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Back to the Cairn By Kate Hanly, 2022/23 Lillian Agnes Jones Fellowship Recipient Climate change is contributing to the rapid warming of mountain environments, resulting in glacial retreat, diminished snowpacks, and permafrost thaw (Adler et al., 2022). But what does this mean for life in the Bow Valley? A place famous for its lofty peaks, inspiring ridge lines, and vast glaciers. My first face-to-face experience with climate change was in 2012 on a guided glacier trip with my dad on which we set off to complete the historic "trip over the passes", stopping to spend a night at the famous Abbot Hut. It was early July, but it felt like winter up there with long snow patches that provided good kick steps most of the way. Though we donned helmets, I don’t remember seeing much for rockfall. I do remember listening to our guide talk about how some of the nearby mountains were changing and the route down the infamous Death Trap was different than it used to be. But I found it next to impossible to imagine that the frozen massifs surrounding me, glued together by snow and ice, could crumble in my lifetime. A mere four years later, in 2016, slope instabilities on the route my dad and I had walked up were first noticed – a sign that the slope Abbot Hut rested upon was imperilled. The previously solid foundation of frozen material began to slide down the slope, threatening the structural integrity of the hut and by 2018, $600,000 had been spent on remediation to reinforce the structure (Parks Canada Agency, 2022). However, safety concerns in 2019 and COVID-19 health measures in 2020 stopped stabilization efforts. The heat dome of 2021 was the final nail in the coffin, causing 114m3 of material to fall from the slopes supporting the hut resulting in irreparable damage (Parks Canada Agency, 2022). In 2022 Abbot Hut was dismantled and removed. The dramatic speed at which the slope and hut crumbled left me wondering, what more do we have to lose? The last night spent in Abbot Hut, the last adventure through the Death Trap, the last ascent of Mts Lefroy and Victoria, the last glacier walked on with my dad. In response to these questions my research reviewed the Abbot Hut registers from 1923 to its closure, transcribing almost 7000 entries into Excel and analyzing them to see how the landscape of risk, or the "riskscape" of some of the Canadian Rockies most iconic climbs have changed (Figure 2) and if/how mountaineers have adapted to these changes (Figure 3). I found that there has been an increase in the reporting of rockfall, diminishing snowpacks, and exposed rock/ice in the two most popular approach routes to Abbot Hut – the Swiss Guide’s Route, better known as the Death Trap, and the Lake O’Hara gully. The same increasing trends were also found on climbs that sit on either side of the pass – Mt Lefroy and Mt Victoria (Figure 2). The “Riskscape” of Climbing Routes in the Abbot Pass Area Over Time But what are the implications of these changes for mountaineers? Can they adapt to increased risk of rock or serac fall? I believe that mountaineers can and have adapted to these changes. For example, the Swiss Guides Route from Lake Louise was historically the more common approach to the hut. However, by the 1970’s the number of climbers using each approach reached equilibrium, followed by a significant decrease in the use of the Guide’s Route in the 1990s. This change corresponds with increasing trends in rock/serac fall, problematic crevasses, and diminishing snowpacks (Figure 3A) which all conspired to create climbing conditions well-known guide, Peter Fuhrmann, described, requiring that, “Anyone travelling the Death Trap should buy additional insurance and have his head checked" (Abbot Hut Entry, August 21, 1997). Simultaneous to the decrease in use of the Guides Route, there is an increase in use of the gully approach (Figure 3B), which has been described as comparatively less hazardous. This could be interpreted as a form of spatial adaptation – where climbers are preferentially climbing in areas with either less consequential impacts of climate change or areas that have yet to reach a threshold that necessitates behavioral change: “SEVERE CREVASSE DANGER FORCED US DOWN L. O’HARA SIDE” (Abbot Hut Register, September 2, 1985). Evolution of Where Mountaineers are Climbing Over Time Similarly, hut visitors appear to be spatially adapting to poor climbing conditions on Mt Lefroy by preferentially climbing Mt Victoria. Historically, Victoria was the more desirable climb (Figure 3B) as the picturesque ridge appears perfectly framed by the windows of Château Lake Louise, capturing the imagination of countless visitors. In fact, it was so popular that Ernest Feuz is purported to have fibbed that the Death Trap was impassible for almost an entire summer to avoid having to climb the mountain (Stephen, 2021, p. 131). While Mt Lefroy did gain popularity over time, since the early 2000s the number of trip reports on this mountain have decreased significantly (Figure 3B). This was found to correspond with increases in rockfall and encounters with exposed ice and rock, both of which can give rise to poor climbing conditions: Lefroy is another matter. The snow is melting off the face so there is some bare ice and exposed rock steps on the normal route and LOTS of rock exposed on the face around the gully. Rock barrages started on Monday afternoon in a thunder and intense rainstorm. Saw a couple of BIG blocks rattle down during the storm and that was not pretty or survivable. (MCR, July 14, 2019) In what could be inferred as spatial adaptation, mountaineers at Abbot Hut appear to have preferentially