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Dispatch from the Moore Home By Amie Lalonde, Collections Cataloguer Back to The Cairn If you’ve walked down Bear Street towards the Whyte Museum you’ve probably noticed a little brown cabin with bright blue shutters—the colour of larkspur. If you’ve stopped to read the sign out front, or perhaps taken one of the tours offered by the Museum, you know that the house is that of the late Philip and Pearl Moore. Philip and Pearl were colourful characters in Banff’s early years. Their home remains a reminder of the life that some Banffites lived in the early years of the twentieth century. In April of this year the Museum began an initiative to fully inventory and catalogue all of the objects in the Museum’s collection—especially those hidden away in the drawers and cabinets of both the Moore home and the Peter and Catharine Whyte home. For the past two weeks I’ve been working through the dining room in the Moore home—double checking old catalogue records and cataloguing some objects that were hidden away in drawers, cabinets and chests. So far I’ve come across some very real reminders that this building really was a home—including salt and pepper shakers still full of spices and a half full bottle of wine. There have been some mysteries as well. A buffet cabinet door that is stuck shut (I desperately want to know what is in there), a silver chest that took over an hour to open (the key was hidden under a large pile of table linen) and trying to figure out exactly what the purpose of a spoon with a cup on the end was (an old fashioned bar multi-tool is my hypothesis). Though Pearl and Philip didn’t often entertain guests for meals in their home (they preferred to go to the Mount Royal Hotel—conveniently owned by Pearl’s brother, Jim Brewster) the dining room has an abundance of china, silverware, glassware and barware in English, Japanese, Russian and North American styles. For as many things as the dining room contains—it’s actually one of the sparser decorated rooms in the home. The main bedroom, the study and the living room will be even bigger projects and each will likely present their own mysteries and challenges. Stay tuned for more dispatches from the homes over the coming months and years! If this sneak peek has piqued your interest, stop by the Museum for a tour of the Moore and Whyte homes! Daily 45-minute tours begin at 11:30 a.m. and cost $10+GST per person. Want to learn more about the Moore family? Check out our virtual exhibition, Mountain Women: The Lives of Pearl Brewster Moore and Edmée Moore Reid of Banff. Back to The Cairn

Be Well 2020Lisa Shepherd Be Well 2020 Lisa Shepherd Be Well 2020 Artist Statement I worked through so many thoughts as I stitched this mask. It was like untangling thread. Frustrating at times, but necessary in order to move forward with creating. Like many other artists I've read about, I took a good two weeks of being entirely unproductive at the start of this pandemic hitting our part of the world. Then, one day, I realized how much I was grieving normalcy. Had it really been only two weeks prior that I was sitting with students at a high school, all talking about spring break plans? How fast that changed! With naming the grief, my inspiration and desire to create came back again. I also thought about our interconnectedness. To each other. To nature. Our family has been escaping to the forest when we can and making offerings to the water. It's a time of feeling very small but, with that, also a release of so much that we seem to carry every day. There is a strange comfort that also comes with loss of all sense of control. Okay, so here we are. Isolating, and at the same time realizing the deep need that we have for each other. For connection to each other and to all living beings. Has anyone else noticed the sheer joy that a car ride brings? After a month of isolating, I have a better understanding of the perspective of my dogs. In a car ride, as we pass through our city that seems to have slowed down to pace of the small prairie town from my childhood, the colours seem brighter, the sounds more crisp, the air is clean and - oh, that sky! How could we have taken such everyday miracles for granted for so long? There is so much for us to feel grateful for. And yet - never has a beadwork project felt so full of paradox, in a time of fear, uncertainty, and loss. We are heading into a long weekend. Our family will be staying home. We are going to take time to say our gratitudes. To Creator, to Mother Earth and to each other. Covid19 has happened so fast and many that have come down sick have gone to hospital alone and passed on to the next world. What was left unsaid? And so, I will try and keep open to all the vivid beauty of the world and try not to take even a single moment for granted. I will tell the people that are dear to me that I love them. I've been saying that a lot lately to every friend that I speak with on the phone or video chat, because I do. On this long weekend, I pray that others will embrace this opportunity to do the same. Stay home. Be well. Return

