Lethbridge – The Galt Museum & Archives | Akaisamitohkanao’pa (eternal gathering place) is honoured to host the visit of Adam North Peigan, Board President of the Legacy of Hope Foundation on February 9, 2024. The occasion will feature Apooyak’ii/Dr. Tiffany Prete, guest curator of Stolen Kainai Children: Stories of Survival. Adam's visit coincides with the Escaping Residential Schools: Running for their Lives exhibit, which is on loan from the Legacy of Hope Foundation. The exhibit is raising awareness about the Residential School System.

The event schedule for February 9, is as follows:

10:30 am: Informal meet and greet with curators.
11:00 am: Adam North Peigan visits the exhibit.
11:30 am: Dignitaries arrive for exhibit viewing and meet and greet.
11:50 am: Media scrum reiterating partnership and exhibit significance.
12:00 pm-2:00 pm: Lunch, tea, visiting, etc. (provided by the Galt Museum & Archives)

Escaping Residential Schools sheds light on the dark history of the Residential School System. On display at the Galt until March 3, the travelling exhibit gives a voice to First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, using first-person perspectives from those who escaped, and honours those who died in the process by using personal accounts from family members.

"In working toward reconciliation between Indigenous Peoples and Canadians, we must first acknowledge the dark history, honour the lives harmed and lost, and take responsibility for the way forward,” says Darrin Martens, CEO/Executive Director of the Galt Museum & Archives.

"Through exhibits like these, the Galt seeks to contribute to creating a life of dignity, respect, and equality for all. True reconciliation requires consistent, positive, and informed effort by everyone."

The Legacy of Hope Foundation, a national Indigenous-led charitable organization, has been promoting healing and Reconciliation in Canada for over 24 years. The foundation offers resources, exhibitions, workshops, and research reports to educate and raise awareness about the Residential School System.

Adam North Peigan is from Treaty 7 and is Blackfoot from the Piikani First Nation in Southern, Alberta. He is a product of the Residential School and a survivor of the Sixties Scoop. Adam’s career has been spent advocating for Indigenous people and creating awareness of colonialism and oppressive actions as a result of government policies being imposed on the Indigenous people in Canada. He is the past President of the “Sixties Scoop Indigenous Society of Alberta” (SSISA).

Adam has been an educator at the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary, and the University of British Columbia. He has served in public office, holding positions such as Governor of the South Fraser Health Region in BC and an elected member of the Piikani First Nation Chief and Council. Recognized for his contributions, he received the Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee Medal and currently serves as the Senior Engagement Advisor in the Indigenous Wellness Core at Alberta Health Services.

"Adam has been instrumental in moving reconciliation forward for all Canadians," says Darrin Martens.

Community members are cordially invited to attend this significant Galt Museum & Archives event.

 —30—

This media release can be found at www.galtmuseum.com/news.

Media Contacts

Peter Tah
Marketing and Communications Officer
Galt Museum & Archives
peter.tah@galtmuseum.com
403.320.4009