What's inSight Magazine Summer 2018

Summer 2018

AESTHETIC PERFECTION THE CULT OF BEAUTY IN ANCIENT EGYPT TOWARDS RECONCILIATION FIRST NATIONS REPATRIATION GRANTING PROGRAM AND GALLERY REFRESH COMMITTED TO MEMORY TWO COLLECTIONS LISTED IN THE CANADIAN MEMORY OF THE WORLD

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SUMMER 2018 FEATURE Aesthetic Perfection FEATURE Towards Reconciliation Speak, Memory INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS From British Columbia to Guatemala Diverse and Thriving FEATURE Committed to Memory Fresh Perspectives A Highlight Hit Thank You to All Our Supporters Thank You! Gifts to the Collections New Archives Acquisitions Boots on the Ground Food Security for British Columbia DONOR PROFILE The Sisters of Saint Ann Support the Learning Centre GOING DIGITAL Into Focus STAFF PROFILE Dr. Tzu-I Chung, Curator of History Fugitives What’s On Calendar PARTNERSHIP PROFILE Tourism Victoria

E DITOR IN CHIEF Erika Stenson Head of Marketing, Sales & Business Development

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MANAGING EDITOR Jennifer Vanderzee Marketing & Sales Manager

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MAGAZINE COORDINATOR Melissa Hogg Membership & Marketing Coordinator

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Erik Lambertson Corporate Communications Manager Nathan Oickle 2D Graphic Designer Annie Mayse Editor

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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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Michelle van der Merwe Publisher

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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 Renowned weaver William White at the Royal BC Museum, demonstrating the traditional techniques of Chilkat and Raven’s Tail weaving as they continue to be practiced amongst the Northwest Coast peoples.

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Dear friends, Is the research and scholarship generated by experts at the Royal BC Museum relevant to the problems facing British Columbia? This was the question and theme of our first ever public Research Day, held this spring—a new annual event, open to all, featuring presentations and wide-ranging follow-up discussions.

Dr. Martha Black, curator of ethnology, presenting at this year’s Research Day.

Our museum curators, scientists, collection managers and archivists consistently demonstrate their cross-disciplinary skills in cultivating a research culture that generates numerous academic and community partnerships. Three questions dominate their work: How can we better understand our collections and what we care for? How can we combine and integrate research with new technology? And how can we put people and society at the heart of all our research?

Without research there would be no exhibitions, no online presence, no publications and no understanding of what we look after. The Royal BC Museum is committed to disseminating its research and scholarship as widely as possible. To learn more, please browse the Royal BC Museum Strategy 2022 at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/vision and our Research Strategy at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/research-strategy.

Yours,

Professor Jack Lohman CBE Chief Executive Officer, Royal BC Museum

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FEATURE

Aesthetic Perfection The Cult of Beauty in Ancient Egypt

By Janet MacDonald, Head of Learning

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quick search on the Internet reveals myriad blogs, articles and websites devoted to ancient Egyptian beauty —perhaps because the concept mirrors our own in many ways.

Although the people of ancient Egypt worshipped nature, they also welcomed opportunities to augment it. Cosmetics, hairdressing and jewellery were embraced by men and women alike, regardless of social status. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but in ancient Egypt, people aimed for aesthetic perfection—in this life and the afterlife.

We need only look at the Old Kingdom seated figure of Nebet-pedjet, part of our current

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feature exhibition Egypt: The Time of Pharaohs, to witness a beauty aspiring to perfection in the afterworld—for this lifelike representation was found in her grave. The figure wears a light linen skirt, a wig and a colourful collar.

The remains of her bracelets and anklets are also visible.

Egyptian gravesites reveal razor blades, curling tongs, tweezers and mirrors made of polished metal. The ideal of beauty was supported by elaborate jewellery, clothing, grooming and makeup. Singers, dancers and musicians wore long diaphanous robes. Love songs of the Ramesside Period waxed poetic about a woman’s tight waist, shining skin and “fingers like a lotus flower”.

Wigs, made of human hair or palm fibres dipped in beeswax, were popular. Big hair suggested youth and health. Priests, however, shaved their heads—sometimes their entire bodies. Temple rituals required purity and cleanliness.

Women, who spent their days at home, typically appeared with fairly light complexions. Men, who worked outdoors, are portrayed with darker skin. Both sexes used black liner to accentuate their eyes and brows, and women applied blush made from henna. Makeup was made by blending mineral powder with animal fat, then stored in decorative jars. Fragrance oils and ointments were worn on top of the head, ensuring that Egyptians smelled of rose, musk or myrrh.

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Ancient craftsmen worked with precious materials: amethyst, carnelian, turquoise, lapis lazuli, gold, silver, bone and ivory.

Egyptians also created faience (a quartz ceramic) and beads of precious glass, used only for the elite.

1. Collar with pomegranate pendants, Ptolemaic (3rd to 1st century BC). Roemer- and Pelizaeus-Museum Hildesheim.

2. Seated figure of Nebet-pedjet from Giza, Old Kingdom, late 6th Dyn. (ca. 2200 BC). Roemer- and Pelizaeus-Museum Hildesheim.

3. Makeup vessels, New Kingdom to Late Period (middle of second to middle of first millennium BC). University of Aberdeen Museums.

Many aspects of the ancient Egyptians’ love of beauty are on display in Egypt: The Time of Pharaohs. The exhibition offers evidence on how the ancient Egyptians viewed beauty from many different sources, including pictorial, sculptural, textual and aural representations. I encourage you to think about beauty when you visit—it may be hard not to.

Segments of this article come directly from the text of Egypt: The Time of Pharaohs, courtesy of Lokschuppen and MuseumsPartner, written for a North American audience by Debbra Mikaelsen and edited by Michelle van der Merwe at the Royal BC Museum.

Egyptian men generally wore a short loincloth—calf-length or flared for the upper classes. In the Old Kingdom, women’s clothing was a simple knee-length dress made from white linen. That style endured until the New Kingdom, which introduced a new look. The upper classes then began wearing decorative garments that were pleated, gathered and laced. Fabrics became more colourful, influenced by excursions to the Near East.

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Both men and women wore bracelets, collars and rings that ranged from simple to magnificent. Their hair was dressed with tiaras and crowns made of flowers and ribbons. Charms, idols and Udjat eyes —eye-of-Horus decorations—weren’t just adornment but possessed magical powers. royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 5

FEATURE

Towards Reconciliation First Nations Repatriation Granting Program and Gallery Refresh

By Lucy Bell, Head of First Nations and Repatriation Department

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ith the financial support of the provincial government, the Royal BC Museum has made an important commitment to returning the tangible and intangible heritage of First Nations communities in BC. The newly launched First Nations repatriation granting program will provide $500,000 to First Nations communities in individual grants of up to $30,000. The program follows the advice of participants at last year’s Repatriation Symposium, whose priorities included locating their cultural heritage in museums and repatriating ancestral remains and cultural treasures, as well as the digital repatriation of audiovisual records in museum collections.

