneys2017.com or contact organizers at Nuyumbalees Cultural Centre in the village of Cape Mudge at 250-285-3733.

We look forward to welcoming you to our shores. Gilakasla!

1. Tribal Journey canoes enjoy a west coast sunset.

2. Tribal Journey canoes en route to Bella Bella, 2014.

New Horizons Travelling the Province with Species at Risk

By Kim Gough, Learning Program Developer

T

he Royal BC Museum’s travelling exhibition Species at Risk will be turning three this year—and what better way to celebrate than to head out for our longest road trip yet.

We hope to cover a lot of ground, from the

In 2015 our customized teardrop trailer visited the Okanagan and, in 2016, it headed for the Kootenays. In the summer of 2017 it’s bound for the Peace River district in the far northeast of the province. Our travelling interpreters look forward to sharing information and engaging with locals to learn more about species and environments at risk of going extinct or becoming extirpated.

75th anniversary celebrations and making

signpost forest in Watson Lake, Yukon, to the town of Mackenzie on Williston Lake. We’ll drive the Alaska Highway, taking part in its detours along the way to attend local events, visit communities, mingle with tourists and take in the spectacular scenery of the region’s

provincial parks. Why not come along with us?

You can follow our Twitter account @RBCMspeciesatrisk for photos and updates from the road, and you can find our schedule online at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/visit/ exhibitions/species-risk Visitors and interpreters dig into the hands-on Mini-Museums.

As always, we’re taking four Mini-Museums on the road with us. These hands-on exhibits will feature species at risk unique to BC’s northeast. When our trip ends, we’ll leave the Mini-Museums behind to be used by local schools and libraries.

Wonder Weekend The museum comes alive with family-themed activities in and out of the galleries. Enjoy mulit-cultural performances, create art, take part in our annual Penny Carnival and learn more about the diverse communities of families in BC.

July 1 and 2 | 11:00–3:00 pm

Learn more at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/canadaday BC Archives D08051

The Language of Family Stories of Bonds and Belonging

By Michelle van der Merwe, Publisher

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What does a book about family look like when everyone’s idea of family is different?

This was the question we had to answer when tasked with creating a book that explores this concept—the Royal BC Museum and Archives’ contribution to the celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary.

One thing was clear—you can’t just tell people what ‘family’ is. We needed to speak to people both inside and outside the museum and find out what family means to them. So we did just that.

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We invited museum curators, cultural luminaries, writers, poets and thinkers young and old, from First Nations, LGBTQ, Indo-Canadian and Japanese Canadian communities, among others, to add their voices to the conversation in The Language of Family. The response was overwhelmingly positive and their informative and inspiring words, along with archival and modern imagery, have built this provocative collection of poems, essays and personal narratives.

NEW PUBLICATION What does [family] mean to us in a historical context as individuals, as a province and as a country, and what does it mean to us today?

Those were the questions posed in the invitation and the responses were as varied as the people who wrote them, but they are all connected through the thematic threads of growth and change, gatherings, generations and belonging—to both place and people.

How would you answer those questions? What is family? I know that your answer would differ from mine. Each of us defines family in different ways based on our own life experiences and emotional attachments: who we are, where we are and where we come from—both physically and metaphorically. Is family defined by blood and birth? Or can we invite anyone into that intimate embrace?

~ From the Preface

The Royal BC Museum’s new book, The Language of Family: Stories of Bonds and Belonging, invites readers to pull up a guest chair at the family table. Twenty contributors from across British Columbia share their vastly differing perspectives on what family means in this superb collection, which will likely provoke, tease, enlighten and infuriate. Isn’t that what family does best?

Mr. and Mrs. McBride with Lawrence and Gertrude Guichon in Stanley Park, ca. 1912.

G-03093.

STORIES, POEMS AND ESSAYS BY Sadhu Binning, Martha Black, Don Bourdon, Kathryn Bridge, Tzu-I Chung, Shushma Datt, Mo Dhaliwal, Zoé Duhaime, barbara findlay, Lynn Greenhough, Judith Guichon, Lorne Hammond, Joy Kogawa, Patrick Lane, Jack Lohman, Luke Marston, Bev Sellars, Monique Gray Smith, Ann-Bernice Thomas and Larry Wong Available online, at the Royal Museum Shop and at your local bookstore.

