Winter 2018
THE COLLECTORS A HISTORY OF THE MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES THE YEAR OF INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES PRESERVING INTANGIBLE HERITAGE THE ARCHIVES ABROAD ATTENDING FIRST NATIONS GATHERINGS ACROSS BC
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Winter 2018 FEATURE The Year of Indigenous Languages FEATURE Vital for Life Experience Haida Gwaii Wildlife Photographer of the Year PROFILE Joanne Orr, Vice President Collections, Research and International Programs Hard Work and Healing All Things Egypt Model Performance FEATURE The Archives Abroad INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Maya: The Great Jaguar Rises on the Move from Guatemala GOING DIGITAL The Digital Totem Gallery Project GOING DIGITAL Native Plants on the South Coast A New Era for Fossils Curious Characters STAFF PROFILE New Faces PARTNERSHIP PROFILE Helijet What’s On Calendar Caring for the Collections DONOR PROFILE Barbara Fields Pays It Forward
Winnifred Violet Hardy (née Redfern) assisting in the collection of marine specimens, ca. 1920s. A-038594.
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E DITOR IN CHIEF Erika Stenson Head of Marketing, Sales & Business Development
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MANAGING EDITOR Jennifer Vanderzee Marketing & Sales Manager
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MAGAZINE COORDINATOR Cassie Holcomb Membership & Marketing Coordinator
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Nathan Oickle 2D Graphic Designer Annie Mayse Editor
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Shane Lighter Photographer
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What’s inSight is an electronic magazine released four times annually, in March, June, September and December, by the Royal BC Museum.
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Erik Lambertson Corporate Communications Manager
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In the interest of keeping our administrative costs low—and our carbon footprint small—this print version is also provided to members in digital format. To switch your What’s inSight subscription preference from print to digital format, please email membership@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca or call 250-387-3287.
Dear friends, When I first arrived in Victoria, I was keen to understand the history of the Royal BC Museum and the BC Archives. I was given a rather sad pamphlet as a surrogate, which presented the story of the institution through a series of men. Instinctively I felt there must be more, especially when Archivist Frederike Verspoor discovered the long petition from 1886 in the BC Archives, in which citizens demand a museum be created. Good news—five years later, we have produced a history worthy of any great museum in the world, running to six hundred pages, illustrated with more than a hundred historic photographs and, significantly, bearing a woman on its cover: Winnifred Violet Hardy, a museum stenographer and later an assistant biologist. I hope that there now will be no excuse for not understanding the nature of the museum and its engagement with British Columbia.
On the cover of The Collectors, the new history of the museum and archives, is a photograph of Winnifred Violet Hardy on a collecting trip in the 1920s.
Historian Patricia Roy has woven a fascinating story of colonial ambition to present the complex and at times dramatic story of two institutions and the formation of their world-class collections. It is a story of many remarkable and dedicated individuals, encompassing the lives of artists and scholars, curators and community members. The more I have studied the story of the Royal British Columbia Museum the more I have come to appreciate its accumulated history, the collaborative research that underpins it and the many ways people have connected to it. It makes me so proud to be part of such a rich and significant heritage. I owe immense thanks to Patricia Roy and all those who helped make this publication a reality. Without their support this wonderfully ambitious project simply could not have been realized. Yours,
Professor Jack Lohman, CBE Chief Executive Officer, Royal BC Museum
royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 3 Winter 2018
FEATURE
The Year of Indigenous Languages Preserving Intangible Heritage By Professor Jack Lohman CBE
and to the efforts to preserve, revitalize and promote Indigenous languages. The United Nations’ resolution reaffirms the importance of supporting Indigenous youth and women and their participation in all levels of decision making, not just in their own affairs but in all matters linked to policy and governance.
