My internship in the Collections department at Aanischaaukamikw Cree Cultural Institute, 2018

By: Camille Crevier-Lalonde

My work as an intern as part of my course in applied museology at Montmorency College often consist of solving problems to support and display objects that may have specific requirements or restrictions. Making a mount is always about the condition of the object, the center of gravity and the structural stability of the object.

During my internship I had the occasion of making storage mounts for a variety of objects, some of them representing more of a challenge than others. My favourite mount making experience was with child’s pants worn during a walking out ceremony.

 

On loan from Trifona Simard, SIMARD-2016-2

  

The first step was to construct padding for the leather pants. Measurements had to be taken for sewing small pads of synthetic fabric (Tyvek- high density polyethylene material padded with polyester fibers). The padding is useful for the object : the weight of the leather is distributed equally on the padding, causing less stress on the object and maintaining the fabric in a position that resemble the natural position of the object before it came on loan.

From the perspective of conservation, organic collections are the most fragile material types in a museum. Light, temperature/humidity variations and insects may deteriorate any leather object: that is why it is important to use stable materials and non-acid fibers (like Tyvek) that will keep the objects from deteriorating.

As an intern, I learned that the objects do not always need as much support as we would think. Additions of material may cause stress on a fragile object. Some leather ornaments, such as leather fringes, can be hard to present directly on a mount, because they are made of a malleable fabric. Sometimes, the object is a good mount in itself for these ornaments. In the picture below, we can see that the pants are supporting the fringes well.

The second step was to construct a tray for supporting the object in storage. The pants were installed on a rigid support, consisting of non-acidic Hollinger board, covered with a layer of microfoam and acid free cotton fabric. The fabric had been pinned to adjust equally the tension of the textile on the mount, then taped at the back of the board, with acid free tape. The pants were held in place on the board with cotton ribbons.

This Hollinger board provided an easy way of supporting the pants in storage; the pants can now be observed without any movement of the object itself, which is good for the prevention of any damage during storage.

The trail of the Rabbit Fur Coat

One of the most exciting things that happened with our museum collection in the last few months was the amazing reunification of an object with the family of the maker.

In May 2015, ACCI hosted a Curatorial workshop lead by Moira McCaffrey, and one of the attendees was Linda Stewart Georgekish from Wemindji. At this time, she mentioned to us that her late mother Demaris Gilpin Stewart had made a rabbit fur coat ‘for a museum’ back in the 1980s and that she has been looking for it ever since! We informed her that we do have a few rabbit fur coats in our collection and that we would keep an eye out.

           A few months ago, Linda posted a photograph on Facebook of her nephew, Bernard Stewart, modelling the coat when he was a boy in 1980:

Bernard Stewart, 1980

Days 15 and 16 of the Heritage Preservation Project!

We rounded out the calendar year with trips to our neighbouring communities Waswanipi and Mistissini.

In Waswanipi we visited Cultural Coordinator Diane Cooper at the riverside location of the Waswanipi Culture Department.  Diane’s previous museum training means she is well aware of the different risks to heritage collections.  Insects are common threats, feasting on the proteins available in hides and furs.  And strong light and UV radiation can cause fading and deterioration.  Diane takes different measures to protect the collections in her care.  To kill off active insect attacks, she places the affected artefacts in the freezer.  To prevent light damage, she moves artefacts to darker areas of the building or places them under covers.  Specialized knowledge is necessary so that freezing and shading are carried out in the correct way with artefact-safe materials.

Diane Cooper showing us a moose hide top that suffered some light damage in the past.  The top is now kept out of direct sunlight, under a cover.

Diane Cooper holding up a stretched beaver pelt with a moth problem, destined for treatment in the freezer.

We enjoyed looking at all of the artefacts, art works and photographs currently on display in the building, and then toured other spaces in the community which may become the new home for the Culture Department in the future.  Safety and environmental protection are top priorities for Diane in her evaluation of the spaces, as is adequate room for the storage and display of artefacts.  We look forward to hearing about future plans for the Culture Department.

Our second stop in Waswanipi was at the Cree Trappers Association, where we interviewed Fur Officer Paul Dixon.  After looking at some recently purchased furs, Paul revealed to us his detailed recordkeeping system, through which he not only tracks fur purchases and sales, but the conditions on the trap lines and changes to the animal populations.  In addition to these valuable records, Paul collects issues of the Nation magazine.  Both of these collections deserve protection, and Paul was interested in hearing our recommendations for long-term care of paper materials, including using acid-free storage sleeves, folders and boxes to support the items and delay acidic discolouration and deterioration. Of course, Paul is mastering the first rule of preservation – collect!  

Paul Dixon, showing us just one of his collections – boxes of back-issues of the Nation magazine.

Our site visits have ended, and we are now home in Ouje-Bougoumou.  Stay tuned for announcements of next ventures of the Heritage Preservation Project on the ACCI website!  

Days 10-14 of the Heritage Preservation Project!

After steady travel for a week and a half, meeting many wonderful people and cultural-heritage groups, we decided to come home to Ouje-Bougoumou for a little rest.  We will visit community members and Band Office/Culture Department staff in Ouje-Bougoumou soon.

In Wemindji we began our visit with a stop at the Cultural Centre and met Cultural Coordinator Kerry-Lynn Stewart, Archivist Katherine Scott, and Director of Community Services Stella Lameboy-Gilpin.  They showed us the Centre's collection of ancient fossils, archaeological findings, carvings and maps, as well as the Wemindji Sound Archive and the Place Names Project database. 

The current home of the Cree Nation of Wemindji Culture Department. 

Notes gathered on the fossils collection.

Days 7, 8 and 9 of the Heritage Preservation Project!

The second phase of our visit in Waskaganish really had us on the go!

Stopping in briefly at the local radio station - Waskaganish siibi ayimuyabii - roles were reversed and WE were interviewed by Program Manager, Kevin Whiskeychan, for an on-air radio promo of the project.  Then we had a chance to look at the variety of recording formats  - reel to reel; cassette, mini-disk - that were used by the station overtime to record local music performances and conversations, and discussed digitization as an option for preserving recordings as players become obsolete.

We visited the Cree Culture classroom of teacher Ricky Jolly (Ecole Wiinibekuu School) and enjoyed his explanations of the making of traditional items, such as carved decoys, children's toys and natural traps and snares.  He had decorated his classroom with displays of his own family heirlooms, providing inspiration for his students' projects.  Ricky emphasized the importance of preserving traditional skills and knowledge, as well as the Cree language, and noted that he tries to record his father's Cree words for tools and materials - words that he himself doesn't know or has forgotten.

Cree Culture teacher Ricky Jolly talking about traditional methods of finishing carved goose decoys.

Days 4, 5 and 6 of the Heritage Preservation Project!

Our stops in Chisasibi focused on archival materials and how the Cree Nation of Chisasibi catalogues and stores materials, and ensures important files are backed-up by scanning them.  

The Cree Nation of Chisasibi Administrative Centre.

We also had time to sneak in a quick visit to the Catholic Church that had been moved by barge when the community of Fort George was relocated to Chisasibi in 1981, and to see the building of the Chisasibi Heritage Centre. 

Then we were off again, headed to Waskaganish!

The Waskaganish logo etched into a glass wall at the Waskaganish airport.