climbed Victoria’s SE ridge where conditions are comparatively better in the face of climate change. For example, while increased encounters with exposed rock on Lefroy seemed to be related to increases in rockfall, on Victoria this relationship was less significant. Instead, a dry ridge appeared, at least at times, to make climbing easier and faster, with one hut entry reading, “Victoria was in just about perfect conditions, dry on the ridge” (Abbot Hut Entry, July 27, 2013). Thus, the identification of a persistent change in the spatial behaviour of mountaineers seems to imply that they are adapting to climate change by altering where they climb and preferentially choosing routes that are comparatively less hazardous. In doing this research, my goal was to identify the ways in which the climbing community is vulnerable to climate change and if/how it can adapt in order to maintain safe practices in Canada’s increasingly endangered mountain environments. What I found was a highly sensitive environment, deeply impacted by climate change and a community of mountaineers who are decidedly adaptable. And so, while the future of our mountains remains uncertain, I certainly believe there will be a future for climbers in them. Archival Materials Used Textual Material: 1. Chateau Lake Louise fonds. 1923-1953. Chateau Lake Louise. Chateau Lake Louise fonds. M180. Archives and Library, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. a. M180 / accn. 1074 - Abbot Hut Registers, 1923-1953 2. Alpine Club of Canada fonds. 1906-2017. Alpine Club of Canada. Alpine Club of Canada fonds. M200 / S6 / V14. Archives and Library, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. a. M200 / accn. 6623/ unprocessed – Abbot Hut Registers, 1954-2016. References Adler, C., Wester, P., Bhatt, I., Huggel, C., Insarov, M. D., Muccione, V., & Prakash, A. (2022). Cross-Chapter Paper 5: Mountains. In: Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, M. Tignor, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem, B. Rama (eds.)]. 2273–2318. https://doi.org/doi:10.1017/9781009325844.022. Parks Canada Agency, G. of C. (2022, August 11). About—Abbot Pass Refuge Cabin National Historic Site—About. https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/bc/yoho/culture/~/link.aspx?_id=0AF382BB05604F859137C177303C8CD2&_z=z Stephen, D. L. (2021). Edward Feuz Jr: A story of enchantment (First edition). Rocky Mountain Books. 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. Back to the Cairn

Back to the Cairn 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. Back to the Cairn

Back to the Cairn On June 16th, the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies celebrated the opening of two exciting new summer exhibitions: For the Birds and Celebrating 100 Years: Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies. The opening was well attended by locals and visitors enjoying an evening of refreshments, door prizes, lively conversation, and connecting with community. "We are constantly amazed and delighted by the way artists look at nature," said Donna Livingstone, CEO of the Whyte Museum, in her opening remarks. "You’ll see that in full twittering colour in For the Birds, presented in the main gallery by our Curator, DL Cameron. It's hard to sit still in the gallery as you listen to bird calls or feel the eyes of an owl follow you around the room. Carry these heightened sensations with you on your next morning walk along the river - you'll have a new appreciation and attunement to mountain birds everywhere." "We are also pleased to celebrate the important historic anniversary with the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies. There is a lot of history in this area, but history comes alive on horseback with this legendary historic group, who are celebrating a century of introducing visitors from all around the world to the backcountry of the Rockies. For many, those trips have created lasting memories, some of which are captured in the photos on the walls right here in the Rummel Room. These legendary rides, accented by songs, storytelling, and new friendships really speak to the experience of the mountains." About the Exhibitions For the Birds features the work of 16 artists of all different mediums along with select works from the Whyte Museum’s collection. The show celebrates our love for and fascination with birds through various disciplines such as ceramics, sculpture, and paintings. Each artist shares their unique perspective on the subject from the pragmatic to the spiritual to the barnyard friend. Artists include Diana Thorneycroft, Nikol Haskova, Grant Leier, Neil Clifford, Peter McFarlane, Michael Cameron, Michael Corner, Dawn Deterando, Brian McArthur, Dan Hudson, Julya Hajoczky, Joel Satore, Marsha Schuld, Kate Tooke, Krista Leddy, and Tom Willock. ​ There’s no better way to connect with nature than to appreciate the movements of a bird. To sit and watch a warbler in flight or a woodpecker hammer into a tree. To awaken to their gentle songs in the morning or appreciate their signs of heralding in a new season. They are often the first creatures to let us know that something is wrong with the environment, like the canary in a coal mine. Birds have featured in art as far back as 17,000 years ago when they appeared in the Lascaux cave paintings. Their stunning variety of colours and patterns make them perfect subjects. Few animals have as much diversity as birds. From the tiny grace of the hummingbird to the large oddity of the Shoebill Stork, it’s easy to see why these creatures have captured our imagination. Gallery 1 The Whyte Museum is thrilled to host Celebrating 100 