Repatriation is a costly process —something I have learned first-hand as the head of the First Nations and Repatriation Department. My Haida community has repatriated more than 500 ancestral remains over the past 20 years, and we estimate that it has cost the community more than $1,000,000. I am excited by the repatriation movement and see this step as a positive response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action.

The museum is also busily refreshing the First Peoples gallery. We have a threeyear plan to present today’s living First Nations cultures, to showcase Indigenous world views and knowledge, to show First Nations’ deep connections and to

teach about the darker histories. We plan to do this in collaboration with the First Nations whose collections we hold. The First Nations Advisory and Advocacy committee has endorsed the key themes and plan. Some committee members also toured the gallery, advising on how to include contemporary First Nations voices and cultures. We began by working with the renowned Tsimshian weaver Willie White to create an exhibit about Chilkat and Raven’s Tail weaving. Next we will refresh the Haida Skedans village model in collaboration with Guujaaw, the chief of Skedans. Check out the model to see a video featuring Guujaaw and his grandson Tian, who had the chance to visit his ancestral village for the first time and learn about the village’s history from Guujaaw. When you visit the museum, be sure to look for the miniature models of Tian and Guujaaw. This year we will also tackle rewriting the bigger text panels throughout the gallery. We could not have done this work without the support of the First Nations communities. Also, we are grateful that this work has been supported by the Province of British Columbia through the British Columbia | Canada 150: Celebrating BC Communities and their Contributions to Canada grant program and by the Sieburth Endowment.

Culture in Motion It is early morning, before the museum opens to the public, and the First Peoples gallery is quiet. The anticipation in the air is palpable. Two Chilkat aprons woven by renowned Tsimshian artist William White are laid out and waiting.

Before they can be displayed as part of an update to this gallery, they must be worn by a member of the nation. A young man puts the apron on.

Immediately the room is filled with the tinkling of the metal ends gently tapping against one another. Watching the apron move is magical, and we captured it on camera so we can share it with you.

William White’s Chilkat apron worn by Jeffery Nicholls, a member of the Tsimshian Nation.

Speak, Memory The Intersection of Indigenous Language and Cultural Institutions

By Prof. Jack Lohman CBE, Chief Executive Officer

I was joined by Dr. Marianne Ignace, director of the First Nations Language Centre at Simon Fraser University; John Elliott (STOLȻEȽ), a Tsartlip elder whose work has helped revitalize the SENĆOŦEN language; Dr. Lorna Williams, associate professor emeritus at the University of Victoria, an Indigenous educator and language specialist for more than 50 years who helped the museum with its language exhibit; Normand Charbonneau, assistant deputy minister and COO of Library and Archives Canada; and Chief Guujaaw, the Haida singer, carver, traditional medicine practitioner, political activist and leader.

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he Royal BC Museum has a special and direct relationship with government, playing a vital role in caring for collections and archives. The BC Archives is among other things the repository of the legislative record, and the public often thinks of the museum and archives as an extension of the provincial perspective.

This is debatable, but what is unassailably true is that the archives wields tremendous power: it sets many cultural norms, including what is deemed to be of historical and cultural value.

Consequently, it also has a responsibility to right past wrongs and to highlight viewpoints often historically undervalued by the majority. Indeed, one of its most pressing responsibilities is to influence the 8

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ways Indigenous cultures and languages are understood, positively and persuasively, lifting them up for broad appreciation.

This need has been made abundantly clear to me through many inspiring conversations with Indigenous leaders and community members over the years. It was confirmed again on March 27, when the Royal BC Museum and the Canadian Commission for UNESCO convened a panel discussion about the relationship between Indigenous language and cultural institutions.

The panel consisted of language champions, practitioners and members of the GLAM (galleries, libraries, museums and archives) sector determined to help liberate Indigenous language from canons and cabinets alike.

It was a powerful dialogue. Dr. Williams summarized the role museums can play in changing public perception about Indigenous culture: “We were made to feel ashamed and belittled about what we know and how we know. Public institutions can turn that around.” This is a call to action.

The session was opened and closed by the drumming and singing of Kevin Cranmer (later joined by Guy Louie), a percussive aide-mémoire of the necessity for museums, stewards of culture and thought leaders, to act now.

Royal BC Museum and the Canadian Commission for UNESCO panel discussion.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

From British Columbia to Guatemala Practicing Cultural Diplomacy

By Erika Stenson, Head of Marketing, Sales and Business Development

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n April our head of Knowledge, Leah Best, packed up her knapsack and made the 11-hour journey from Victoria to Guatemala City to explore opportunities for bringing the Mayan world to Victoria. Together with our exhibition production partner, the aptly named MuseumsPartner, she met with representatives from the Guatemalan government, the Guatemala National Museums, La Ruta Maya Foundation, and the museum at the temple complex at Tikal.

Leah was investigating The Mayans, an exhibition that recently closed in Alicante, Spain. We will be hosting a new North American version of the exhibition in the summer of 2019, including expanded content, more artifacts—some never before shown outside Guatemala—and new material about the contemporary Mayan experience.

visitors to their domain, the central plaza is still a site for contemporary spiritual practice.

Extraordinary artifacts like temple stelae, Mayan ceramics, ancient literature (in the form of glyphs) and exquisite textiles all come together to create a rich and complex picture of this living culture.

But negotiating the terms around loaning such priceless national treasures beyond the Guatemalan borders is no small feat.

Working closely with the Canadian Embassy in Guatemala City and with leading scholar Sophia Peredes from La Ruta Maya Foundation, Leah and MuseumsPartner were able to assure our new friends that we share their respect for the artifacts and to present our plan to showcase their inspiring culture to our visitors.

The hard part has just begun. Already mountains of paperwork in English and Spanish are flying back and forth across the continent. Our CEO, Professor Jack Lohman, will conclude this important first piece of cultural diplomacy when he travels to Guatemala in July to sign the loan documents and celebrate this groundbreaking agreement. We look forward to welcoming our new Guatemalan colleagues to the Royal BC Museum and sharing some of British Columbia’s past with them.

Check back with What’s inSight in the winter of 2018 for an update on the exhibition planning.

Tikal National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Centre located in Guatamala, and is one of the most important archaeological complexes left by the Mayan civilation.

Adventures with scorpions and tarantulas aside, what Leah discovered was exhilarating.

Mayans today maintain cultural continuity with the past, with families tracing origins back to pre-Columbian times. Seventy per cent of Guatemalans identify as Mayan. Forty per cent speak a Mayan language—a sharp contrast to Indigenous peoples’ experience in Canada. The importance of language to cultural identity is an important theme for reflection in the new exhibition.

