National Indigenous People’s Day

The RAM rests on Treaty Six territory and the homeland of the Métis. Many of the objects in RAM’s collections and many of the stories presented in the galleries are Indigenous. 

On Friday, June 21, 2019 celebrations took place at the Royal Alberta Museum for National Indigenous People’s Day! Spaces throughout the museum were full of Indigenous art, music, dance, crafts, and stories. 

FRAMS was excited to participate, providing information on our Indigenous Student Museum Internship (ISMI) Program and collecting donations to support it. Our two current ISMI interns Rogan and Skye put on demonstrations of Indigenous craft techniques.

Rogan demonstrated how to make moss bags for babies. Fun fact: her moss bag when she was a baby was made from her parents wedding outfits. Rogan shares instructions for making the bags here.

The birch basket demonstration from Skye was a big hit. You can learn more about Skye’s process for building the baskets here.

Last year’s ISMI participants Chauntelle and Victoria, currently working with the RAM’s Learning team, put on a Cree language learning clinic for children.

The traditional dance demonstration put on by Dale Alexis Sr. and Dale Alexis Jr. had people clapping their hands and tapping their feet!

It was a wonderful day of celebration and FRAMS looks forward to participating annually in the National Indigenous People’s Day activities at RAM annually!