A Large Indigenous Exhibit Comes to New Westminster Museum

A giant canoe nears New Westminster. It's carrying a large bentwood box containing letters and tokens honouring BC's indigenous grandmothers.

Its arrival marks the opening of a special exhibition at New Westminster's museum. It's called 'Downstream Where the Waters Mix'. It comes to shore on May 24th... Queen Victoria's birthday - a day chosen carefully by the exhibit curators as it is a meaningful day in the history of BC's Indigenous people.

160 years ago, BC's Governor Frederick Seymour invited First Nations to New Westminster to celebrate the Queen's birthday and the Crown's promises to uphold Indigenous rights. Those promises were not kept.

The premiere bentwood box is called 'Elements' for the four elements – water, air, earth, and fire. It is one of many boxes in the exhibit. The boxes honour and celebrate BC's Indigenous people...most importantly, that they are still here, despite their extreme suffering since colonization. In particular, they honour the grandmothers - the holders of cultural knowledge - and their teachings about caring for the land, the waters, and the salmon, their food.

The exhibit will be constantly evolving as it travels for 4 years throughout BC - a length of time that mirrors the salmon's life cycle from birth to death – another foundational idea underlying this exhibit.

It is intended that the exhibit will uplift the spirit of First Nations here: That it will inspire renewal and celebration, along with healing the grief about the past.

These pieces were collected from First Nations across BC and particularly from those living in the Fraser and Thompson Rivers' watersheds.

The exhibit was presented by Sacred Rock, an organization that helps troubled Indigenous Youth, and New Westminster's Museum and Archives.

Other forms of Indigenous art are also included in this exhibition.

In essence, this exhibit represents just one part of a long journey. Nadine Spence, the exhibit curator, is a prime force behind this exhibition that will evolve and grow over the 4 years. It will be at New Westminster's Museum at the Anvil Centre until December 15th.

Thanks to Nadine Spence, curator of the exhibit and Michele Taylor, the Museum's curator, for their involvement in making this video happen. Much appreciated.

Susan Millar

LJI Journalist