Years: Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies, curated by current Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies volunteers. This exhibition highlights a century of mountain adventures with this historic group since1923. This year will mark 100 years of riding trails, singing around a campfire, and encouraging a lifelong love of being in nature with new and old friends. After the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in 1881, adventurers were free to explore Canada from coast to coast, with the establishment of our national parks soon to follow. The CPR played a vital role in opening the Banff area to visitors, sponsoring the Order of the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies as one of their hallmark offerings. With the comfort of weeklong all-inclusive excursions, outdoor enthusiasts could now traverse valleys and scale mountain passes on horseback, experiencing the grandeur of the mountains and meadows as the first riders did. This exhibition is a celebration of mountains and horses, capturing the awe and splendour of the riders’ journey, despite the changes of time. It shares experiences that have made this such a loved and enduring group - through photographs, trophies, songs, and artifacts from the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies and Whyte Museum collections. Check out the recent media coverage of our summer exhibitions: Whyte Museum's summer shows a helluva hoot | Jessica Lee with Rocky Mountain Outlook Gallery: PHOTOS: Trail Riders exhibit launches at the Whyte Museum | Jungmin Ham with Rocky Mountain Outlook Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies marks 100 years | Blake Lough with Global News What to Do in the Mountains in July | Alana Willerton with Avenue Magazine Calgary Trail Riders of Canadian Rockies carry on 100-year tradition of mountain adventures | David Parker with Calgary Herald Galleries: Gallery 1: Summer 2023 exhibition opening at the Whyte Museum. Photos by Katie Goldie. Back to the Cairn

Back to the Cairn On March 31st, the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society celebrated the opening of EXPLORE by Chris Cran, marking the beginning of a new partnership between two organizations with a common goal: connecting Canadians to nature. With the opening of this exhibition, we have signed a memorandum of understanding that reflects the many ways in which our two organizations overlap and serve Canadians. "Every hiking pole, painting, warden map, Indigenous story, and archival ski photo speaks to the passion felt for the mountains for thousands of years," said Donna Livingstone, CEO of the Whyte Museum. "As a 'national treasure in a national park,' the Whyte offers meaningful experiences that encourage visitors to explore the changing landscape with fresh eyes - and to take responsibility for it." EXPLORE is a series of 23 optical illusion portraits by Calgary artist Chris Cran, featuring contemporary and historical Canadian explorers who have helped shape our sense of geography and the world. Gallery 1 Known for his ability to play with illusion, Chris Cran fuses traditional artistic genres and contemporary movements, from pop art to abstraction and photorealism. Cran has been a prolific and influential artist presence in Canada for decades. A graduate of the Alberta College of Art + Design, where he was an instructor from the 1990s until 2018, he has helped shape generations of new visual artists. In addition to the permanent collections of the National Gallery and the Art Gallery of Alberta, his often satirical and self-referential works appear in galleries and private collections across Canada and internationally. In 2016, he was the subject of the major exhibition Chris Cran, Sincerely Yours, featured by both the National Gallery of Canada and the Art Gallery of Alberta. In 2018, the first 10 portraits in his ongoing Explore series were exhibited at Canada's Centre for Geography and Exploration, the Ottawa headquarters of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. The historic figures and living luminaries celebrated in this series all of them closely associated with the RCGS, of which Cran is also a fellow - have been rendered by Cran in his iconic "striped" style, which creates an impression that changes depending on distance and perspective. "I've always been fascinated by how crude lines can produce photographic images," he says. The aim is to create something in which the viewer is an active participant- both in terms of meaning and the physicality of moving back and forth. "Up close in a gallery these images are abstract; people must shift between the making and what has been made, the representations of these Society founders and builders." Featured RCGS fellows include Louie Kamookak, one of Canada's foremost Inuit oral historians and a leading expert on the Franklin expedition, which had met its untimely end in the vicinity of his home on King William Land. And Mario Rigby, an advocate for inclusion and diversity in the outdoors and sustainable, human-powered travel, who has undertaken several impressive outdoor endeavours to raise awareness of these issues, including cycling across Canada in 2019. The function of the portrait is to commemorate. The portraits of the RCGS fellows do more than this. They celebrate their subjects and call them to remembrance in the individual memory. In the context of the EXPLORE series, as a group, they serve a larger purpose as well: they take part in shaping the collective cultural memory. Check out the recent media coverage of EXPLORE by Chris Cran: Artist Chris Cran’s Explore exhibition highlights Canadian explorers | Olivia Wiens with Canadian Geographic Three new exhibitions coming to Whyte Museum this spring | Craig Baird with Rocky Mountain Outlook Galleries: Gallery 1: Spring 2023 exhibition opening at the Whyte Museum. Photos by Josh Segeleski. Back to the Cairn

