Truth-Telling in the Heritage Gallery: Unravelling Colonial Narratives

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By Dagny Dubois, Archives and Special Projects and Support for Indigenous Initiatives

The way we showcase history is often a reflection of our society and what we hold dear. Looking back to 2012, when the permanent exhibition Gateway to the Rockies opened in the Heritage Gallery, it is apparent to me how our community values have evolved.

As The Cairn reported it, the exhibit used “fun and interactive” elements, seeking to “...bring to life the men and women who shaped the culture of these mountains.” This exhibit has been through several iterations (it was a big day when the full-size helicopter was removed!), but overall, the stories and characters illuminating them remained the same. That story is one worth stepping back and reflecting on. It is a good time to question whose history is being honoured, who is being left out, and how language and presentation can confirm these narrative choices.

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We live in a transformative era, one in which institutions like museums are being invited to be accountable to communities they have misrepresented or left out of their exhibits, and in many cases benefit from in their collections. The Whyte is no exception; it is important to address where we have neglected uncomfortable histories, used outdated language, and continued colonial narratives and harm. There are many steps towards change happening within the institution, one of them is the Truth-Telling Interventions that have been added to text panels in the Heritage Gallery.

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Members of our new UNDRIP Alignment Working Group (UAWG), as well as other staff, were invited to walk through the Heritage Gallery in early 2025, to look at the exhibit with a beginner's mind and a discerning eye. They were asked to share where they saw gaps in the narrative, as well as any images or items that felt offensive or out of place.

A variety of viewpoints were shared, and we prioritized what needed to be addressed most critically. A series of yellow labels was written to add to existing text panels. We named them Truth-Telling Interventions. These yellow labels are meant to interrupt the viewer from quietly accepting the original text as reality. They are meant to present communities or individuals who are missing, misrepresented or glossed over. For example, looking at the missing presence of local Indigenous communities in the "exploration" narrative, the story of prisoners from the Internment camps who built key infrastructure in Banff National Park, and the vast number of Chinese railway workers who were mistreated in the glorified mission of a completed rail line. The goal of these interventions is to bring more voices to our shared history as a way to be more respectful and ethical in our museum practice.

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The process that created the Truth-Telling Interventions was a collective movement motivated by a desire to do better and a willingness to change. It has been inspiring to be part of, and brings to mind the words of Education and Museum Studies scholar Brandie Macdonald who said,

Like water, one person working towards decolonising in the field can make a difference, can create a passageway for present and future generations. Similarly, when we work collectively, we move mountains and change the ecology of the museum field. We are water and together we can effect transformative decolonial change.  

We look forward to sharing our ongoing process and commitment towards meaningful change and welcome all to engage in new dialogues and the respectful exchanges of ideas.

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Learn more about our Truth-Telling Interventions and the history of the systemic removal of Indigenous Peoples in Banff National Park by visiting the Heritage Gallery at The Whyte and the Reading Room near the Archives and Special Collections Library, featuring the display Exclusion, Removal, and Resilience.

Plan your visit by visiting whyte.org

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Sources:

1. The Cairn, Spring/Summer 2012, pg. 4

2. MacDonald, Brandie & Vetter, Kara. “From the Colonial to the Decolonial: The Complex Intersection of Museum Policy and Practice”, 2021. South African Museums Association Bulletin, Vol. 43, No.1.

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Photos:

1. Past display featured in the Heritage Gallery. Photo provided.

2. Truth-Telling Interventions Panel at the entrance to the Heritage Gallery.

3. Truth-Telling Intervention label addition to The Age of Auto display in the Heritage Gallery.

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