April 14, 2014

Laxgalts’ap, BC — On Wednesday, April 16 at the International Aboriginal Tourism Conference, being held in Whistler, British Columbia Nisga’a Museum director Darrin Martens will be accepting an award for outstanding cultural centre and attraction on behalf of the Nisga’a Nation and its museum. This prestigious award recognizes a cultural/interpretive centre or attraction that is committed to ensuring cultural authenticity in sharing knowledge, histories, exhibits and traditions. Through awards such as this the Aboriginal Tourism Association of BC recognizes the outstanding achievements of Aboriginal businesses and industry partners. These types of awards not only create excitement within in the industry, they provide a means in which to recognize exceptional products and partners and raise awareness about the ever-growing Aboriginal tourism industry within the province.

“On behalf of the Nisga’a Museum Advisory Committee and our staff team I am both honoured and humbled by this recognition,” notes museum director Darrin Martens. “The Nisga’a Museum strives to not only promote inclusion and cultural authenticity within the institution’s permanent and temporary exhibitions, public, school and special event programs, we advocate for a multiplicity of voices, both inter-generationally and culturally throughout the museum. Through dialogue, mutual respect for ideas, the honouring of history and tradition, we reflect the changing and diverse communities that we serve.

Mitchell Stevens, President of Nisga’a Nation, stated, “We take great pride in our Museum, and the recognition expressed by this award.  The opening of the Museum marked the return of our ancestors to our homeland.  In honour of their memory, we graciously accept this award.”

The Nisga’a Museum and its collections are directly related to the historic Nisga’a Final Agreement. The museum’s permanent collection is an assemblage of 300+ artifacts and art objects that left the Nass Valley (Lisims) in the latter part of the 19^th Century and early part of the 20^th Century. Through the treaty process a select number of objects were identified and chosen from the collections of the Royal British Columbia Museum and Canadian Museum of Civilization to be repatriated to Nisga’a territory. This unique collection of carved masks, bentwood boxes, headdresses, soul catchers, and other works of art became known as Anhooya’ahl Ga’angigatgum’ – the Ancestors’ Collection.  This collection, and its display, is a focal point within the museum.

The Nisga’a Museum is recognized, within the Nisga’a language, as Hli Goothl Wilp-Adokshl Nisga’a, which means “The Heart of Nisga’a House Crests,” a name that acknowledges and celebrates the importance of the four tribes that make up the Nisga’a nation. The four tribes or Pdeek are:  Ganada (raven), Gisk’aast (killer whale), Laxsgiik (eagle) and Laxgibuu (wolf). Each Pdeek has a crest or Ayukws – an animal that symbolically represents each tribe. The museum displays and incorporates all the Nisga’a crests and the people they represent within its permanent exhibition, the Ancestors’ Collection.

For more information, contact Darrin Martens at (250) 633-3050 or darrinm@nisgaa.net