By Jen Royal, Manager of Education Back to the Cairn We have a new face at the Whyte Museum! Samantha Palmer-Forrest joined us from Crowsnest Pass where she worked at the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre for 3.5 years in interpretive programming and school program delivery. Having an interest in preserving built heritage, she was a member of the Crowsnest Pass Municipal Historic Resources Advisory Committee which advises council on all historic resources and matters within the municipality. In her position as education and interpretation assistant at the Whyte Museum, her job involves the delivery of interpretive programming and the development and delivery of school programs and public tours. Born and raised in Calgary, Samantha studied at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario where she received a bachelor of science degree. Samantha went back to school and graduated with a post-baccalaureate diploma in heritage resource management from Athabasca University. While a full-time student, she became her mother’s caregiver after a diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s. Wanting to share her story and help others in the same situation, Sam became an advocate and was the Alzheimer’s Society of Calgary Alzheimer’s awareness month ambassador in 2018 and was interviewed for Global News Calgary, the Calgary Herald, and 770 CHQR about her experiences. She also wrote an article for Dementia Connections magazine. Samantha is enthusiastic about researching, sharing, and presenting knowledge and information to others. She is passionate about the preservation, interpretation, and engagement of heritage in communities. Her hobbies include painting, gardening, learning American Sign Language and hanging out with her dog, Lucy. Interested in family history and genealogy, she contributed a guest blog post written about her grandmother Helen for the Glenbow Museum titled "Her Legacy Continues Through Me." Sam is excited to be working in the education department at the Whyte Museum. Since arriving here in November, she has been working on the revision of existing school programs and the development of new school programming. Samantha is looking forward to the busy summer where she will be delivering different tours daily - and bringing her enthusiasm to every aspect of her job! We’re so glad she’s joined the team! Welcome to the Whyte Museum, Samantha! Back to the Cairn Images: Image 1 - Photo of Samantha Palmer-Forrest by D.L. Cameron.

By Nicole Ensing, Project Archivist Back to the Cairn The Archives and Special Collections of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies has acquired the personal papers and photographs of Douglas Leighton. Described as the premiere landscape and nature photographer in the Rocky Mountains in the 90s, Leighton had a distinguished photography career marked by his stunning portrayal of the Canadian wilderness and its inhabitants, capturing iconic locations and sites around Canada. Douglas Leighton was born on August 7, 1953, in Banff, Alberta, but soon moved with his family to Penticton, British Columbia, when he was 10 years old. While in BC, Douglas became a young naturalist and a keen birder through his teenage years in the Okanagan. Leighton worked as a park naturalist with British Columbia Parks Branch starting in 1970. As a Park Naturalist, Leighton developed and led educational programs for schools, including photo presentations and tours with students. As seen in letters and drawings from participants, Leighton left a strong impression with the students. While Leighton trained as Park Naturalist, he used his skills as a photographer to create and develop engaging programs for BC Park participants. Eventually, he worked to establish the importance of photography for interpretation programs in BC Parks, as seen in one of Leighton’s handouts for a training course. After working for British Columbia Parks Branch for 10 years, Leighton eventually returned to Banff to pursue a professional photography career in 1985, a career in which he flourished. In 1989, a portfolio of his work was selected for the National Museum of Natural Science's The Nature of Photography exhibition, celebrating 150 years of photography in Canada. Leighton’s photographs have been featured in prestigious publications like the National Geographic Society, Audubon Society Books, Time-Life Books, Canadian Geographic, Nature Canada, Equinox, and British Columbia Outdoors magazines. He also authored several best-selling photography books, including The Canadian Rockies (1993), Alberta (1995), and Greater Vancouver (1981). While Leighton’s iconic images in these books are standing the test of time, here I want to draw specific attention to his work as a writer and his photographs of birds, insects, and plants. Though he was no longer working for BC Parks, Leighton continued acting as a naturalist. A capable writer, Leighton skillfully provided deeper context and insight into his images in accompanying essays. Leighton's contributions to nature publications helped to raise awareness. For instance, writing for Nature Canada, Leighton carefully laid out the importance of controlled burns to forest management in Banff National Park. In an article for BC Nature Leighton informed readers of the functional importance of flowers. Articles like these two demonstrate Leighton’s dedication to education and sharing information of the natural world. His work gives the reader