Community plazas, or town squares, are as central to Mayan life today as they were 3,000 years ago. In Tikal, where giant pyramids rise out of the jungle and howler monkeys mock royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 9

Diverse and Thriving Indigenous Cultural Festival, June 21–23, 2018

By Paula Amos, Director of Partnerships and Corporate Initiatives, Indigenous Tourism BC

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his summer, locals and visitors alike are invited to kick off the festival season with the celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day at an engaging all-ages cultural weekend packed with authentic festivities. From June 21 to 23, between 11:00 am and 6:00 pm, the Victoria Indigenous 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.

year, the program features more than 100 performers from across BC, who will tell their compelling stories in a multitude of ways, from song and dance to educational tours. 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.

Organized by Indigenous Tourism BC in partnership with the Songhees and Esquimalt nations, the Royal BC Museum, Tourism Victoria, the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority and the University of Victoria, the Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations take place on the Royal BC Museum grounds. Now in its fifth

Performers and artisans participating in Indigenous Peoples Day at the Royal BC Museum come from Coast Salish, Nuu-chah-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 IndigenousBC.com/yyj and follow the conversation on social media through #YYJIndigenousFest.

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. Step up to the museum galleries to see two new Chilkat aprons woven by renowned Tsimshian artist William White.

Presenting contemporary First Nations voices is part of their three-year plan to bring living Indigenous culture, art and knowledge to the First Peoples gallery. Check the museum website for details at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.

See page 12 for festival schedule.

1. Clarence Campbell of the Esquimalt dance group.

2. Internationally renowned First Nations mask-dancing group Git Hayetsk, led in partnership by Mike Dangeli and his wife Mique’l. They make it a priority that Git Hayetsk sing the songs of their ancestors as well as create new songs, dances, drums, rattles, masks and regalia to reflect and record their experiences as First Nations people today.

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INDIGENOUS CULTURAL FESTIVAL 2018 THURSDAY, JUNE 21

FRIDAY, JUNE 22

COMMONWEALTH CORNER 10:30 am Canoe crossing protocol welcome

ROYAL BC MUSEUM PLAZA 11:00 am Artisans’ Marketplace opens 11:00 am Smudge ceremony with

Frank Antoine, Bonaparte Nation 11:15 am Totem pole tour with Andy

Everson, K’omoks Nation 12:00 pm Joseph Singers and Dancers,

Esquimalt Nation

Lekwungen Traditional Dancers,

Songhees Nation 1:00 pm Alex Wells, Lil’wat Nation 2:00 pm Git Hayestk, Haida, Haisla,

Tahltan, Tlingit, Lil’wat and

Musqueam Nations 3:00 pm Le-La-La Dancers, Kwakwaka’wakw Nation 4:00 pm Alex Wells, Lil’wat Nation 5:00 pm Git Hayestk, Haida, Haisla,

Tahltan, Tlingit, Lil’wat and

Musqueam Nations

ROYAL BC MUSEUM PLAZA 11:00 am Official festival opening

Acknowledgement and

introduction of partners

and dignitaries 11:00 am Artisans’ Marketplace opens 11:15 am Totem pole tour with Andy

Everson, K’omoks Nation 12:00 pm Esquimalt Singers and Dancers,

Esquimalt Nation

Lekwungen Traditional Dancers,

Songhees Nation 1:00 pm Hoomis Family Dancers,

Nuu-Chah-Nulth Nation 2:00 pm Le-La-La Dancers, Kwakwaka’wakw Nation 3:00 pm Alex Wells, Lil’wat Nation 4:00 pm Hoomis Family Dancers,

Nuu-Chah-Nulth Nation 5:00 pm Joseph Singers and Dancers,

Esquimalt Nation Lekwungen Dancers, Traditional Dancers’ performance.

In partnership with Aboriginal Tourism BC

LEKWUNGEN TENT 11:30 am and 2:00 pm Cedar-weaving demonstration and workshop

by Sandra Howard* STEAMSHIP TERMINAL AND SONGHEES CULTURAL CENTRE 11:00 am – 4:00 pm Canoe tours* 11:30 am and 2:00 pm Drum-making demonstration by Sandy Morris, Jr.

*Schedule subject to change. For up-to-date information see the 2018 Indigenous Cultural Festival website at IndigenouseBC.com/yyj

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SATURDAY, JUNE 23 ROYAL BC MUSEUM PLAZA 11:00 am Artisans’ Marketplace opens 11:00 am Smudge ceremony with Frank

Antoine, Bonaparte Nation 11:15 am Totem pole tour with Andy

Everson, K’omoks Nation 12:00 pm Esquimalt Singers and Dancers,

Esquimalt Nation LEKWUNGEN TRADITIONAL DANCERS, SONGHEES NATION 1:00 pm Git Hayestk, Haida, Haisla,

Tahltan, Tlingit, Lil’wat and

Musqueam Nations 2:00 pm Le-La-La Dancers, Kwakwaka’wakw Nation 3:00 pm Alex Wells, Lil’wat Nation 4:00 pm Git Hayestk, Haida, Haisla,

Tahltan, Tlingit, Lil’wat and

Musqueam Nations 5:00 pm Le-La-La Dancers, Kwakwaka’wakw Nation LEKWUNGEN TENT 11:30 am and 2:00 pm Drum-making demonstration by Randy Henry STEAMSHIP TERMINAL AND SONGHEES CULTURAL CENTRE 11:00 am – 4:00 pm Canoe tours* 11:30 am and 2:00 pm Cedar-weaving demonstration and workshop

by Sandra Howard* *Book canoe tour and cedar-weaving workshop at the Lekwungen Tent

FEATURE

Committed to Memory Two Collections Listed in the Canadian Memory of the World

By Genevieve Weber, Archivist

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he Royal BC Museum and Archives is pleased to announce the acceptance of two collections, the Vancouver Island treaties and the Ida Halpern fonds, for inscription on the Canada Memory of the World Register.

We also seek knowledge and information about the records from the communities that created them in order to better represent these collections in our online catalogue. Our goal is to include Indigenous perspectives in our documentation of the records.

UNESCO’s Memory of the World program showcases the most significant documents of our heritage. Safeguarding the memory of the world provides universal access to our artistic, cultural, economic, geographic, linguistic, political, scientific, spiritual and identity-based history now and into the future. The Canadian Commission for UNESCO (CCUNESCO) maintains the Canada Memory of the World Register. Register entries (such as written works, films, photographs and audio recordings) reflect the diversity of our heritage and the realities of our country, regions and communities and the Indigenous peoples who live here.

Both collections will be useful for language and cultural revitalization work. The ability to hear traditional ceremonies spoken and sung in the audio recordings is incredibly valuable, and when combined with transcriptions of the recordings, the Halpern collection forms a robust tool for language learning. Traditional place and personal names written by early settlers are a powerful reminder of the history and ancestors of the people of Vancouver Island. Translations of three of the treaties into Lekwungen and SENĆOŦEN

have recently been accessioned, offering researchers a new perspective on these historic documents and what they mean to all people living in these territories.

