Mr. Speaker, the third week in February is celebrated across Canada as Heritage Week. This year the theme, “Telling Our Stories,” is particularly relevant to us in the Northwest Territories.
The City of Yellowknife Heritage Committee kicked off its celebration of Heritage Week last Sunday with an afternoon of storytelling.
The Northern Life Museum in Fort Smith has a full week of programs, including moccasin, beaver mitt and Metis sash crafting workshops led by local artisans, tours of the museum and a display of historical photos.
The Norman Wells Historical Centre is featuring an exhibit of moosehide craftwork by Sahtu Dene artisan Myrtle Harrison. Ms. Harrison was an NWT Arts Council recipient in 2005 for her work in traditional hide tanning.
The NWT Mining Heritage Society in Yellowknife is exhibiting George Hunter’s black and white photographs at the Gourmet Cup coffee shop. The photos feature gold and uranium mining in N.W.T. in the 1950s, based on the book Not Only Gold. The display will remain until February 23.
The Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre continues to feature the recently opened exhibition, Yamória: the one who travels. This exhibition tells many stories about this Dene hero through stories told by elders. This exhibit is well worth a trip to the museum if you have not been there recently.
I encourage Members and all Northerners to celebrate our heritage this week and all year round by continuing to share our oral history through our stories. Mahsi.