a deeper understanding and appreciation of the complexity of plants and animals. Leighton not only photographed and wrote about different animal and plant species, he also participated data collection, including nest and bird counts, for conservations efforts. His stunning photographs serve as important documentation of the biodiversity of the regions he photographed. Many of the species he captured in his photos are now at risk, including mountain caribou, grizzly bear, western screech owl, and badger, which are now all listed as threatened or endangered species. Paired with his notes and essays, these photographs comprise a valuable resource for researchers studying these species going forward. Gallery 1 Douglas Leighton’s work not only inspired photographers but also inspired many others to explore and appreciate the natural world, and his legacy continues to influence the world of nature and landscape photography and conservation to this day. Accordingly, his photographs and literature, now held in the Archives and Special Collections at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies will continue to provide an important historical record of the plants, wildlife and research from British Columbia and Alberta, including the Rocky Mountain regions. You can view Leighton’s photographs and literature in the archives and special collections by making an appointment to visit or you can view a selection of his work that has been digitized and is available online at archives.whyte.org. The Archives are open for research appointments from Tuesday to Friday. E-mail archives@whyte.org to schedule your appointment today. Gallery 1: Image 1:Caribou, 1996, Douglas Leighton/photographer. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Douglas Leighton fonds (V222/II/A/4/NS-76) Image 2: Arctic fox, 1984, Douglas Leighton/photographer, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Douglas Leighton fonds (V222/II/D/1/NS-108) Image 3: Red Crossbill on ponderosa pine, Okanagan Valley, BC, 1983, Douglas Leighton/photographer, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Douglas Leighton fonds (V222/II/C/2/NS-32) Image 4: Harvestman, 1982, Douglas Leighton/photographer, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Douglas Leighton fonds (V222/II/B/1/NS-32) Image 5: Queen cup (Clintonia uniflora), 1981, Douglas Leighton/photographer. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Douglas Leighton fonds (V222/V/6/NS-18) Back to the Cairn

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

By Donna Livingstone, Whyte Museum Chief Executive Officer Back to The Cairn “Once upon a time, words began to vanish from the language of children.” So begins this generous book of spells, poetry, charms, and illustrations. To British author Robert Macfarlane, the warning signal was when the 2007 Oxford Junior Dictionary dropped forty commons words concerning nature. Words like acorn, adder, bluebell, and dandelion. Apparently, they were no longer being used enough by children. They were replaced with words like blog, broadband, bullet-point and voicemail. To Macfarlane and artist Jackie Morris, these were more than lost words, they signalled a displacement of the outdoor and the natural by the indoor and virtual. And marked the growing gulf between childhood and the natural world. They responded with their publication of poems, The Lost Words, which conjures up twenty of these lost words, and the beings and plants they represent. Writers like Margaret Atwood soon joined a grassroots movement to re-wild childhood across Britain, Europe, and North America, drawing on The Lost Words for inspiration. This is a book to ponder. It’s big. Twelve inches wide by 16 inches tall. It is meant to be held in a lap and read with a curious child turning the pages. It is meant to slow you down and take your time with each section. As much as this book is about a connection to nature, it’s also about a love of words and language. The feel of words in your mouth as you say them out loud, the look of them on the big generous spaces with room for your mind to roam. Each section begins with a scattering of letters hidden in the landscape, waiting for you to find the word that is lost, and to use the rest to create your own spell or anagram with clues only you can understand. Each section is a poetic conversation that reflects the personality of the creature or plant: the coyness of the newt, the cocky rapper wound of the raven. In "Newt" the newt protests all the cuteness associated with his kind: … for newts aren’t cute: we’re kings of the pond, lions of the duckweed, dragons of the water; albeit, it’s true, he paused – minute. In "Raven" you can hear the bird’s throaty belligerence: Rock rasps, What are you? I am Raven! Of the blue-black jacket and the boxer’s swagger, strong and older than peak and then boulder, raps Raven in reply. There are games within each section. The initial name of the animal or plant is used to create the rhymes: Ivy I am ivy, a real high-flyer Via bark and stone I scale tree and spire You call me ground-cover; I say sky-wire. The use of words is rich and expressive and makes you realize how lazy we’ve become in our appreciation of imaginative language. The adder is introduced as a “hank of rope in the late hot sun.” For the otter, the playful words splash into meaning: “Ever dreamed of being otter? That utter underwater thunderbolter, that shimmering twister?” Joni Mitchell in her 1970 song Big Yellow Taxi warned that “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.” Fifty years later, The Lost Words is a reminder, a warning of how much can be lost, and how easily. Pick up a copy of The Lost Words for yourself at the Whyte Museum Book Shop, located at 111 Bear St. in Banff. Images: Image 1: Whyte Museum CEO Donna Livingstone with The Lost Words book by Robert Macfarlane. Back to The Cairn