The Beach House Hotel: Lake Minnewanka's First Hotel By Kayla Cazes, Librarian/Reference Archivist Back to the Cairn Lake Minnewanka is perhaps one of the most widely known lakes near Banff, but did you know it was also the site of Banff National Park's very first hotel? Librarian and Reference Archivist Kayla Cazes digs into the rich history of this popular landmark, including the eventual demise of the hotel and town of Minnewanka Landing, owing to the development of a storage dam at Lake Minnewanka in 1912. Arriving in Banff in 1886, Willoughby John Astley, along with W.H. Desbrowne, decided to build the first ever hotel on Lake Minnewanka. A fully log structure was completed in 1886/87 and aptly named, the Beach House Hotel. In June of 1889, Willoughby's brother, Charles D'oyley Astley, his wife, Lucy Ann Andrew, and their infant daughter, Violet Louisa, would join him at the hotel. In 1890 Willoughby was contracted by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) to build a small, two bedroom chalet at Laggan, now known as Lake Louise (pictured below). After the construction, Willoughby was hired to run the chalet at Laggan. After the departure of his brother, Charles D’oyley Astley and his wife took up management of the hotel. In 1896, Willoughby Astley would be a part of the team that recovered Philip Stanley Abbot's body. Abbot was the first mountaineering fatality in the Canadian Rockies. The Beach House Hotel soon became an attraction for a wide variety of visitors. People from all over the world came to stay. From England to Australia, to Scotland and India, it became a unique getaway for those visiting the area. These individuals also held positions of esteem within their communities including doctors, lords, captains, and politicians. Many of these people would have taken a tally-ho, a small horse-drawn carriage, to reach the shores of the lake. The lake was a source of food, leisure, and recreation. Soon, the hotel became well-known for the food that it served. There was plenty of fish to be caught in the lake. These catches were recorded in the registry of the hotel. Ever so often a fish weighing over 25 pounds was recorded in the register. This abundance allowed the hotel to serve many different dishes. Lucy became proficient in puddings, candied fruits, cakes, jellied fish, clam pie—anything her guests would desire. Soon, others like local, Norman Luxton, would build hotels on the lake. Pictured above is Luxton's hotel on the left and the Beach House Hotel on the right. Even though more competition came, the hotel continued to be a gathering place for those that wanted to experience the beauty of the lake and surrounding area. With popularity, came development of the area. More buildings were built and a wharf was constructed. This wharf (pictured above) allowed visitors to gain greater access to the lake and was right outside the door of the Beach House Hotel. In 1895, the government constructed a small log dam on Devil's Creek. The purpose of this dam was to improve the shoreline of the lake for visitor usage. In 1910, the power station at Horseshoe Falls on the Bow River was completed by the Calgary Power Company. It was determined quickly that this power station would not provide the amount of power needed. In result, the Seebe Dam at Kananaskis Falls was constructed. In 1903, the hotel changed hands from the Astley's to Reverend Basil Guy Way. Reverend Guy Way ran the hotel until 1912, when the development of a storage dam at Lake Minnewanka forced him to burn the hotel to the ground. The water rose over 12 feet and flooded nearly 1000 acres of land. Many of the chalets and cottages that were located on the shores of the lake had been moved to the newly established summer village of Minnewanka Landing. In 1940, the Calgary Power Company submitted an application to dam Lake Minnewanka. In that same year the Canadian government under the War Measures Act suspended the 1930 National Parks Act. The National Parks Act stated blatantly that there was to be no industrial development in national parks. Its suspension allowed the final dam to built on the lake. This dam drastically altered the lake and surrounding area by raising water levels over 25 meters (85 feet). Unfortunately, Minnewanka Landing was flooded and lost. Today, many experienced divers swim down into the original site and see the ruins of the past. Interested in learning more about Canadian Rockies history? Book a research appointment at the Whyte Museum Archives and Special Collections Library . Back to the Cairn

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File name: fonds: Title: Date: D escription: v439_pa_237 Moore family fonds Pearl getting a haircut in camp.

