Sacred tree exhibit to open tomorrow
Cultural protection still in the works, says YKDFN traditional specialist
Evan Kiyoshi French
Northern News Services
Friday, October 2, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
An exhibit built around a model of the sacred tree of Dene legend opens tomorrow but work to have the tree protected as a cultural place is not yet complete.
A model of this tree - held sacred by the Yellowknives Dene - has been installed as the centrepiece for an exhibition of Dene culture, opening tomorrow at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, but work to have the tree protected under territorial law is not finished. The tree is near the mouth of the Yellowknife River - Evan Kiyoshi French/NNSL photo |
Fred Sangris is a member of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation who assisted staff at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre by translating for elders to arrange an exhibit telling the story of the First Nation that gave the city its name.
He said band members from Ndilo and Dettah are excited the project they've been talking about for years is all but complete and ready to open to the public tomorrow.
But Randy Freeman, the band's traditional specialist, said the star of the exhibit - the sacred tree said to have been the hiding spot of the famous Yellowknives Dene chief Akaitcho (1786 to 1838) - is still in the process of being designated under the NWT Cultural Places Program, which means it isn't yet protected as a heritage site under territorial law. He said the designation could happen at any time but an agreement has yet to be negotiated with the owner of the land the tree stands on.
Freeman said the band has been reticent to talk about the tree in the past because they're worried too much attention could bring harm to it.
The tree is also connected to mythical figure Yamohza, "the one who travels." According to the legend, the giant famous for travelling around the territory helping deliver the Dene from danger planted a spade into the ground after banishing the giant beavers from the Yellowknife River. The enormous white pine jutting out of the rocks near the mouth of the Yellowknife River is said to have grown from the hole made by Yamohza's spade. The tree has been a landmark for the Dene for generations. Offerings of coins, matches and rosary beads are lodged into the cracks of its bark and around its base.
Freeman said since the tree stands on private land - in plain view of the public - elders are concerned added attention to Akaitcho's tree could bring harm to it. In order to prevent that, Freeman said the band is in the process of negotiating an arrangement with the owner to have it designated as a "cultural place."
"As far as I know, designation can still take place even though it is on private land, but it's obviously something we would want to negotiate (with the landowner) rather than impose. We're kind of waiting to see what sort of reaction we get to the exhibit. If we get a lot of people coming then we'll say, 'Well, we've got to do something.' We'll move forward very quickly. But we're also not wanting to draw too much attention to the tree. It's a real catch-22."
Artist Terry Pamplin took a month to build a mockup of the tree - using cardboard cylinders and pieces of spruce boughs - which stands in the centre of the museum's new exhibit.
Exhibit planner Janna Graham said this will be the first showcase dedicated to Yellowknives Dene heritage since the museum opened 40 years ago. She said the exhibit explores the lands traditionally travelled by the Yellowknives including seasonal villages around Yellowknife Bay and also features around 20 artifacts donated by band members.
"Two pairs of infant moccasins that were made for the Crapeau twins (Celine and Adeline Crapeau) in 1960 were donated by a family member," she stated in an e-mail. "There's also a variety of moosehide scrapers, many of which belonged to Elise Liske, a sewing machine used by Rose Drygeese and Sophie Lacorne, purchased at the Weaver & Devore trading post in the mid-1940s ... there are many more objects."
Before the exhibit opens, elders will conduct a healing ceremony, according to Graham.
Sangris said when the process to build the Dene heritage exhibit began, elders were invited to the museum to consider where it would be. During the visit, they didn't approve of how the museum features taxidermy animal displays, in particular those featuring caribou - sacred animals as far as the Dene are concerned - said Sangris.
"We believe everything has a spirit," he said.
In order to rectify the misstep, Graham said, YKDFN elders will conduct a healing "feeding-the-fire" ceremony during the grand opening. Sangris said the ceremony is being done in order to show respect to the animals exhibited.
Yellowknives Dene First Nation Ndilo Chief Ernest Betsina said feeding-the-fire ceremonies are conducted to honour ancestors.
"We honour our forefathers that went before us," he said.
"It's a way to honour them and respect them."
Betsina said he's excited for the exhibit to finally open.
"It's about time," he said.