By Dagny Dubois, Recognizing Relations Lead Program Consultant Back to the Cairn Recognizing Relations began nearly a decade ago as an Indigenous photo identification project and has grown today to myriad community engagement and access initiatives. Lead Program Consultant Dagny Dubois reflects on this evolution. One winter day in 2013, I was flipping through a collection of photographs in the Whyte Museum Archives, considering how surprising it was that so few of the local Indigenous people represented in them were not identified by name, either by the original photographer or subsequently by the archivist. To me, it was striking that it wasn’t a practice to ask someone from the nearby Stoney Nakoda Nation or other local Indigenous community to identify people in photographs. At that moment, it seemed so simple a task. Little did I know, this was the first flash of inspiration I had towards the initiative that eventually became known as Recognizing Relations. It was also the first of many moments where I underestimated what it would take to make it all happen. About Recognizing Relations Recognizing Relations began in 2014. With the essential help of Stoney Nakoda cultural liaison and interpreter Corleigh Powderface, we began a series of one-on-one interviews with Elders, bringing binders full of photographs taken in the era from 1910 to 1940 for them to view. The goal at the time was to get as many name identifications and tribal affiliations as possible. I am so grateful to all the Elders who sat with us to look at photographs and share their knowledge. As the project progressed, we heard feedback from Elders that they would prefer to meet in groups, as viewing photographs collectively would be a better way to confirm identifications. Corleigh and I organized small group meetings as well as larger community events for the Stoney Nakoda community that required help from other archival staff. Alongside the photograph collections, we projected a film compilation of Banff Indian Days on the wall, provided earphones to hear sound recordings, and set up a display of old community newsletters, yearbooks, and publications. Those who attended seemed to really enjoy these events, happy to see the materials as well as take the opportunity to visit and remember together. Putting on these events was a big effort for our small archival team, and we were so fortunate to have funding by both the Whyte Museum as well as the Banff Canmore Community Foundation to make it all possible. Our focus on getting identifications started to shift during this period of outreach. We began to hear the message that creating access to archival resources would create positive impacts for the community. This meant continuing outreach events, and also taking steps within the Archives to create a policy that would provide copies of photographs as well as any film or textual material free of charge to Indigenous community members. Shifting Focus and Increasing Access The pandemic halted our momentum in community outreach. We had to reassess our goals, and most of 2020-21 was a time to refresh display binders and label the over 500 photographs now in the Recognizing Relations collection with identified names and tribal affiliations learned over the first six years of the project. More than 75% of the photographs have some level of naming. A seating area was created in the Archives lobby with the binders as well as books related to Indigenous topics, as well as a small photographic display and TV showing a compilation of Banff Indian Days films. The idea was to offer a quiet place for visitors to look through the collections at their own pace, as opposed to the feeling of surveillance that an institutional space like an archive can often create, especially for marginalized people. The Archival space also requires Indigenous people to interact with non-Indigenous people who hold the power to provide or deny access to knowledge and resources. We as archival staff began to discuss how we could shift this dynamic, to create a sense of welcome and belonging. The response we found to address this challenge was to create kits of resources to be brought to Stoney Nakoda families and schools by a facilitator from the community. This person would be given a laptop with the full database of images, films, and sound recordings to share. They would also be present to offer copies of these materials, and help to fill out order forms for free images. We wanted them to travel to the more outlying Stoney Nakoda reserve areas that that we previously had limited access to due to budgetary restraints. In 2021 we hired facilitator Colleen Crawler, she traveled to Mînî Thnî, Eden Valley, and Big Horn reserves. In the spring of 2022, the Archives also hired an Indigenous intern, Jacinda Brisson, who created a web resource highlighting and encouraging access to our many Indigenous resources. This would create greater digital access and reduce barriers for those who couldn’t get to us physically. Having Colleen as a representative for the Archives in meetings with her community brought a lot of feedback which I feel we would not have heard otherwise. Elders felt comfortable expressing concerns such as how the Archives was displaying photographs and sharing them with researchers, and asking whether we were taking the appropriate steps to consult with families in regards to images of their family members. This was a new concern to us, as we hadn’t previously known the names of most of the Indigenous