KNOWLEDGE
Research at the Canadian Museum of Civilization
WINTER 2006
Knowledge is a new electronic newsletter on research at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. News briefs may be used by media integrally, or be expanded upon by adding information gathered through interviews with the researchers.
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mailto:sylvain.raymond@civilization.ca
A Historian’s Passion for Skating
Bianca Gendreau can rightfully claim that she has sharpened our knowledge of an activity that is as Canadian as the Stanley Cup. The historian at the Canadian Museum of Civilization is curator of Lace Up: Canada's Passion for Skating, a new exhibition that looks at the development of this activity in all its forms — hockey, figure skating and speed skating. When she began her research, she had no idea that she would become so taken with the subject: “I discovered a lot more fascinating objects than I had expected,” she admits. Ms. Gendreau reminds us that the sport is an integral part of our society, but its history has been neglected. “Yet,” she adds, “skating plays a role in our identity. We identify with skating — it’s a part of our roots.” Skating came to us from Europe, and was rapidly adopted throughout the country, at every level of society. People were already skating in the era of New France, and the first indoor skating rinks in the world were built in Canada. Today, that passion for skating is as strong as ever.
Lace Up: Canada's Passion for Skating opens on January 26, 2006 at the Canadian Museum of Civilization.
Contact: Bianca Gendreau, Curator, Canadian Museum of Civilization
Arctic Archaeologist Wins Prestigious International Award
Patricia Sutherland, Curator of Eastern Arctic Archaeology at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, was recently awarded the prestigious 2005 Lowell Thomas Award conferred by the Explorers Club. This international honour recognizes experts in scientific exploration for contributions to the advancement of knowledge. As one of the Award’s few female — and even fewer Canadian — recipients, Sutherland joins astronauts, oceanographers, mountaineers, conservationists and other pioneers in their fields. Sutherland was among the first archaeologists to work on the Queen Charlotte Islands, and one of the first women to undertake archaeological research in Arctic Canada. She currently leads the Helluland Archaeology Project, which developed from her discovery of archaeological specimens in CMC collections suggesting a previously unsuspected early European presence on Baffin Island and in Labrador. Her research is focused on investigating relationships between the Norse and the indigenous peoples of Arctic Canada during the centuries around AD 1000 — relationships which are proving more complex than had been expected.
Contact: Patricia Sutherland, Curator of Eastern Arctic Archaeology, Canadian Museum of Civilization
Celebrating 150 Years of Museological Excellence
When people think of the Canadian Museum of Civilization, they usually think of the sixteen-year-old building located on the banks of the Ottawa River in Gatineau. The Museum’s history, however, began long before the construction of this architectural masterpiece. In 2006, the Canadian Museum of Civilization will celebrate 150 years of research and exhibition. Curator Ian Dyck has traced the evolution of this landmark institution from its roots in a small Geological Survey of Canada museum, created in 1856, to its position as one of the world’s most important museums of human history. He is also looking at the work of Museum founder Sir William Logan. Back in the 1850s, Canada was beginning to make a name for itself on the world stage. At home, however, it was a real struggle to gain acceptance for new ideas and discoveries generated by archaeology, anthropology and history. “There were a lot of compromises in terms of these big movements in science,” Dr. Dyck explains. A century and a half later, one of the early museum’s primary precepts remains: the desire to expand knowledge through research, collecting and public programming.
The 150th anniversary of the Canadian Museum of Civilization will be celebrated in 2006 with an exhibition, a major open house event, and the launch of a commemorative book.
Contact: Ian Dyck, Archaeologist, Canadian Museum of Civilization
Building Bridges with Inuit Art
Although Inuit art as we know it has really only existed for the past sixty years, the world has come to view these stylish, hinterland art forms as virtual icons of Canadian identity. Probing more closely into the matter is Norman Vorano, Curator of Contemporary Inuit Art at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. The Museum houses an extensive collection of contemporary Inuit art, with a unique and dynamic story all its own. During the 1950s and 1960s, the aggressive promotion of Inuit art through exhibitions and sales attracted national and international attention. “Early exhibitions sent to Europe, South America and the Middle East really became prestige events. At the time, the federal government was working hard to market Canada abroad, and Inuit art came to serve as a bridge between nations,” says Vorano. Many of the items that travelled as part of these exhibitions are now in the care of the Museum. “Many have tens of thousands of miles behind them,” he adds. Vorano is curious about the complex role museums play in nation-to-nation interaction, and looks forward to demonstrating how Inuit art has strengthened ties between Canada and other nations.
Contact: Norman Vorano, Curator of Contemporary Inuit Art, Canadian Museum of Civilization
To interview CMC researchers, media may contact:
Rachael Duplisea
rachael.duplisea@civilization.ca
(819) 776-7167 or
Yasmine Mingay
yasmine.mingay@civilization.ca
819) 776-7169
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