NEWS RELEASES

September 14, 2004 (11:55 a.m. EDT) No. 105

CANADA PRESENTS MAJOR WORK OF ART TO SMITHSONIAN

Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew announced today that Canada will present a major Canadian Aboriginal work of art on September 17 to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian, located in Washington, D.C. Depicted in a two-metre-high red cedar sculpture, The Beaver and the Mink is by accomplished British Columbia artist Susan Point. Her work was chosen by a panel of Canadian Aboriginal art professionals.

“I am delighted and proud to be presenting this exceptional work to the Smithsonian on behalf of all Canadians,” said Minister Pettigrew. “Canada and the United States share many unique Aboriginal cultures, and this gift will bear witness to those ties.”

Located on the museum’s main floor, Susan Point’s creation is a contemporary yet deeply traditional piece handmade of natural and traditional materials that are synonymous with the people of Canada’s northwest coast. She found her inspiration for the artwork in the traditional Coast Salish legend of The Beaver and the Mink, who are said to be responsible for bringing salmon to the rivers.

Minister Pettigrew emphasized the importance of promoting and encouraging the many positive contributions Canadian Aboriginal cultures make to the Americas. “This sculpture showcases Canadian Aboriginal culture at this extraordinary museum, which promises to be one of the leading cultural destinations in the world,” he added.

The Aboriginal-inspired landscaping around the museum also features many Canadian components, including the Grandfather Rocks, forty large, uncarved boulders selected from a quarry in Alma, Quebec, in September 2002 to welcome visitors to the museum grounds. There are also four cardinal direction markers, which are a metaphor for all of the Indigenous peoples of the Western hemisphere. The stone marking north, from Canada’s Acasta Lake in the Northwest Territories, is one of the oldest known stones on earth.

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For further information, media representatives may contact:

Sébastien Théberge
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851

Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs Canada and International Trade Canada
(613) 995-1874
http://www.international.gc.ca