$27.95 ISBN 978-0-7726-7052-6 For more information on Royal BC Museum publications, visit royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/publications

royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 31

For a full listing of what’s happening at the Royal BC Museum, view our calendar online at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/calendar MUSEUM HOURS: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm daily Open late until 10:00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays from May 19 to October 7.

HELMCKEN HOUSE: June 1 to September 5.

Open Daily 12:00 to 4:00 pm | Included with admission or donation.

What’s on FAMILY PROGRAMS Night at the Museum Sleepover June 17 | 6:00 pm – 9:30 am $80 per person, 10% member discount Come spend the night with us as we camp, tell stories, watch home movies, play board games and even have a pillow fight or two.

Wonder Weekend July 1 and 2 | 11:00 am – 3:00 pm The museum comes alive with family-themed activities in and out of the galleries. Includes our annual Penny Carnival on July 1 (Canada Day).

Royal BC Museum precinct Genetics Day with Let’s Talk Science July 5 | 9:00 am – 3:30 pm The Royal BC Museum teams up with Let’s Talk Science to introduce young people to genetics with a hands-on, minds-on, behind-the-scenes event.

Register through Let’s Talk Science at outreach.letstalkscience.ca/uvic Grades 6–9 (Ages 11–15) Greater Victoria Public Library’s Canada 150: Family Stories July 6 and August 11 | 10:30–11:30 am Join museum staff to hear some great BC family stories and learn what it means to be part of a Canadian family.

Register through the Greater Victoria Public Library at gvpl.ca/programs-events

The Directors’ Cut Camps Use the latest in digital equipment to create your very short film or stop motion animation movie.

Filmmaking Join other talented filmmakers and take your turn in the director's chair to create a short film.

July 17–21 I 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Ages 9–14 | $280 per child Claymation Young filmmakers will work in small crews to create clay characters and design sets.

July 31 – August 4 I 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Ages 9–14 | $280 per child

Lego Animation Young filmmakers will use their Lego characters to create backgrounds, sets and a storyline.

July 24–28 and August 14–18 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Ages 6–10 | $280 per child

ADULT PROGRAMS Museum Happy Hour Select Thursdays in July 19+ | $10 per person Drinks and food available for purchase Join us Thursdays after work for themed events in our permanent galleries.

ALL AGES SUMMER CAMPS Story Camp What makes a good story? This summer, campers will explore this and more.

July 10–14, 17–21, 24–28 July 31 – August 4 August 14–18 and 21–25 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Ages 7–11 | $280 per child Mini Mornings Story Camp Our littlest campers will discover the basics of storytelling in this play-based morning camp.

July 10–14 and August 21–25 9:00 am – 12:00 pm Ages 5–6 | $120 per child

It’s Complicated: A Discussion Series June 21, July 19 and August 16 | 5:15–7:00 pm This participatory discussion series tackles perspectives and assumptions to help us better understand ourselves and our family roles.

Fieldtrippers: In Seine June 25 | 9:30–11:30 am Join Royal BC Museum researchers at Willows Beach as they conduct a beach seine.

By donation

That’s Debatable: a Curatorial Showdown on World Oceans Day June 8 | 12:00–1:00 pm Our natural history curators engage in a knockdown drag-out debate on the most interesting and important species in or near the ocean.

Included with admission or membership Have We Got a Story to Tell: Family Feud June 9 | 7:00–9:00 pm Our popular storytelling event series continues, presenting true tales of family fiascos.

Included with admission or membership

SPECIAL EVENTS Food Truck Festival June 1 – September 4: Sun–Thu | 11:00 am – 6:00 pm Fri–Sat | 11:00 am – 7:00 pm Aboriginal Cultural Festival June 16, 17 and 18 | Free Join us for this three-day celebration of Aboriginal peoples in the Royal BC Museum cultural precinct.

Presented in partnership with BC Heritage Fair: Provincial Showcase July 8 | 12:00–3:00 pm Sixty passionate youth from around BC will make Canadian history come alive in Clifford Carl Hall.

