Please join us for media availability on Tuesday, September 26th, at 11:30 am at the Galt Museum & Archives. Guest curator Apooyak’ii/Dr. Tiffany Hind Bull-Prete and Galt Museum & Archives curator Tyler Stewart will be present to answer your questions.

Lethbridge —The Galt Museum & Archives | Akaisamitohkanao’pa (eternal gathering place) is pleased to share details of two concurrent temporary exhibitions opening to the public on September 23, 2023. Both feature powerful first-person stories shared by residential school survivors from across the country, but also right here in southern Alberta from Kainai First Nations members.

Being shown together in the museum’s special exhibits gallery, Escaping Residential Schools: Running for their Lives is a national touring exhibition developed by the Legacy of Hope Foundation, while Stolen Kainai Children: Stories of Survival was developed locally by guest curator Apooyak’ii/Dr. Tiffany Hind Bull-Prete, professor of sociology at the University of Lethbridge.

“It is a great opportunity for us to host this important national exhibition which shares stories on the shameful legacy of residential schools across Canada,” explains Galt Museum & Archives curator, Tyler Stewart. “At the same time, we wanted a local component that would specifically demonstrate to visitors how these colonial education systems were imposed right here in southern Alberta.”

Escaping Residential Schools: Running for their Lives 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. This project was developed and circulated across Canada by the Legacy of Hope Foundation, a national, Indigenous-led, charitable organization that has been working to promote healing and reconciliation for nearly two decades.

“Museums have been institutions that participated in the processes of colonization,” Stewart explains. “It’s important that we now take actions towards reconciliation by educating and raising awareness of the darker sides of Canadian history.”

Complementing the national traveling exhibition is a locally focused component called Stolen Kainai Children: Stories of Survival. Developed by Apooyak’ii/Dr. Tiffany Hind Bull-Prete, professor of sociology at the University of Lethbridge, this exhibit shows the evolution of the colonial school system from mission schools to band-controlled education.

“I wanted to demonstrate Kainai children’s experience of survival with the stolen children era, while also highlighting the educational efforts and resiliency of the Blood Tribe,” explains Apooyak’ii.

“We’re very grateful to Apooyak’ii and the work she has done with Kainai Elders to share their stories in a sensitive yet powerful way with visitors to the museum,” Stewart says. “These exhibitions both have important messages that everyone needs to hear.”

Both exhibitions are on display now and run until March 3, 2024.

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

Media Contact

Tyler J Stewart (he/him)
I’nákyaahkioohsínaa (Little Boat Man/Water Traveler)
Curator
tyler.stewart@galtmuseum.com
403.320.3907