We look forward to the benefits that recognition by the CCUNESCO and inscription on the Canada Memory of the World Register will bring: a national audience, greater universal access to this documentary heritage and an increased awareness of the significance of these valued documents.

Guy Louie, Hudson Webster and Pamela Webster, descendants of singer Peter Webster, sing a song from the Ida Halpern fonds during the launch of the UNESCO Canada Memory of the World Register.

The two Royal BC Museum and Archives collections exemplify our commitment to highlight and make accessible materials with Indigenous content. These efforts are part of the institution’s response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action. To ensure Indigenous researchers and communities can easily access these records, the Vancouver Island treaties and the Ida Halpern sound recordings have been digitized. A copy of the treaties has been given to each of the treaty nations, and we are actively engaged in returning digital versions of the songs in the Halpern collection to descendants of the singers. royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 13

Fresh Perspectives The Role of the Research Advisory Committee

By Leah Best, Head of Knowledge

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n January 31, 2018, the Royal BC Museum’s new Research Advisory Committee met for the first time.

In the 10th-floor boardroom, the group of 11 staff and external advisors swapped introductions, approved the committee’s terms of reference and reviewed the program for the Royal BC Museum’s first public Research Day. By meeting’s end it was clear to everyone present that an exciting new phase of program renewal was under way.

The committee oversees and advises on the

The committee consists of eleven members —five staff and six external advisors—and is chaired by Angela Williams, deputy CEO of the Royal BC Museum.

Advisory Committee is the integration

research activities of the Royal BC Museum.

Its duties include performing an annual review of research proposals, providing guidance on the development of external partnerships, advising on the communication of museum research to a range of audiences and supporting the museum in keeping abreast of current provincial, national and international research.

Key to the success of the Research of the external advisors, a diverse group of scholars representing a wide range of research disciplines.

Royal Museum Shop Your purchases support the Royal BC Museum Shop in person or online at shop.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca Royal BC Museum members and IMAX season pass holders receive 10% off all purchases with membership card or online coupon code: member Shop hours 10:00 am – 5:00 pm daily Tel 250-356-0505 Find us on Facebook and Instagram

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The external advisors for 2017–19 are as follows: • Dr. Rudy Reimer, Squamish Nation; Assistant Professor, Department of First Nations Studies and Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University • Raymond Frogner, Director of Archives at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba • Dr. Wayne Maddison, Professor, Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia; Canada Research Chair in Biodiversity • Dr. Satwinder Bains, South Asian Studies Institute, University of the Fraser Valley • Dr. Axel Meisen, Chair of Foresight at Alberta Research Council; former president and Vice-Chancellor of Memorial University • Dr. Jiri Frank, Scientific Director at the National Museum of the Czech Republic The Research Advisory Committee continues the Royal BC Museum’s efforts to incorporate diverse voices into all aspects of its work. Like the museum’s First Nations Advisory Committee, the Research Advisory Committee supports the development of a relevant, dynamic and accessible institution that serves all British Columbians.

A Highlight Hit! Introducing a New Adult Course

By Janet MacDonald, Head of Learning

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his February, we launched Unexplored Highlights, the first in a new ongoing series of adult learning courses. Before developing the program we conducted a careful environmental scan, which recommended topics of interest, popular formats and gaps in the available continuing education programs in our region.

The four-part program incorporated our world-class collections of art, photography, First Nations objects and marine and terrestrial life, with one-on-one access to 10 researchers, scientists and archivists.

With intimate conversations, dynamic lectures and behind-the-scenes visits, this informal, often hands-on program was a feast for the mind and senses.

The general format introduced a unifying theme each week, using specific items from the collections to focus how we learn about our past and present.

In the first session five highlights from the collection—Emily Carr’s painting Tanoo, Q.C.I., the Vancouver Island treaties, Dr. Helmcken’s medicine chest, west coast coral and the extinct Dawson Caribou —illustrated how collections are essential for understanding British Columbia and how they guide our conservation, preservation, research and learning.

two objects out of four that the curators had chosen and spent more time delving deeper into a subject. This free choice gave everyone the opportunity to align their learning with their unique interests.

In week two we explored how the significance of an object may increase or decrease over time. Every object acquires a patina of histories, and its current significance is related to the people who have interacted with and been impacted by it over time.

Participant survey results provided us with overwhelmingly positive responses, in addition to important feedback necessary to improve our offers in future. Stay tuned for the next opportunity.

The third week’s theme examined how our collections represent and consist of objects from around the province. Participants in this session had the option to pick

The course culminated in a behind-thescenes tour of five storage areas, including the human history, vertebrate, entomology, invertebrate and BC Archives collections.

Exploring the incredible diversity of sponges with Curator of Invertebrate Zoology Dr. Henry Choong.

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS

April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018

for our new book Kwädąy Dän Ts’ìnchį: Teachings from Long Ago Person Found. We accessioned new items for your collection and built stronger connections with people across the province through field trips, talks and community consultations.

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 and Archives.

$500,000+ Province of British Columbia The Sisters of Saint Ann

$100,000 – $499,999 Bell Media CHEK Media Corus Entertainment Province of British Columbia, Ministry of Education Royal BC Museum Foundation

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he Royal BC Museum greatly appreciates the ongoing support of the province of British Columbia, extended through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, and the Royal BC Museum Foundation. Their core 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 are well on our way to an allnew Learning Centre, which will double onsite participation in learning programs and dramatically enhance public engagement with our collections and expertise.

We have been making even more of our collection available to the public. Our newest international travelling exhibition, First Nations Masterworks from British Columbia, opened at the Museo del Oro in Bogotá, Colombia, and we sent five travelling exhibitions to 16 locations across the province. To celebrate Canada 150, we built a travelling fossil exhibition in partnership with the Alliance of National History Museums and collaborated with four other institutions on Canada 150 projects. We made important new research discoveries, adding to our knowledge about British Columbia, and we received critical acclaim

$25,000 – $99,999 BC Transit Corporation British Columbia | Canada 150: Celebrating BC Communities and their Contributions to Canada grant First Peoples’ Cultural Council Glacier Community Media Government of Canada Helijet Lamar Advertising Company Pattison Outdoor Advertising Robert and Devi Jawl Foundation Anthony and Darlene Southwell TD Tourism Victoria The Truffles Group Virtual Museums of Canada

$5,000 – $24,999 Andrew Mahon Foundation Anonymous BCGEU Bespoke Blossoms Black Ball Ferry Line Canadian Museums Association Cedar Coast Photography 16

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Clipper Magazine Concert Properties Byron and Sheila Davies Decorate Victoria DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Victoria Driftwood Brewery FortisBC Fanny’s Cultured Cow Products Ltd. Friends of the BC Archives Great West Life, London Life and Canadian Life IMAX Victoria Bob and Marjorie Johns Elizabeth Kennedy North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) Gwendolyn Page Peninsula Co-op Provincial Employees Community Services Fund The Seattle Times Sunset Publishing Corporation Telus Tricom Canada Vancity Jack and Bev Wallace Westgroup Properties