Included with admission or membership Spirit of 150 Victoria and Canada 150 June 21 – July 1 From June 21 through July 1, 2017, enjoy 11 days of free outdoor events in our beautiful Inner Harbour. Celebrate and enjoy our nation and city’s multicultural artistry, and diverse food and beverage offerings, all culminating with a spectacular firework display on Canada Day, July 1, 2017. Canada Day will feature Main Stage programming and a massive firework display.

Learn more at spirit150victoria.ca/celebrate-canada

Information correct at time of printing. Subject to change. Please visit royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/calendar for most up-to-date information. Prices do not include applicable taxes.

Wonder Weekend July 1 and 2 I 11:00–3:00 pm The museum comes alive with family-themed activities in and out of the galleries. Listen to different artists perform, create art, take part in our annual Penny Carnival and learn more about the diverse communities of families in BC. Learn more at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/canadaday Victoria Summer Music Festival July 26 Enjoy the sounds of a brass quartet playing in front of the Royal BC Museum as part of a city-wide event.

LECTURES AND WORKSHOPS Live @ Lunch: Generations of British Columbia Families June 7 | 12:00–1:00 pm Find out what’s happening at the museum and archives in these monthly talks featuring curators, staff and researchers, held on the first Wednesday of the month.

Dr. Tzu-I Chung, Curator of History Included with admission or membership

MUSEUM HAPPY HOUR Drink, eat, meet and explore. Join us after work on select Thursdays for themed happy hours in our core galleries. $10 per person 19+. ID required for entry.

ART ATTACK July 6 I 5:15–7:00 pm THE OTHER F-WORD July 13 I 5:15–7:00 pm PRIDE! July 20 I 5:15–7:00 pm PURCHASE TICKETS AT ROYALBCMUSEUM.BC.CA/HAPPYHOUR

Archives Workshops: Family Stories June 24 and August 12 | 1:00–3:00 pm Discover the many investigative tools and resources the BC Archives offers. $30 per person Researching Family History June 24 | 1:00–3:00 pm Learn to use our genealogy database as well as our general collections catalogue to trace your family roots in British Columbia.

Black Sheep in the Family August 12 | 1:00–3:00 pm Learn how to navigate court records, coroner’s reports and more so you can fill in the juicy bits! $30 per person

DID YOU KNOW? Royal BC Museum members enjoy up to 20% off admission at more than 25 partner attractions. Just flash your membership card to receive your discount! View the full list of partners at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/reciprocalpartners

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VOLUNTEER PROFILE

Danielle Ashworth

By Melissa Hogg, Membership and Marketing Coordinator

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ike many of the volunteers at the Royal BC Museum, Danielle Ashworth has a unique story to add to the richness and diversity of our museum culture. Danielle, who has been volunteering at the Royal BC Museum since 2014, provides support for the Marketing department by reviewing membership application forms. In January 2017, she received the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers from Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon, presented on behalf of Governor General David Johnston, for her work with the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP) and in recognition of her ongoing peer support to transgender women.

A seasoned volunteer, Danielle has coached Special Olympians in 10-pin bowling and in snowshoeing. She was asked to create the snowshoe program for Special Olympics in Alberta, and as head coach brought an athlete to the 1992 nationals in Saskatoon. In 2002 she moved to Calgary and created a support group for transgender women, which is still running today. Danielle continues to mentor and guide trans women

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into their new lives. Danielle’s volunteer work with CVITP has tremendous value—she completes about 800 tax returns for low-income people each year. “Volunteering is not a matter of being recognized, of kudos or pats on the back,” said Danielle, “it is a matter of giving back to society for things I may have received.” At the museum Danielle processes a high volume of membership applications and ensures that a comprehensive record is kept. For Danielle, “Ensuring that I do an accurate job is rewarding.”

The Royal BC Museum would like to thank all of our exceptional and dedicated volunteers—we could not run this operation without you!

1. Danielle Ashworth (left) receives her medal from Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon. Office of the Lieutenant Governor photograph.

2. The Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers recognizes the exceptional volunteering achievements of Canadians. Office of the Secretary to the Governor General photograph.