individuals in the photographs, so there had been no way to consider that type of consultation. Every step of this project has brought new questions to the table. What began as an initiative to bring names to photographs became a challenge on how to share access to the photographs to the community they represented. The focus of access has evolved from us bringing our collections to events in person to providing free images to individuals and groups such as schools or the Stoney AV Club for their own uses. Access has widened to traveling to communities further afield, with Indigenous staff members. Digital access and user-friendly web pages have been launched to assist those new to using archival databases, opening up collections to an even larger group of researchers. Sharing and providing access has also led to the opportunity for the strengthening of relationships with the local Indigenous communities to develop a comfort level so that the community can speak with us freely. Concerns about permission to use images, stories, and traditional names and spellings have come up. Does the museum have the right to display these things without consulting with families and Indigenous communities? How can we do that in a respectful way that aligns with Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission? The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)? The First Nations principles of Ownership, Control, Access and Possession (OCAP)? Reflections on Responsibility There are so many big questions that have come up over the course of the last decade that have required a lot of listening, thought, attention, and consideration. I thank in particular Corleigh and Fred Powderface, Colleen Crawler, Cherith Mark, Jacinda Brisson, and Travis Rider for their willingness to participate in difficult conversations in the attempt to bring understanding and better practices to the Archival space. Colleagues of note within the non-Indigenous museum world have been Jennifer Rutkair, Nicole Ensing, Lindsay Stokalko, B. Watson, DL Cameron, Kayla Cazes, Dawn Saunders-Dahl, and the indomitable Elizabeth Kundert-Cameron. It is difficult to give a short version of the evolution of a nine-year project that has grown up during a time of great change. We started out with a simple goal, but then managed to stumble into some of the most pressing issues of our current moment in Canada. Although Recognizing Relations was able to shift with the currents to continue to serve its purpose, it has become clear that it is time for a new initiative to grow from its soil. It is not the place of a non-Indigenous institutional spaces to tell Indigenous stories anymore. Our best position is to provide resources and support to the communities who want to tell their own story in their own way. For this reason, a new initiative called Hosting Indigenous Community Relations will invite Indigenous individuals and groups to the Archives to be taught how to use archival tools to locate resources about their families and communities. We will be training local Indigenous staff to navigate the paths that lead to these resources, so that they can teach the groups that register for these teaching workshops. Funding will be provided for travel to encourage groups from local areas as well as from further distances to visit us. Outreach activities taken on by our Indigenous Liaison Dawn Saunders Dahl has sparked interest from communities all over Alberta in our collections, and she will be assisting in connecting these groups to this new initiative. I have learned more than I could have ever imagined for that young woman flipping through photographs in 2013. I have learned the importance of showing up, listening, and being open to new ways of thinking and ways of being in the world. I have made mistakes, said the wrong things, and found ways to build good relationships. I am proud that we have been able to bring names to so many of the photographs in the collection, bringing dignity to those represented in them, and connection to their descendants. I hope the work continues in the years to come, and that the relationships continue to flourish as trust and willingness to share grow stronger. Learn more about the Recognizing Relations initiative at whyte.org/recognizing-relations. Back to the Cairn

On March 16th, 2023, the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies hosted a Fireside Chat with John Gow and Chic Scott. John Gow’s roots in Banff go back a long way. His grandfather, Tex Vernon-Wood, was an early guide and outfitter here in the valley. Although John grew up in Ottawa, he soon developed a deep love for the Rocky Mountains. He became a ski instructor in 1965 and a certified mountain guide in 1967. Soon he started the very successful mountaineer camp for teens, called High Horizons. A light plane crash in 1969 in which he lost most of his lower leg and half the other foot, seriously affected his climbing and skiing plans, but he went on to win gold medals in the first Olympic skiing event for skiers with disabilities. But John is best known as a very successful ski area manager. He apprenticed at Sunshine Village as Assistant Manager under Cliff White, then in the mid-70s. When Cliff retired, John took over as president of the resort. Along with White, he created the Sunshine Village Master Plan which opened up the Goat’s Eye area, and as president, he was responsible for building the gondola. When Sunshine Village was sold in 1982, John moved on and in partnership with Norm Crerar developed the Silver Star Ski Resort near Vernon. Since then John lived in France and Thailand but in recent years he has returned home to the Bow Valley. After a number of years living in Banff, he has recently taken up residence in Canmore. Still strong after all these years he loves to ride his bike and over the last two summers has ridden up the Mount Norquay road 257 times! Photo Description: John Gow (Left) and Cliff White (Right) at Sunshine Village Ski Resort. Image by Simon Hoyle