$1,000 – $4,999 Eric and Leonda Adler Patrick and Anne Anderson Anonymous (4) Birgit and Robert Bateman Black & McDonald Blum Family Fund through the Victoria Foundation Jocelyn Braithwaite Gary and Susan Braley Helen Buck Cedric Steele Realty Ltd. CIBC Joyce Clearihue Christopher and Susan Considine Daphne Corbett Digital Direct M. Bradley Dow and Angela Mangiacasale Derek Ellis Robert and Marianne Eng Murray and Lynda Farmer Fernwood Coffee

Barbara Fields David Harris Flaherty Karen Fudge-Jensen Glenmore Custom Print + Packaging Olga Ilich Immediate Images Inc. Investors Group Downtown Victoria Island Parent Group Audrey Johnson Joan Laharty Professor Jack Lohman CBE Ron and May Lou-Poy Lyall and Susan Knott Anne Mayhew Tommy Mayne McIndoe Family Foundation Fund at the Calgary Foundation Tracey Mellor Jim and Isabel Merston Northern Lights College Foundation Northwest Travel Magazine David and Dixie Obee Stefan and Magdalena Opalski Tom Osaki Paladin Security Barbara Potash Raymond and Sheila Protti Purdy’s Chocolatier Pauline Rafferty and Bob Plecas Matthew and Natasha Rainsberry Pete Seward Sharon Smith John and Fern Spring Kiirsten Suurkask Mark and Elizabeth Taylor United Way Greater Victoria University of Victoria Continuing Studies Victoria Conference Centre

Angela Williams David Zussman and Sheridan Scott

$500 – $999 Michael Albrechtson Anonymous Bob and Mary Beth Arkell Lily Chow Kelly and Rose Chu Barbara Clerihue Helen Edwards Suzanne Ellyin Bruce Hallsor Joe and Linda Harvey Susan Henderson and Ron Carter Sarah and John McLeod in memory of R.J. Mair Susan K. McMillan in memory of David H. McMillan Theresa McMillan Lois McNabb Debbie O’Brien Robert Peterson and Craig Rosario Sandy Pratt Donald and Anne Russell Betty Thacker Alan Tompson in memory of Anne Tompson Uplands Probus Club Margaret Vandenberg and Robert Wilband 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!

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THANK YOU!

GIFTS TO THE COLLECTIONS April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018

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hank you to all donors who have contributed to the permanent collections of the Royal BC Museum during this fiscal year.

Over the course of the year, many objects, specimens and documentary records have entered the provincial collection at the Royal BC Museum. These donations come from generous individuals and organizations who aim to help us fulfil our provincial mandate, which is to advance new knowledge and understanding of British Columbia’s cultural and natural history. With these donations, our institution is able to preserve, research and exhibit the incredible diversity of our province and to create public programs that explore it.

If you would like to know more about donating to the provincial collection at the Royal BC Museum, please contact Caroline Posynick, senior registrar, at 250-387-2961 or cposynick@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

Ralph Archibald Violet Armstrong Bill Austin Libby Avis Satwinder Bains BC Conservation Data Centre David Blades Boundary Invasive Species Society François A. Brassard Bruce Brown Frank Brown, Seequest Development Company Jim Burgess Canadian Wildlife Service Sydney Cannings Captain Cook Society, BC Branch Cariboo Regional District Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau Chinese Freemasons of Victoria Tom Cockburn Bruce Conron E. Cooper Environmental Consulting Cranbrook History Centre Crease family Jonquil Crosby 18

What’s inSight

Summer 2018

Department of Fisheries and Oceans East Kootenay Invasive Species Council Ben, Marilyn and Owen Embree Jim Erickson Hamar Foster Margaret Francis Elizabeth Furniss Raymond Graham Gordon Green Ron Greene Estate of Urban Guichon Whitney Hanna Chris Harkness Gordon Harper Thor Henrich Les Hillard Gord Hutchings Thompson Hyggen Marji Johns Bryan Kelly-McArthur Norma Kerby Andy Lamb Bernita Leahy Lee family Fred Lichota

LGL Ltd. Kjerstin Mackie James R. Marlon-Lambert Del Meidinger Roland Allan Mercer Ministry of Environment Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Glenn Nicholls North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Research Laboratory Office of the Mayor (Victoria, BC) Ken O’Neill Organizing Committee for the Conference of First Nations, Land and James Douglas: Indigenous and Treaty Rights in the Colonies of VI & BC, 1849–1864 Eric Oscar Princeton Museum Laura Lindley Roff Rick L.M. Ross Saanich Archives on behalf of David Genn Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea Andrew Simon Liam Singh Curtis Southwell Jeremy Tatum Tinh Truong Joan de Tuberville Victoria Sewage Treatment Alliance Tobias Voss Jan Wehner Shayne White Misha Whittingham Estate of Carolyn Wootton

New Archives Acquisitions Records of the Victoria Sewage Treatment Alliance

By Sally Butterfield, Archivist

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very year the BC Archives accepts donations of private records—textual, graphic, audiovisual or otherwise—into our collection. The BC Archives began 2018 with four new acquisitions, including the records of the Victoria Sewage Treatment Alliance (VSTA) and associated organizations. The VSTA is a volunteer organization formed in 2005 with the goal of attaining sustainable and affordable sewage treatment for Victoria and the Capital Regional District.

material and photographs documenting the organization’s efforts to raise awareness of the need for a responsible solution to Victoria’s sewage problem.

The involvement of Mr. Floatie, the highly visible mascot of the campaign, is well documented by the photographs. The records will be processed by an archivist and available to the public for research purposes in 2018. They will no doubt be of value to researchers interested in environmental activism in British Columbia.

The archives’ acquisition is complemented by a recent museum acquisition that includes the original Mr. Floatie costume.

The BC Archives acquires public and private records throughout the year. If you have questions about our acquisition process or would like to donate, please email acquisitions@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca Some of the VSTA records donated to the BC Archives.

The VSTA has often worked closely with other organizations to educate the public and governments at all levels about the pollution risks of untreated sewage.

The records consist of a collection of reports, meeting minutes and media coverage, as well as some audiovisual

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Boots on the Ground Museum Field Work 2018

By Dr. Erica Wheeler, Acting Head of Collections Care and Conservation Department

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uring the 2018 field season, we are putting boots on the ground in the urban landscape, temperate rainforest and arid desert, below the tide line and above the treeline. Thousands of new specimens will be added to our natural history collections to build on and improve the biodiversity baseline for this vast province. Artifacts recovered from archaeological sites will reveal the lives of ancestors living in early First Nations communities on Vancouver Island and bring their stories to life. Fossil organisms found in the sediments of ancient lake and ocean beds will give us clues about the evolution of life on earth.

