ceases to amaze me at the number of museums we find as we travel.
It is wonderful to see how many people are interested in
protecting the past for our future generations. As we have seen
in far too many places once things are destroyed we can attempt
to make copies or recreations but they are just not the same. The
Museum of Northern BC located in Prince Rupert has done a great
job, not only in preserving the things of the past, but in
presenting them to the public in such a way as to make them
interesting. We were told that we could either join a tour in
progress, being given by one of the local natives, or take the
tour on our own, utilizing an excellent brochure issued by the
museum. We opted for the latter as we are used to going at our
own pace. However, we were able to overhear some of what the
young man (tour guide) was saying and it was obvious that not
only was he very knowledgeable about his subject but proud of his
heritage as well.As we entered the new Museum of Northern B C we were
able to
experience the magnificent architecture of a Northwest Coast
longhouse. Here in the Great Hall we viewed exhibits that portray
Northwest Coast history and culture dating back to the end of the
last ice age. We were also able to witness the legacy of oral
history, archaeological discoveries and unique artifacts that
depict thousands of years of ancient life ways.We then experienced the dramatic history of the more recent period, the new wealth and shifts in power of the fur trade, the heyday of railway construction, the intensification of the fishing industry and the legacy of
these ventures in the creation of modern day
communities.Na Xbissa Lagigyet means "Treasure Box of the Ancient Ones" in the language of the Tsimshian, the Northwest Coast nation on whose traditional land the Museum stands, but it also refers to the knowledge and wisdom of the old people and well describes the experience their heritage has to offer its many visitors. Unlike the white man the First Nation people did not have a written language. In order to pass on information about their people they made up stories using animals or birds for major characters. One of the most important characters in their story telling was the Raven. The Raven actually had two personalities. One was his Raven personality the other was a human personality. I was fascinated reading the story of how the Raven created the Earth. The First Nation elders were wise enough to understand that if their culture was to survive they had to make their stories easily understood
and interesting to both the teller and the listener.
After reading a number of these stories it was evident, to me,
that they certainly achieved their goal. Nowadays, the number of
people living who can speak the various languages are
diminishing. The people feel that they are in danger of losing
their language and along with it their heritage. As a result
several large groups of First Nation have undertaken the task of
documenting the language from the elders and, in turn, teaching
it to the younger generation. Unfortunately, many First Nation
People who are middle age today were sent to missionary schools
who would not allow them to speak their native tongue. In fact
they were punished if heard doing so. Because of this there is an
entire generation who cannot speak their native tongue at all.
However, we saw people with a great deal of determination to make
up for this, by studying at their local education centers such as
the College attached to this museum.Four other galleries, in addition to the Great Hall, enhance this experience. We viewed many works of Northwest Coast art in the Treasurers Gallery, the diverse cultures of other First
Nations in the region
in the Hall of Nations, and exciting changing exhibits in the
Monumental Gallery and the Ruth Harvey Art Gallery.They had several examples of their basket weaving. They used several different mediums and methods but the work overall was excellent. Many of the patterns indicated something about the maker; such as, their tribe or their background.
The Museum of N.B.C. also offers a full range of season programming from May through to Sept. Daily tours of the Museum, performances of 'The Prince Rupert Story: An Evening of Drama', the Heritage Walking Tour and the Archaeological Harbor Tour all bring the history of the Northwest Coast region to life.
The Museum of Northern B.C. is located on the ocean front overlooking Prince Rupert. Harbor, and is easily accessible.