One of the museums 'artist spotlights', Ginger Onespot. Submitted photo.
Nicholas L. M. Allen
Jun 21, 2023
For National Indigenous History Month, the Crowsnest Museum is hosting an arts and crafts market with indigenous artists.
The Crowsnest Museum is hosting an Indigenous Arts and Crafts Market for the last two weekends of June.
Chris Fairman, the Operations Lead at the Crowsnest Museum, explained where the idea came from and why they are holding the market over the next couple weekends.
“The idea came from Indigenous Heritage Month, so in the past we haven’t really done anything for that, at least not that I’m aware of, but we figured we would try to do something to recognize that,” said Fairman.
According to the Government of Canada website, June is National Indigenous History Month in Cana-da, an opportunity to learn about the cultures, traditions and experiences of First Nations, Inuit and Métis across the country. The website added it’s a time to honour the stories, achievements and resilience of In-digenous Peoples, whose presence continues to impact an evolving Canada.
The House of Commons designated June as National Aboriginal History Month in 2009. The name was changed to National Indigenous History Month in 2017.
Fairman added they have gone through a “bit of a whirlwind” putting the market together. Finding artists who were interested and rounding up the tents and supplies necessary were a difficult part of the process according to Fairman.
“Everything’s falling into place fairly well so far,” said Fairman.
They are looking at a spread of artists across the two weekends, with roughly 16 altogether. Not all of them can at-tend in person and not all of them can attend both weekends, he explained. With this in mind, they are still looking at about 10 vendors each week-end.
“Since the museum, this museum in particular, is supposed to advocate for and promote the history of the Pass, the Pass does have a very long indigenous history. It would be part of our mandate to carry that forward and represent that part of our history as well,” said Fairman.
For Fairman, he said he is most excited to meet the vendors after they worked to put this event together.
“I’ve met some of them, but not all of them,