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Tumbler Ridge and Northern Rocky Mountains In collaboration with the Tumbler Ridge Global Geopark, the botany and entomology teams will travel to the northern Rocky Mountains to collect plants, insects and spiders adapted to living in alpine habitats. These intrepid teams have been making expeditions to remote highelevation environments for 17 seasons and always return with stories to share.

Calvert Island and the Central Coast In collaboration with the Hakai Institute, the botany, entomology and invertebrate zoology teams will travel to Calvert Island to collect species of the temperate rainforest and coastal marine ecosystems.

McAbee Fossil Heritage Site In collaboration with colleagues at the Heritage Branch of the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, the museum’s paleontology team will visit the McAbee Fossil Heritage Site near Kamloops to study the stratigraphy of this 50-million-year-old lake bed. The McAbee beds are known worldwide for their incredible abundance, diversity and quality of fossils, especially plants and insects of the Eocene.

Quw’utsun Traditional Territory, Vancouver Island As part of an ongoing wetland restoration on Nature Conservancy of Canada properties, the archaeology team will test for archaeological deposits prior to wetland restoration.

Saanich Peninsula, Vancouver Island In collaboration with Leeds University, the vertebrate team will be in the field catching the Northwestern Alligator Lizard, which is native to BC, and the European Wall Lizard, which is introduced. Their goal is to compare the diet and locomotion of these lizard species to understand whether the introduced species poses a risk to the native lizard.

Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands The paleontology team at the museum includes many expert volunteers and research associates who contribute extraordinary skill and knowledge to the fossil collections and research program. Over the summer, this team can be found on island beaches and creek beds. Notebooks, cameras and rock hammers in hand, they will study the complex geological history of each area and describe the ancient organisms found fossilized in its layers.

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1. The Western Toad is common in British Columbia but is declining throughout the western United States as a result of habitat degradation.

2. The Small-Flowered Paintbrush is widespread in British Columbia and often grows near the White Small-Flowered Paintbrush.

3. This agaric fungus has a widespread arctic-alpine distribution and was only recently found to occur in British Columbia.

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World Looks to BC Books Kwädąy Dän Ts’ìnchį: Teachings from Long Ago Person Found Winner of the Jim Pojar Award for contributions to the understanding or sustainability of natural and cultural resources in northwest BC Shortlisted for the Basil Stuart-Stubbs Prize for Outstanding Book in British Columbia Honourable Mention for the British Columbia Historical Federation’s Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Historical Writing ISBN 978-0-7726-6699-4

$49.95

The Language of Family: Stories of Bonds and Belonging Winner of an Alcuin Society Award for Excellence in Book Design in Canada, with second prize in the Prose Illustrated category Independently nominated for the George Ryga Award for Social Awareness ISBN 978-0-7726-7052-6

$27.95

Don’t yet know what all the fuss is about? These two award-winning books and all other Royal BC Museum publications are available online, at the Royal Museum Shop and at your local bookstore.

For more information visit royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/publications

Food Security for British Columbia An Agricultural Investigation of the Northern Valleys

By Katy Hughes, Archivist

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n 1911 the British Columbia Department of Agriculture hired two young college students, E.A. Weir and E.W. White, to undertake an agricultural survey of the northern valleys of British Columbia between Hazelton and Fort George. The role of the survey, which travelled along the proposed G.T.P. Railway route in May through August, was to gather information on climatic conditions, the character of the soils and the capacity of the land for farming different types of crops.

The men understood the importance of keeping a photographic record of their journey, and White’s diary entry from April 25 records their visit to the Gorge in Victoria to “take a few pictures with the new 4 x 5 Eastman Kodak.... The camera worked first rate and we hope it will be a valuable adjunct to our work this summer.

Illustrations are always a benefit to any write up.”

Weir and White travelled north to Prince Rupert by G.T.P. steamer. There they took the riverboat east along the Skeena River and began their survey at Kitsumkalum.

They travelled throughout the valleys between Kitsumkalum and Fort George on foot, on horseback and by river steamer, gathering information on agricultural activity in the area.

Less than a week later, White wrote, “[We] spent the day in camp. It was a very hot day, one of the hottest we have had. The mosquitoes and black flies made their first appearance yesterday, and I guess our fun is just beginning.”

By the end of August they reached Fort George, where they took the Fraser River steamer back to New Westminster. The first week of September was spent working on their reports and in interviews with department officials. The final entry in the diary was made on September 8: “We were at the Department nearly all day getting our accounts in shape. In the afternoon said good-bye to all. We leave to-night for college.”

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They had taken nearly 300 photographs on their journey. The photograph album, along with a copy of their report, White’s diary and their meteorological journal, is preserved at the BC Archives. For access, see PR-1448.

1. “May 8: S.S. ‘Inlander’ at Port Essington.

E.W.W. on the wharf.” 1911.

2. “June 6: Our camp at Canyon Creek, picture taken at our usual breakfast hour.” 1911.

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3. “Aug 15: On the trail to Stuart Lake. Nothing but ‘bannock’ for dinner.” 1911.

They took meteorological observations and suffered the vagaries of weather in the Bulkley Valley. The diary entry from camp on June 6 : “Up early and it was a lovely bright morning. It was cold last night and froze about ½ inch of ice on the kettle we set out.” royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 23

DONOR PROFILE

The Sisters of Saint Ann Support the Learning Centre

By Jonathan Dallison, Manager, Donor Relations

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e are thrilled to announce that The Sisters of Saint Ann have made a remarkably generous contribution of $500,000 toward the creation of a Learning Centre at the museum.

“This is a transformational gift and an incredible act of generosity that reflects the close relationship we’ve had with The Sisters of Saint Ann for many decades,” observes Angela Williams, deputy CEO and vice-president of Collections, Research and International Programs. “They share with us a commitment to education, the preservation of history and the people of British Columbia. We’re very grateful for their inspirational support, and we’re honoured by the trust they’ve placed in us.”

“Supporting the Learning Centre continues our historic commitment to education and the people of this province,” says Sister Marie Zarowny, president and province co-leader of The Sisters of Saint Ann. “June 5 marks the 160th anniversary of our congregation’s arrival in Victoria and throughout that long history we always asked ourselves the question, ‘What is needed that is not being addressed already?’ That’s what led us to provide education and health care in British Columbia and what continues to shape our decisions, including support of this project.”

“Currently, we’re in a process of completion, as we call it, as we age and our numbers dwindle. But,” Sister Marie emphasises, “we’re still on mission. No longer having the personnel to send ‘on mission’, we’ve 24

What’s inSight

Summer 2018

been liquidating assets and providing support to selected lay organisations that can carry on vital aspects of our work. It’s all quite pragmatic, I admit. I suppose our pragmatism comes from our early sisters.

They were true pioneers after all and had to be pragmatic by necessity.”

Programming is being designed to offer

“The Learning Centre will be a great help to schools, but its value is not limited to that.

intellectual, creative, emotional, physical

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educational opportunities across all ages in a variety of forms,” she notes. “From our perspective, helping others to engage in lifelong learning is vital. We’ve always had an interest in the continuous development of the whole person, including the and spiritual aspects. For example, here in 2.