Indigenous Life in Banff: How and Where to Discover and Connect Banff is a very sacred and special place to Indigenous people, especially to those who traditionally visited the area. They came here to gather food, medicines and to visit the mountains and hot springs for healing. “Banff is a unique area where Indigenous peoples gathered to trade for centuries,” says the Whyte Museum’s Manager of Indigenous Relationships and Programs Dawn Saunders Dahl. “The mountains are considered sacred where Indigenous peoples visited for spiritual reasons.” She says it’s important to know that there was not one specific group of Indigenous peoples who regularly visited Banff and the Bow Valley. Banff is located on the traditional territories of the Iyârhe Nakoda Nations (Bearspaw, Wesley, Chiniki), the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina – part of the Dene people, Ktunaxa, Secwépemc, Mountain Cree, and Métis. After contact with first settlers, gatherings in Banff continued, including Banff Indian Days, where families would come together to share stories, medicines, food and clothing. Today, Saunders Dahl says there are many Indigenous people living and working in Banff. If you’re keen to learn more about what makes this place so important to Indigenous people, Saunders Dahl offers some helpful tips: 1. Do a bit of research before your visit. There are a number of great books available at the Whyte Museum shop. She recommends These Mountains are our Sacred Places by Chief John Snow, Spirit of the Roc kies by Courtney Mason and 21 Things You May Not Know About The Indian Act by Bob Joseph. Also, read up on Treaty 7 here , and explore the territory of modern Banff online at the Indigenous Peoples Atlas . 2. Visit the Whyte online. Before you come, you can watch a series of videos about things as varied as local medicinal plants , the importance of land acknowledgements and traditional stew and bannock recipes . 3. Explore Recognizing Relations. The Whyte Archives' Recognizing Relations project is a great place to explore the history of Indigenous peoples in Banff. It’s a partnership project with the Stoney Nakoda community that is working to identify the names of all the people in the historic images from Banff Indian Days. By changing the photo captions and removing outdated and inappropriate naming, colonial ways of history can be addressed and improved. 4. Discover Heritage Homes. The Luxton Home Museum is also a great space to see Indigenous artworks from Banff Indian Days, Saunders Dahl says. Also, the heritage homes of the Whyte and Moore families offer places to explore the relationships these Banff settlers had with Indigenous people. 5. Attend special programming. The Museum has a number of special and engaging programming opportunities as well, including Indigenous Seasonal Walks and Talks, Stoney Nakoda History and Language class as well as arts programs. Find all the information here. 6. Support Indigenous artists. Purchasing books and artwork by Indigenous artists helps strengthen the cycle of Truth and Reconciliation. When you make a purchase, find out where it was made and ensure it was by Indigenous people. There’s a lovely selection of gifts available at the Whyte’s Museum Shop . Following these simple steps can help you discover more about the complex Indigenous culture that’s been present in Banff for centuries. And in the process, we hope you’ll learn a lot more than you expect, and feel a deeper connection to this majestic place. We look forward to welcoming you!