PARTNERSHIP PROFILE

Peninsula Co-op

By Penny Sopel, Marketing and Community Relations Manager, Peninsula Co-op

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eninsula Co-op is a Vancouver Island cooperative with a core business in grocery, petroleum and convenience stores. Locally owned and operated, we employ over 320 people in full- and part-time positions at 17 gas centres, a food centre, a home heating division and card locks in Comox and across the lower island.

Philanthropy has been a part of our business since we opened our doors in 1977. We proudly share our profits with our member-owners, our community and

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our staff—last year our more than 85,000 active member-owners shared $4.6 million in rebate cheques. We also donated funds in excess of $370,000 to more than 250 local charities, organizations, youth groups, student scholarships and community projects through our Community Support Program. The Royal BC Museum shares our ‘moving ahead by giving back’ spirit, which makes for an excellent partnership.

This year, as we celebrate our 40th anniversary, we’re proud to sponsor the

Royal BC Museum’s new EAGLE Program.

First Peoples’ cultural awareness is a part of the BC curriculum for kindergarten to grade 12, and this program, which addresses the new prescribed learning outcomes from a First Nations perspective, is an excellent resource for both educators and students. Our partnership supports the museum, the EAGLE program and learning in BC. To learn more about what we’re doing in your community, or to become a member, please visit peninsulaco-op.com

A Treasure for Generations Inspirational Learning Opportunities Are Possible With Your Help

Donor Form YES, I am pleased to help the Royal BC Museum empower the next generation of learners and leaders with my tax deductible gift of: $ MONTHLY GIVING I prefer the convenience of giving monthly using my credit card. Please take a payment on the  1st or  15th of each month in the amount of $ (Payments can be discontinued at any time by calling 250-387-7222)

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n page six, you read about our exciting plan to create a state-of-the-art Learning Centre that will deliver high-quality programs to curious minds across British Columbia and around the world.

The new Learning Centre will provide people of all ages and abilities with transformational experiences, offering a dynamic and inclusive space for dialogue, debate and understanding. It will immediately enhance not only the quality but also the quantity and reach of the learning programs we provide on site, off site and online.

Learning is at the heart of our mission. Providing an outstanding service is central to our values, and life-long learning is fundamentally important to the province-wide community we serve. Creating the Learning Centre will help us realize the full potential of the Royal BC Museum as an inclusive and accessible centre of learning for every citizen of British Columbia regardless of age, background or proximity.

Your support can help us turn our vision for the Learning Centre into a reality, nurturing creativity, inspiring active citizenship and empowering the next generation of learners and leaders.

Please support our new Learning Centre project with a gift today!

Contact our fundraising team at 250-387-7222 or donate@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.

LEGACY GIVING  I am interested in receiving information on leaving a gift in my will to help strengthen the future of the Royal BC Museum.

CONTACT INFORMATION Name: Address: City: Postal Code: Email:

Province: Telephone:

PAYMENT DETAILS Credit Card:  Visa  MasterCard  American Express Card number: Expiry date (month/year): Name on card: Signature:  Cheque (please make payable to the Royal BC Museum Foundation) Please return the completed form and donation to the Fundraising and Development Department via our box office, or mail to: Royal BC Museum, 675 Belleville Street, Victoria BC, V8W 9W2.

You can also donate by phone at 250-387-7222 or online at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/support.

The Royal BC Museum Foundation is a non-profit organization under the legal authority of the Societies Act (RSBC 1996, C. 433). The personal information collected on this form is subject to the Personal Information Protection Act (SBC 2003, C. 63). The personal information collected will be used by the Royal BC Museum Foundation to maintain our donor list, issue tax receipts and publicly recognize your donation. Personal information collected will be shared with the Royal BC Museum to provide you with up to date information on current events/exhibitions. If you wish to access or correct your personal information, or would like to make an inquiry about the Royal BC Museum’s privacy policies and procedures, you can contact our Information and Privacy Officer by mail, email: privacy@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca or by telephone: 250-356-0698.

Charitable #: 118933241RR0001

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Story Summer Camp What makes a good story? Curious campers will find out, uncovering stories behind the museum’s collections and from personal family histories. Fun field trips, engaging guest speakers and behind-the-scenes access will inspire campers to craft and share stories of their own.

July 10–14, July 17–21, July 24–28, July 31 – August 4, August 14–18 and August 21–25 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Ages 7–11 Register today at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/camps