%20(3).png)
By A. J. Baptiste, Amanda Foote, Kes Lefthand, Giona Smalleyes, Chey Suwâtâgâ Mû, Aiden Powderface, Amber Twoyoungmen, and Kelsey Twoyoungmen
In the fall of 2022, members of the Nakoda AV Club joined Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies staff for an introduction to the archives. They were joined by Amanda Foote, a student researcher at the University of Calgary exploring Îethka access to and control of museums and archives. For some, it was their first visit, and others had been before, regardless, all were overwhelmed. “I just couldn’t believe how much they had, and what they had, and how many stories were there,” said A. J. Baptiste.
The group was chosen as one of the Lillian Agnes Jones Fellowship recipients for the 2022-2023 year. The AV Club is a collective of storytellers based in Mînîthnî (Morley Reserve); some of the club members are collaborating with Amanda, who is a longtime volunteer for the club, in a project to examine how museums meet the needs and desires of Indigenous people. The project began years ago, with prompts from community members and Elders, and an Alberta Foundation for the Arts funded project that saw members of the club visit Bow Valley museums. The time spent at the Whyte was a step up from previous work because it allowed a deep dive over several months with dedicated support from the institution’s staff.
“The archives was pretty grand! I was more used to thinking about the exhibits, but I really learned how much value was in the archives too,” noted Chey Suwâtâgâ Mû. After the initial introduction the group spent four afternoons at the Whyte Museum. The majority of time was spent exploring the content of the archives, but the group also toured the home of founders Peter and Catharine Whyte, and took a look around the museum as well. “We got the chance to visit the collections and we saw the living objects. Finding out that our ancestors made some of the things we visited with was a really important point of connection. The intricate details of the objects were so exciting to notice. we wondered about family designs, stories, and we felt like these were on one pathway we could take to reconnect with our past,” continued Suwâtâgâ Mû.
Each of the Nakoda AV Club members who attended the sessions used the time to explore issues of concern to their own arts and storytelling practices. Interests among the group ranged from horse culture to petroglyph design, from beadwork to stories of ghosts and hauntings.
“I was reading about how saddles and bridles and how they were used in the past," noted Baptiste. "There was a design on one that I was really interested in because it looked so different than what we used today, but a lot of the things I saw, even though they looked different or sounded different, you could see the ways they are connected through modern tools. The saddles were a lot smaller though."
As word of the project spread, the group grew from five members to seven. Eventually siblings and parents also asked to join in. “The Whyte just has so much to learn from, and when we started talking about it, other people wanted to see for themselves and explore their interests in collections too,” said Foote. As Suwâtâgâ Mû notes, although Îethka is an oral culture, having archives as a jumping off point, to explore stories, connect to people, and forge relationships with the land felt useful.
This year the group has received funding from the Canadian Roots Exchange (CRE) to conduct a visit with Elders and Knowledge Keepers to part of the Parks system where they hope to harvest traditional items. In the archives they learned that Îethka used to harvest in this way, but that this was disrupted by the establishment of the Parks, the pass system, and economic hardships on their people. By re-asserting their relationships with the land, the group hopes to become more knowledgeable storytellers in their own unique ways. This was an example of both the difficulty of working in the archives, but also its potential; “some days were pretty heavy, and driving home there was often a stretch of time where people were in their own heads, or talking about things that made them feel frustrated.” On the other hand, the experience provided not only information that could be used towards reconnection, just spending time together there was a form of reconnection in itself. “It was amaze’za’zing! I love that there’s so much to research that I’ve never thought I would actually discover, like language and regalia,” noted Giona Smalleyes excitedly.
About the Lillian Agnes Jones Fellowship
In 2001, the Peter and Catharine Whyte Foundation/Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies received a bequest from the estate of Lillian Agnes Jones. From this bequest, a fellowship was created to promote the study and research of materials related to Western Canada. Initially, this fellowship was administered through the University of Calgary. The Whyte Museum began to oversee this fellowship in 2019.
The Call for Applications for the 2022-2023 year brought forth a variety of unique and exciting research topics. From the many applicants received, three individuals were chosen by the Lillian Agnes Jones Fellowship Committee. Kate Hanly, from Canmore, Alberta, explored the concept of how iconic mountaineering routes are changing in the Canadian Rockies due to climate change. Keara Lightning Long, from the Edmonton region, delved into the complex relationship of Indigenous ecology and the history of environmental management. Lastly, Amanda Foote, who lives in Mînîthnî facilitated a group of Îethka (Stoney Nakoda) people in hands-on archival, library, and curatorial research on a variety of topics.
Want to read the full research reports from each recipient? Please visit whyte.org/fellowship.
In the coming months be sure to watch for our upcoming events as these recipients will be presenting on their topics soon!
Are you looking to submit and application for an upcoming fellowship call? Stay tuned to our social media and newsletters. Announcement coming soon!
Interested in learning more about Canadian Rockies history? Book a research appointment at the Whyte Museum Archives and Special Collections Library.