The Enduring Magic of Banff in Alberta's Film Industry By Mary Graham, Lillian Agnes Jones Scholar, Whyte Museum, 2021 Back to The Cairn I met the stubborn, meticulous, persnickety, iconic, loveable Nick (Nicholas) Morant on my first day as a Lillian Agnes Jones scholar at the Whyte Museum Archives in the winter of 2022, while researching the enduring importance of Banff to Alberta’s film industry. Image 1 The CPR had a long history of involvement in the Alberta film industry, even being given script approval on many films before 1960. So when they were enlisted to help director Arthur Hiller with the train stunt scenes for Silver Streak , they put their legendary photographer Nick Morant in charge of ensuring contractual compliance. Hiller and the producers discovered that while Nick was an annoying stickler for details who didn’t let them get away with anything not stipulated in the contract, he was meticulous and knew trains better than anyone. He knew the mountains and understood the complexities of timing shots for the railway and stopping speeding trains because he had done so many exacting shots for the CPR, all with perfect staging and composition in precise detail and the best light. He conveyed those marvelous abilities to stage the train shots for their movie, including the still legendary runaway sequence of a passenger train racing through Calgary at breakneck speed. It was done in one take. Morant had a series of strange little notes and drawings in his minuscule five by three inch, ever-present notebook, entitled “Property of Nick Morant. 20th Century. C. P. RLWY”. One page from that notebook appears to be the decapitation of the villain’s head as two trains pass each other. This appears in one scene in the runaway train sequence at the end of the movie, which was shot at the Alyth Train Yards in Calgary. If you look closely you see it: the first touch point, the head going off, and the blurry mess that is left. It's simple, brilliant, and complete in its austere orchestration of movie magic - and horrifying to watch in the movie. Nick did such a splendid job coordinating the impressive and legendary train shots for Silver Streak that when he was hired as a train consultant for the first Superman movie two years later, the contract stipulated many of the same conditions and terms of his duties. The CPR leased the train to the movie’s producers for $52,000, and six cars were brought in from across Canada. They were painted silver at the Ogden Rail Yards in Calgary just before filming. Nick oversaw it all. He also orchestrated the scene where a young Clark Kent outruns the train. They filmed the scene on tracks near Barons, Alberta, which was also the location of Clark Kent's movie high school between August 6 and 8,1977. Extra footage of the fast-moving train was taken on a run down to southern Alberta the night before they went to Barons. Soon after, Terrence Malick hired Nick for Days of Heaven . Malick was shooting scenes at odd times to capture the famous Alberta “magic hour” light; those brief, brilliant moments between day and dusk. The Hollywood technicians and producers were uncomfortable with that and relations were often strained. Matters weren’t helped when Nick wouldn’t let them move the CPR train back a couple of feet on the Lethbridge viaduct because he wanted proof of adequate insurance. He says he stood his ground. “They threatened and cajoled me and took me out to dinner. Come on, we’re just going to run it down the track a little way, you know. I said I was very sorry but I just couldn’t allow them to do that.” 1 Once the insurance matter was settled, filming continued, and a couple of days later, Nick drove down to southern Alberta from Banff with the Hollywood crew. At the end of the day, he was told they had no room for him in the car for the ride back. Nick says it was payback time. “Fine, I told them. I had my CPR radio so all I had to do was call the station and they could easily send a car down to get me. Then an impasse developed.” 2 A Calgary cameraman, an IATSE union member, declared none of his group would leave unless Nick came as well. Nick gleefully waited until they finally let him get in the car. The legendary Swiss Guides of Banff were instrumental to filmmaking in the very early and busy days of filmmaking in the Canadian Rockies, passing the torch to Banff’s “Mountain Man” Bruno Engler in the late 1950s. While trying to orchestrate the filming of an avalanche for the Academy Award-winning Walt Disney nature documentary, White Wilderness (1958), Engler says one evening he happened upon Rudolph Aemmer and Eduard Fuez, two of the most important guides to early film history. They were at the isolated alpine cabin near the Plain of Six Glaciers after waiting all day for an avalanche on the