Victoria we established one of the first art schools and music schools. It fits the gospel message in the book of John: ‘I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’”

to honour the spirit of their donation by creating a Learning Centre for all British Columbians—a leading-edge educational resource for the 21st century and a treasure for generations to come.

“We’re excited that technology will allow rural areas to connect and benefit. The inclusion of rural areas is a high priority for us.” She pauses. “The ongoing, general lack of services in remote communities is just appalling, I feel, but this project will have an impact. The museum has collections and expertise not found anywhere else, and they need to be available to people throughout the province. How it’s done is important, too, and the interactive aspects of the museum’s learning programs are of great value.”

1-3.Spring break participants enjoying the current Learning Centre.

4. Sister Marie with Prof. Jack Lohman, reviewing designs for the new Learning Centre.

We need your help! $1.2 million is still needed to complete this important project. If you would like to learn more or to contribute to the Learning Centre, please contact the Fundraising and Development Department today at 250-387-7222 or visit us online at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/support-us

Please join us in thanking The Sisters of Saint Ann for their leadership gift. We seek

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royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 25

GOING DIGITAL

Into Focus Illuminating Early Photographs for the BC Archives

By Emma Curtis, Archivist

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n the mid-1800s the medium of photography was in its early infancy in the Colony of Vancouver Island and the traditional First Nations territories it occupied. Of the many photographic businesses that operated across the province of British Columbia, two prominent Victoria-based commercial photography studios—Mrs. R. Maynard’s Photographic Gallery and the Trio Photograph and Supply Company—left a visual legacy that spans from the early days of Confederation to the end of the Second World War. Over the next two years, the British Columbia Archives will be increasing access to the surviving records of these early photographic studio collections.

On the eve of the centenary of the First World War (1914–18), the project will help illuminate original in-camera glass-plate negatives and studio albums produced by the Trio Photograph and Supply Company. The Trio portfolio is best known for the work of entrepreneurial photographer Ernest Crocker (1877–1968), whose images reveal the First World War as seen primarily from Victoria. For the first time, researchers will have the opportunity to experience the likenesses, captured and contained in these fragile materials, of some of the many thousands of individuals who risked their lives to serve the war. Improving the accessibility and usability of our collections is part of how we continue to honour the gift of Geoffrey Taylor, who endowed the BC Archives Trust.

The records of the Trio Photograph and Supply Company contain glass-plate negatives and photographic prints of the Chinese Labour Corps.

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Summer 2018

STAFF PROFILE

Dr. Tzu-I Chung, Curator of History W

orking at a museum affords many interesting surprises. Most people don’t know about the diverse range of people I meet and things I see in my line of work. I enjoy learning about people’s family treasures and the curios that they’ve acquired—and most amazingly, about stories that have helped shape and enrich this province and country, connecting BC to different corners of the world.

For example, for my work on the Canada 150 Families: Bonds and Belonging exhibition, I had a chance to meet with different members of the Guichon family, the first generation of which arrived here from France during the gold rush era. The extended family and descendants have run ranches in Nicola Valley in the interior and potato farms in Delta on the coast. I got to hear the potato farmers’ family stories on a ride through the beautiful farmland on a sunny day under the blue sky and see the first generation’s family passport and the wine they brought back to BC after a family visit to France. I feel so grateful for this kind of learning opportunity.

I hope the kind of story collecting and community action work that I engage in help make museums more culturally democratic spaces and make visitors feel more at home.

Dr. Tzu-i Chung, curator of history, leading a Highlights of the Royal BC Museum workshop.

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Fugitives Anarchival Materiality in Archives

By Trudi Lynn Smith, Artist-in-Residence, Making Culture Lab, Simon Fraser University, and Kate Hennessy, School of Interactive Art and Technology, Simon Fraser University

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ugitives: Anarchival Materiality in Archives is a project inspired by materials we encountered while doing research together at Chicago’s Field Museum in 2013. Looking at northwest coast pastel drawings collected in anticipation of the 1893 World’s Fair, we were transfixed by a delicate imprint—a paper burn—of one drawing on the inside of the manila folder that had contained it for more than a century.

This led us to wonder what other lively activities and chemical reactions are being initiated against the will of archivists and troubling the order of archives themselves.

We imagine museums and archives to be stable repositories of history, but the force of entropy is a constant process, with human caretakers, freezers and even robots working hard to keep deterioration at bay.

Could documenting and telling the stories of these transformations—what we think of as anarchival materiality—provide new insight into the archive?

Last year we spent time in the BC Archives with Archivist Ann ten Cate and Preservation Manager Ember Lundgren, who walked with us through the archives, pointing out objects that stood out to them as remarkable. Ann referred to objects that she was unable to preserve as fugitives.

Fugitive implies the slippery feeling of something escaping or eluding the grasp, something tending to flee, someone who is driven out, banished or exiled. We adopt the concept of fugitivity to better understand the agency of anarchival materiality in archives.

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We created a temporary photo studio in the archives and worked with Ann and Ember to document fugitive objects. We started to understand that the anarchival force of molecular transformation, chemical reactions, and other human and non-human interactions turns archival materials into fugitives in a number of intriguing ways.

Fugitives can be exiled objects like wallets that are no longer needed as records but that are collected in the archive; they can be objects like trapline records, becoming and unbecoming fugitive based on how they are valued or devalued by archivists.

Objects like photographic and motionpicture film become fugitive by nature of inevitable material transformation—they literally cannot be preserved.

In our work so far we have observed how practices of care are relational acts of shepherding materials through constant states of change. We see a significant tension between the charge of preservation and acknowledgement of the fugitive nature of all things. In this thinking, archives are not outside of us, not of the past or for the future; they run alongside and in relationship with living beings.

Wallets. Fugitives in the British Columbia Archives, 2017. Smith and Hennessy photograph.

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 18 to October 6.

What’s on FAMILY PROGRAMS Canada Day Wonder Weekend The museum comes alive with family-themed activities in and out of the galleries. Enjoy multicultural performances and exciting local bands, create art and take part in our annual Penny Carnival on Canada Day. June 29, 30 | 12:00–8:00 pm July 1 | 12:00–3:00 pm Outside plaza Greater Victoria Public Library’s Summer Reading Program Join museum staff for an excavation into Egyptian archaeology.

July 10 and 11 | 2:30–3:30 pm Register through the Greater Victoria Public Library Learning Portal The Learning Portal is a dynamic and intuitive online resource. Follow your curiosity now at learning.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca ADULT PROGRAMS It’s Complicated: Dating Can Be Queer Join our panel for a discussion about how to navigate dating and relating in the 21st century.

June 28 | 5:15–7:00 pm By donation | Newcombe Conference Hall Museum Happy Hour Drink, eat, meet and explore. Enjoy one-nightonly themed events and activities in one of our core museum galleries.