Back to the Cairn On November 19th, 2022, the Whyte Museum and Global Water Futures welcomed the artist and scientists associated with their exhibition, Cold Regions Warming, for an exclusive panel discussion presenting a powerful conversation on Canada’s climate future. The panelists engaged the audience in a rich interdisciplinary discussion of art, science, and the state of climate change in Canada. Joining this event were the following panelists: John Pomeroy, Distinguished Professor at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada Research Chair in Water Resources and Climate Change, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Director of the Global Water Futures programme, Centre for Hydrology and Canmore Coldwater Laboratory. Robert Sandford, Holds the Global Water Futures Chair in Water and Climate Security at United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health. Gennadiy V. Ivanov, is a renowned UK-based artist with more than 40 years of experience. He graduated with a Masters of Fine Art from Norwich University. Since 2019, he has been involved in several large projects and exhibitions across the UK and is currently an Artist-in-residence at the University of Saskatchewan. Gennadiy was the winner of the Norfolk Arts Awards, The Visual Arts Award in 2021. His works addressed the acts of looking and seeing and considers the way in which painting can stake a claim for itself amid the proliferation of contemporary visual formats. Back to the Cairn

Back to the Cairn On January 20th, 2023, the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies celebrated the opening of two new exhibitions, Redesigning Paradise and All Our Relations: Portraits From the Elders' Gatherings, as part of the Exposure Photography Festival. Two of the founding members of Exposure, Craig Richards and Dianne Bos, are featured in this year's exhibitions, alongside visual artists Mary Anne Barkhouse, Sarah Fuller, and Penelope Stewart. "In recent years, the Whyte has focused on exhibitions and programs that connect people to nature, we want to encourage them to look at the world around them with fresh eyes," explained Whyte Museum CEO Donna Livingstone in the opening remarks. Gallery 1 "Well, we didn’t dream of how far the talented visual artists would take this idea. If you’ve come expecting conventional landscape photos of the mountains, prepare yourself." With photographic techniques ranging from traditional to contemporary, each artist brings a unique perspective, interpretation, and connection to their work. REDESIGNING PARADISE Alternative photographic processes have been the creative catalyst for four Canadian artists – Mary Anne Barkhouse, Dianne Bos, Sarah Fuller, and Penelope Stewart – during their annual get-togethers and self-directed residencies for several years. The work in this exhibition addresses aspects of the natural environment in different ways by using photography as an investigative tool. The artists in this exhibition offer a variety of cultural perspectives that look at the flora, fauna, and weather patterns of the foothills, mountains, and other ecosystems. Informed by the Whyte Museum Archives, this work allows the viewer to arrive at a place of empathy for the other – both human and non-human – while thinking through the many ways landscape has been altered by human disturbances. Check out the recent media coverage of Redesigning Paradise: On Art: Redesigning Paradise at the Whyte Museum in Banff | Grant Stovel with CKUA Radio Artists use alternative photographic processes to investigate nature | Joseph Paris with Galleries West Redesigning Paradise offers alternative views of natural world | Jessice Lee with Rocky Mountain Outlook ALL OUR RELATIONS PORTRAITS FROM THE ELDERS' GATHERINGS Every year, for the past 19 years, Indigenous Elders have gathered in the shadow of Sacred Buffalo Guardian Mountain, near the banks of the Bow River, in Banff National Park. Elders from First Nations and Métis communities on both sides of the Rocky Mountains come from seven major language groups. They come from families with stories told through generations of using and sharing this valley, the rivers, mountains, Buffalo, and Salmon. The Elders meet, family stories are shared, and traditional medicines are exchanged. They discuss a range of issues including problems facing youth, the effects of residential schools, and how to bring back the Buffalo and Salmon to the prairies and rivers. The gatherings provide hope and direction for restoring culture, language, and community health, now and into the future. Over the years, youth have been invited to participate and have brought additional perspectives to the conversations. This has also been an opportunity for the Elders to pass on their knowledge. An annual three-day event, these gatherings are led by the Elders and hosted by the Juniper Hotel in Banff which is located on a historically significant site for First Nations peoples. These gatherings have become a spiritual experience that bonds participants and unifies their voices as brothers and sisters. Check out the recent media coverage of All Our Relations: Indigenous Elders focus of upcoming Whyte Museum portrait exhibition | Jessica Lee with Rocky Mountain Outlook Galleries: Gallery 1: Winter exhibition opening at the Whyte Museum. Photos by Josh Segeleski. Back to the Cairn