Lower Victoria Glacier. He was cold, tired, and discouraged. The three mountain legends stayed up all night discussing where Engler should hold his “vigil for the avalanche” the next day. They decided that a different spot on the glacier would yield the best results and Engler headed off in the morning with new vigor. An avalanche finally came roaring down that day, but he was on a much-needed toilet break and had to scramble back to his camera with his pants down. It also didn’t help that a pair of skiers happened to pass by at the same time. He got mostly the cloud of snow dust left in its wake. His vigil did eventually end and he did get an avalanche shot for the movie. Engler worked on many films shot in and around the Canadian Rockies in his long career in film, beginning as a mountain consultant with The Far Country (1954), which was filmed in the summer of 1953. He warned director Anthony Mann that an avalanche would happen around 3 o’clock in the afternoon while they were filming the cast trekking up the massive Athabasca Glacier, part of the Columbia Icefield, with pack horses. Image 2 Mann chose to ignore him. Bad choice. Massive chunks of snow and rock came roaring down the glacier around that time and Engler saved one of the film’s stars from certain death. She later called Engler “The God of the Glacier” in media interviews. She said the cast and crew bowed to him and respected everything he said after the incident. Engler recounts that 20 years later, while working on Buffalo Bill and the Indians or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson (1976) at Morley, he heard the crew talking around the fire one night about a legendary Banff mountain guide who saved Anthony Mann and his cast from an avalanche in 1953. “I didn’t tell them it was me”, said Engler. About Mary Graham Mary Graham is a writer, documentary journalist, and film historian, with a degree in Arts, and graduate degrees in Journalism and Marine Law. She has appeared as a feature film specialist at CBC Radio and ARTE, the European Culture Channel. Her book A Stunning Backdrop: Alberta in the Movies, 1917-1960 was published in October of 2022. Her research at the Whyte Archives as a Lillian Agnes Jones Fellow will contribute to a second book on filmmaking in Alberta, after 1960. 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. Lillian Agnes Jones (1909 – 2000) was a cousin to Whyte Museum founder, Peter Whyte. Her mother, Elizabeth Jane, was Dave White’s sister. She and her husband Clifford Jones moved to Calgary in 1900. Their daughter, Lillian, was educated at the University of Alberta in Edmonton and the University of Washington State, graduating in 1952 with a degree in Library Science. She was Head Librarian for Cal Standard Oil Company in Calgary and was a member of the University Women’s Club. The Lillian Agnes Jones Fellowship was established “for study and research related to the history of Western Canada.” Initially administered as a graduate student scholarship through the University of Calgary, it was realigned in 2019 to be administered through the Whyte Museum, with an open call for scholarly residency proposals across Canada. Learn more about the work of past and present Lillian Agnes Jones Fellowship recipients here . Images: Image 1 : Nicholas Morant making a face. [ca. 1945-1955]. Photograph by Peter Whyte. Peter and Catharine Whyte fonds. V683 / III / A / 3 / PA - 92. Archives and Library, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Image 2 : "Bruno Engler and actor Corinne Calvet on the Athabasca Glacier while filming The Far Country , Jasper National Park, Alberta.", [ca. 1953], (CU1209933) by Calgary Albertan. Courtesy of Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary. Sources: Bruno Engler fonds. Archives and Library, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Engler, Bruno; Sandford, Robert, ed., A Mountain Life, Alpine Club of Canada, Canmore, Alberta, 1996. Nick Morant fonds. Archives and Library, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Back to The Cairn

The Whyte Museum offers a wide variety of public events throughout the year, including artist talks, book launches, films, live performances and more... PROGRAMS & EVENTS The Whyte offers a wide variety of public programming and events throughout the year, including artist talks, book launches, film screenings, workshops, exhibition openings, and much more! For complete event information, including registration, please scroll through our events below. Online registration is required for all programs and events unless otherwise stated; check descriptions for details. PURCHASE TICKETS HERE PURCHASE TICKETS HERE Interested in hosting a public event at The Whyte? Contact Clayton Smith at csmith @whyte.org or 403-762-2291 ext. 322.