19+ | Two pieces of ID required for entry $10 per person Drinks and light fare available for purchase Supported by

Pride July 12 | 5:15–7:00 pm Becoming BC gallery Bizarre Beasts July 26 | 5:15–7:00 pm Natural History gallery

Egypt Adult Day Camp Reawaken your inner child and explore our feature exhibition in these summer-campinspired workshops for grown-ups.

Archaeology Boot Camp July 20 | 10:00 am – 3:00 pm August 17 | 10:00 am – 3:00 pm $50 per person

Built Structures and the Written Word July 27 | 10:00 am – 3:00 pm August 24 | 10:00 am – 3:00 pm $50 per person

Night at the Museum: Egypt Adults, join us for a night of food, entertainment and adventurous Egypt-themed excursions throughout the museum.

September 1 | 6:30 pm – 9:00 am 19+ | Two pieces of ID required for entry $80 per person | Museum-wide ALL AGES Helmcken House and St. Ann’s Schoolhouse Visit these two exceptional heritage buildings for a peek into Victoria’s past.

June 3 – August 31 | 12:00–4:00 pm Included with admission or by donation Fieldtrippers Join us for themed outdoor field trips led by museum staff and community collaborators.

By donation. $5 per person suggested.

In-Seine Join curators Dr. Gavin Hanke and Dr. Henry Choong as they conduct a beach seine at Willows Beach.

June 16 | 12:00–2:00 pm Willows Beach

Tod Inlet History Walk Explore the rich human history of Tod Inlet with Curator of Human History Dr. Tzu-I Chung.

For ages 10 and up.

July 14 | 1:00–3:00 pm Gowlland Tod Provincial Park

LECTURES Live @ Lunch: The Gorge Waterway — Victoria’s Playground 1890–1930 Researcher Dennis Minaker will share what he’s learned of the social, sporting and architectural history of this area.

June 6 | 12:00–1:00 pm By donation | Newcombe Conference Hall Mystery, Majesty and the Mundane in New Kingdom Egypt In this lecture, objects from our feature exhibition will be used to explore a fascinating era in Egypt’s golden age.

June 21 | 7:00–8:30 pm $15 per person | Newcombe Conference Hall The Robert Bateman Centre Eyes of Society: Art, Traditional Knowledge, and the Watchmen of Haida Gwaii Eyes of Society: Art, Traditional Knowledge, and the Watchmen of Haida Gwaii is a collection of 30 artworks by 10 Haida and non-Indigenous artists to be featured at the Robert Bateman Centre this summer. These artists, who come from different regional and cultural backgrounds, explore their sense of place on the islands of Haida Gwaii through their own artistic traditions. Through art, language and beliefs, they investigate the notion that artists have traditionally been the ’eyes of society’.

Eyes of Society features the artwork of April White, Anja Karisik, Sophie Lavoie, Jim Hart, Gwaai Edenshaw, Jaalen Edenshaw, Gary Landon, Andrew Sookrah, W. David Ward and Robert Bateman. The exhibit will also feature the documentary Eyes of Society by Joe Crawford and Allison Smith of Braid Films.

June 15 – September 30, 2018

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PARTNERSHIP PROFILE

Tourism Victoria

By Paul Nursey, President and Chief Executive Officer

E

A Heartfelt Goodbye saddened to learn of Wethewerepassing of our good friend Danielle Ashworth in late April.

Danielle was a dedicated volunteer in the Royal BC Museum’s Marketing department, where she reviewed membership application forms and ensured our records were correct.

She was an exceptional person and her empathy for others was one of her greatest strengths. Her tireless community work was recognized in January 2017, when she received the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers from the Lieutenant Governor. We will miss her warmth and compassion, and we extend our deepest sympathies to her family and friends.

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

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very spring, hundreds of local tourismrelated businesses are hard at work in preparation for the upcoming tourist season.

Greater Victoria has been long known as a desirable destination in the spring and summer months. Our bright, sunny weather is a draw for many. Cruise ships arrive in port and our iconic hotels fill with guests, many experiencing for the first time what Greater Victoria has to offer.

But local residents are perhaps less aware that the tourism economy in Greater Victoria is also coming off a very successful shoulder season and off-season. In the past few years Tourism Victoria has identified this period in the calendar as an opportunity for growth.

Promotional campaigns have brought many who otherwise would not have visited to Greater Victoria. Businesses are confident and

have invested hundreds of millions of dollars for hotel renovations, new ferry services and other infrastructure, which in turn supports other parts of Victoria’s economy, such as construction and trades.

Word is out about Greater Victoria as a tourism destination—not just regionally and nationally, but internationally as well. Last year Victoria was named the number-two destination on Condé Nast’s Readers’ Choice list of best small cities outside the US. And as Greater Victoria’s tourism product evolves, so must our brand. Our organization is in the process of rebranding to better reflect what we are and have become. Greater Victoria was once a regional tourism brand, but we are now a truly global destination. Tourism Victoria will continue its hard work to attract visitors to our region, doing its part to support the local economy and community in the process.

Donor Form

YES, I want to help the Royal BC Museum create a new Learning Centre with my tax deductible gift of: $_____________________________________________

MONTHLY GIVING I prefer the convenience of giving monthly using my credit 15th of each card. Please take a payment on the 1st or month in the amount of

Please Give to the Learning Centre Today We Still Need Your Help to Turn This Vision into a Reality

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earning is at the heart of our mission. On site, online and through community outreach, we are striving more than ever to share our collections and expertise in new ways that reach more people. A state-of-the-art Learning Centre is the next step: it will help us realize our full potential as an engaging and accessible source of inspiration and learning for everyone, regardless of their age or where they are located in our province. It will mark the first stage of our vision to transform our museum and archives for the 21st century and be a treasure for generations to come.

We still need to raise almost $1,200,000 for this project, and we need you. With your help, our new Learning Centre will launch in 2018 and become a vital hub where teachers, students and diverse communities can come together to share knowledge.

Please make a gift today! Contact our fundraising department at 250-387-7222 or donate@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

$_____________________________________________ (Payments can be discontinued at any time by calling 250-387-7222.)

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.

YOUR INFORMATION Name: Address: City: Province:

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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 at privacy@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca or by telephone at 250-356-0698.

Charitable #: 118933241RR0001

EGYPT ADULT DAY CAMP CAMPS AREN’T JUST FOR KIDS!

Reawaken your inner child and explore the Egypt: The Time of Pharaohs exhibition in this summer-camp-inspired day camp for grown-ups. Meet knowledgeable staff, make connections with our galleries, and explore through hands-on activities. Pack a lunch, ditch the kids and bring a friend for a day camp like no other.

Archaeology Day Camp July 20 or August 17 I 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Built Structures and the Written Word Day Camp July 27 or August 24 I 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

Register today at rbcm.ca/grownupcamps PM42265026