Whyte Museum Update Back to The Cairn New Fall and Winter Hours Beginning on September 10, 2020, the Whyte Museum's hours are changing to: Monday – Closed Tuesday – Closed Wednesday – Closed Thursday – 12 to 6 p.m. Friday – 12 to 6 p.m. Saturday – 12 to 5 p.m. Sunday – 12 to 5 p.m. **Please note that we will be accepting private, booked tours Monday – Wednesday, more details coming soon. The Archives and Special Collections will continue to be open by appointment. Long distance reference services are available. If you require more information about our archival services please email archives [at] whyte.org. We will continue to have our exhibitions open and are proud to welcome the Breathe. exhibition in early October. Breathe. is a collection of traditionally crafted masks demonstrating resiliency through the 21st century. Co-created by Métis artists, Nathalie Bertin and Lisa Shepherd, artists were invited to create masks which reflect emotions felt during the current COVID-19 global pandemic. Realizing the entire world was being affected by the pandemic, they expanded their call to any artist that would like to create a mask that reflects their culture and art practice. Included with each mask is a story by the maker reflecting the variety of emotions currently being felt around the world. From fear, sadness, hope, and love, these stories are unique and beautiful. This exhibition will inspire and challenge visitors to consider their own resilience in the face of a pandemic. Our current feature exhibition, Drawn to the West will continue to be on display until January 17, 2021. During this time we will be working diligently behind-the-scenes on some new exciting projects – stay tuned! Back to The Cairn

A Mountain of Miniatures Back to The Cairn By Amie Lalonde, Collections Cataloguer When you walk into a museum you usually expect big things. Paintings that dominate a wall, sculptures that are larger than life, natural history specimens that drive home just how big some animals really are. While the Whyte Museum certainly has these things, some of my favourite objects lie on the opposite end of the size spectrum. Within our collections are hundreds of objects that fit easily in the palm of one's hand, most of which were collected by the museum's founders: Peter Whyte and Catharine Robb Whyte. These objects – miniature ceramics, tiny figurines, architectural models, and pins and pendants in the form of much larger objects – illustrate impressive craftsmanship and, in my opinion, are absolutely adorable. Above: a selection of “smalls”, the curatorial department’s colloquial name for our vast collection of miniature objects. Beatrix Potter figurines are a familiar sight for anyone born in the last century. These ones however are barely more than a centimetre tall, making them unlikely playthings! The details painted on these painted ceramic figures is incredible for their size. Other toys and playthings are also found in miniature within this collection: such as this leather bound book – with pencil lines drawn on the blank pages inside – and a full set of colourful playing cards that look like they would be incredibly hard to actually play with. Other objects are ones of adornment – pins or pendants – but resemble other, larger objects. This minuscule pocket knife pendant has a blade that folds in and out and could, theoretically, be used to cut things. An even more impressive pendant is in the form of a miniature book, only 1.5 c.m. tall, that includes teeny tiny photographs of popular spots in the Canadian Rockies. And, albeit slightly bigger than the knife and book pendants, the violin lapel pin below practically begs the joke “let me play you a tune on the world’s smallest violin.” Many of the miniatures are perfect replicas of larger household or personal objects. These tiny mukluks and minuscule fans are beautifully crafted, with fine details that you would expect to see only on much larger objects. Large (and actually useable) versions of both can be found in our collection. Explore it here: https://archives.whyte.org . The bulk of the miniatures within our collection are in the form of ceramics. Some are obviously doll accessories, but others, like those pictured below, are so small and delicate that their lives were more likely spent being admired on a shelf than played with by a child. These ceramics have many origins – English, South American, Canadian — but the smallest and most intricate are without a doubt those from Japan. Catharine Robb Whyte likely inherited these from her maternal grandfather Edward Sylvester Morse, a professor and zoologist with a keen interest in Japanese pottery. He collected over 5,000 pieces of Japanese ceramics in his lifetime! This miniature china shop is one example of how small, detailed, and finely crafted these ceramics are. Lastly, this little ivory figure is my favourite miniature in our collection. Maybe it’s his expression, or the way he almost-but-not-always stands up on his own… I love this little guy. Also below is a picture that shows some of my own “smalls” – miniature figures and animals collected over the years from Alberta, Ontario, New York City, and London and the Isle of Wight, England. Perhaps the reason why I love our collection of miniatures so much is because I’ve been amassing a collection of them ever since I was a child! Check out our entire catalogued collection of miniatures here and share photographs of any objects that you collect by tagging us @WhyteMuseum on Twitter, Instagram, or visiting our Facebook page! Miniatures pictured in this article: Chair - 102.04.0417 Book - 108.05.0104 Dog - 102.04.0492 Playing Cards - 108.05.0116 Mukluks - 103.03.0132 Charm - 103.01.0103 a Fans - 103.08.0413 a,b Charm - 103.01.0113 a,b Abacus - 104.15.0004 Pin - 103.01.0121 Tea set - 104.20.0814 a-f Tea set - 104.20.0815 - a-h Plate - 104.20.0816 Plate - 104.20.0817 Figurine, animal - 107.01.0237 Jug - 104.20.1201 a-c Hut - 101.01.0011 a,b Hut 101.01.0010 a,b Statue (rabbit) - 107.01.0179 Sculpture, animal - 107.01.0182 a,b Figurine set, animal - 107.01.0198 a-m Figurine, House - 107.01.0242 Figurine, animal - 107.01.0095 Figurine, man - 107.01.0099 Sculpture, Unk.06.03 House collection, miniature - 107.01.0155 a China Shop - 105.02.0118 Back to The Cairn

Susanne Aaltonen: Knowing How Little I Need Her Now By Anne Ewen, Curator of Art & Heritage Back to The Cairn Susanne Aaltonen: Knowing How Little I Need Her Now Rummel Room Susanne Aaltonen is a Canadian artist currently living and working in Calgary, Alberta. Through various levels of concealment, her work confronts generations of dysfunction and trauma within her family. Aaltonen’s sketch books articulate her distress within the family in written and drawn form while her paintings delve into the layers of angst. Multiple coats of various colours are applied and dried onto wooden painting panels. A photographic image is then imprinted onto the painted surface and sealed with an acrylic medium. Carefully and with deliberate precision, Aaltonen then begins to carve and etch into the surface. By using various sizes of gouging tools the ensuing effect is suggestive of a physical and emotional erosion. Of her work the artist writes: “…exposing what’s buried underneath reflects a superficial attempt to unearth and further understand the trauma. Initially understood as an attempt to analyze the dynamic within my family, the act of carving begins to resemble more of a meditative act that leads towards reluctance. The resulting work evokes the uneasy balance between seeking reconciliation and the emotional burden of such an attempt.” Aaltonen received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Alberta College of Art and Design in 2016 and in 2017 she was part of the Banff Artist in Residency (BAiR) for Emerging Artists at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. As a nod to her artistic commitment and expression, Aaltonen was recently signed by Paul Kuhn Gallery, Calgary. Part of our spring exhibitions, the exhibition, Susanne Aaltonen: Knowing How Little I Need Her Now will run until June 9, 2019. Back to The Cairn

Leading With Indigenous Stories: My Experience Working With the Cave and Basin Mural Project Back to The Cairn By Emma De Sousa, Coordinator of Events and Indigenous Relationships In 2024 I had the privilege of working with The Whyte on the third year of the Cave and Basin Mural Project. Having recently completed my Master of Art, specializing in Curatorial Studies, I left my second degree solidly aware of the art world, artists, and artworks themselves but feeling a sense of tiredness about it all. There are many ways to consider art and art projects. They give us new ways to think about the world, diffuse political thought and present a variety of interpretations about the world around us. But after studying art for a few years, I started to believe art couldn’t do all it said it could and couldn’t truly make large-scale change in our communities. As an Indigenous person studying any Western-centered discipline, it can be easy to get into these ruts. However, projects like the Cave and Basin Mural Project revitalized the way I understand the importance of art. Demonstrating in real time the way art can change the world around you in significant ways. This summer, six Indigenous artists came to stay, visit, and create artwork on this land, the land their ancestors and relatives have stewarded since time immemorial. Jarron Poucette (Stoney), Kyle Kaquitts (Stoney), Kristy North Peigan (Blackfoot), Cheyenne Bearspaw (Stoney), Giona Smalleyes (Stoney), and Brendon Many Bears (Blackfoot) came together to create large scale murals on boxes installed at the Cave and Basin National Heritage Site in Banff National Park. It was my job as the Project Assistant at the time, to ensure all the little aspects of the project came together. Attempting to create the perfect conditions for the artists to be able to create the art they want to make. The key word there is “want." In the post-Truth and Reconciliation era in Canada, there has been a major uptick in the desire to support Indigenous-centered art and to have Indigenous programming at schools, galleries, businesses, heritage sites, etc. However, not everyone begins thinking about reconciliation and Indigenization from a good place. Often institutions come into projects with preconceived notions of what Indigenous art should be, often focusing on what they believe non-Indigenous guests would prefer to see and less of what Indigenous artists envision creating. Unlike most of these projects, the artists invited were welcome to paint whatever they wished around the theme of Stories of this Place. This could be rooted in their personal, familial, community, or nations history, culture, spirituality, or involvement on this land and sacred site. The only influence on their work came from the mentors invited to support them in this endeavor, AJA Louden, Bruno Canadien, Joseph Sanchez, and Dawn Saunders Dahl (also project lead) who taught new techniques, and helped artists enact their own concepts and ideas. Projects developed and run by Indigenous arts administrators such as this one tend to consider the process as much as the product of “art”. In spaces like these, we can focus as much on the meals we will share, workshop development, and opportunities for learning and visiting for artists as much as the painting process and product of the murals. In my understandings as a Métis scholar, I recognize we are building capacity for community building and relationship making through the project itself. There are two ways in which I witnessed this occur, firstly through reinstating community access to land and sovereignty through the art itself. When visitors come to visit the Cave and Basin site and view the murals, or attend an Indigenous Mural Walking Tour, they see art that outlines in detail the Indigenous lived experiences and continued use of this place since time immemorial. The stories of the artists and their communities tell visitors we were and continue to be here, this is what we were/are doing, how we lived then and today, what relationships we had with the land and other communities, and how those relationships have changed. This is important as so many of these stories have been deprioritized with the inception of the Parks system and with processes of colonization. They remind policymakers, visitors, employees, and residents in the Bow Valley of the origins of this place and its importance. The second way in which I witnessed community building was through working with the artists and mentors themselves. Outside of politics, what other opportunities do we have to engage between nations? Projects like these build relationships between Indigenous artists and arts administrators. Increasing not only a professional network but a different kind of relationality between Indigenous community members from multiple different communities. Working with others outside of my own nation and territory was such an experience and lesson in understanding. Showing that many of us experienced the same issues, came from similar backgrounds and areas, and had similar insecurities and interests. All while learning about the uniquely vibrant diversity of each other's cultures, over simple conversations in the car or the lunchroom between painting sessions. Indigenous-centered art projects like the Cave and Basin Murals sit at the intersection of everything we do in the heritage/cultural sector. In working on the project, I realized art like this affects policy, legal cases, how we view history, environmental work, activism, education, academics, healthcare, and the list goes on. These murals, these artists, and their art changed the way I view the art world away from the tired and skeptical feelings after studying an inherently colonial discipline's worldview. It teaches the tourist and visitor what it means to be a good guest in this place. As a result, with more Indigenous-centered and led projects like this one, we change this place and make it inherent to consider Indigenous communities, people, and their perspectives before anything we do on this land. With enough effort towards these forms of relation building, we as guests and stewards of this land can develop thriving and truly inclusive spaces throughout the valley. Want to discover more about Indigenous-led art initiatives supported at The Whyte? View our Indigenous Programming . Back to The Cairn