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t was with great joy that I received information that the City of Vancouver will seek UNESCO World Heritage Status for its Chinatown. How appropriate to recognize, document and protect this vital part of the history of British Columbia. At the same time I thought of the need to look beyond the tangible aspects of such a nomination—the buildings, streets and businesses—towards the everyday practices and lives of people. And if language is a form of intangible heritage, then the everyday practice of nonIndigenous and Indigenous languages merits UNESCO status too, not just in its archived form, recorded in audiotapes and digital formats, but as living practice, as life. The United Nations has declared 2019 the Year of Indigenous Languages. This is an opportunity to draw attention to the critical loss of languages across the world 4
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At the Royal BC Museum, working in partnership with the BC government and First Peoples’ Cultural Council, we have strengthened Indigenous representation on our board and introduced an independent Indigenous Advisory and Advocacy Committee to consider the museum’s commitments to Truth and Reconciliation, repatriation and sustainable development. Working alongside the First Nations and Repatriation department, these bodies ensure a coherent approach to our work, fully aligned to our vision and mandate. Next year, in partnership with the First Peoples’ Cultural Council, we will update the highly successful Our Living Languages First Peoples’ Voices in BC exhibition. Much has happened in Indigenous language revitalization in the four years since the exhibition opened, and it must reflect this. At the same time we plan to take Our Living Languages on the road in the form of four new travelling exhibitions to allow more people across British Columbia to enjoy it. It will be an opportunity to promote language learning and the work of language champions.
Our plans for 2019 also include establishing an Indigenous language archive at the BC Archives. Much work has already taken place to digitize the language audiotapes in our collection, thanks to the support of the First Peoples’ Cultural Council. Such transformations of language, from sound to object to data—intangible to tangible and back again—allow a vital resource for revitalization to remain accessible and relevant. We view this work as an ethical imperative and a type of repatriation, just as important as the repatriation practised in our archaeology or anthropology collections. As we contemplate how best to make our language collections available, UNESCO’s Memory of the World reminds us that we are part of a global network of archive-led resources bringing together and protecting the world’s documentary language heritage and providing access to it through digital media. 1. A visitor in the Our Living Languages exhibition. 2. Indigenous language map of British Columbia provided by the First Peoples’ Cultural Council.
“Language is at the core of our identity as people, members of a family and nations; it provides the underpinnings of our relationship to culture, the land, spirituality, and the intellectual life of a nation.” – First Peoples’ Cultural Council
royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 5 Winter 2018
FEATURE
Vital for Life Wetland Stewardship and Restoration By Genevieve Hill, Collections Manager and Researcher, Anthropology
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n late September of this year, I spoke at and participated in the BC Wildlife Federation’s Wetlands Institute, held on Saltspring Island in the traditional territory of SENĆOŦENand Hul’q’umi’num-speaking communities. Established in 1998, the Wetlands Institute is a hands-on workshop that trains participants
in the fundamentals of wetland stewardship and restoration. Experts in wetland restoration guide the participants through the process of creating a wetland, start to finish. Our team learned about the many components that go into a wetland project, from hydrology, soil classification and habitat creation to acquiring 1.
permits and working with heavy machinery, and we used this newfound knowledge to build two wetlands from scratch. This is an incredibly important skillset to develop— wetlands have long been threatened, both in British Columbia and abroad, and the need for restoration increases. Currently, wetlands cover approximately five per cent of British Columbia, but they were much more abundant in the past. Due to ever increasing pressure from industry and agriculture, wetlands have been ditched, dyked and drained on an extraordinary scale since the arrival of Europeans. Surplus water was often regarded as an impediment by farmers, who would do anything in their power to remove it from the soil. The forest industry has also made significant changes to the landscape, straightening rivers to allow for log driving and using dynamite to clear logjams. These changes served their immediate purposes, but they also had a significant impact on the areas around them, often draining land upstream and increasing rates of erosion. Continued landscape modification has resulted in the destruction of numerous wetlands throughout the province. In recent years, British Columbians have begun to appreciate wetlands for the incredible ecosystems they really are. Wetlands are vital for life. They provide sources of water to diverse ecosystems, they purify water, they store carbon, they protect coastlines and they play an important role in managing seasonal floods and stormwater, among many other roles. The seemingly peaceful wetland is
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actually teeming with life, from microscopic creatures in the water all the way up to the large mammals who come to wetlands to feed. Wetlands are the grocery stores of the natural world: there’s something for everybody, and there always has been. Indigenous communities across BC have deep connections to the wetlands within their territories. Archaeological evidence from sites
in and around wetlands goes back thousands of years. For example, about 3,800 years ago, ancestral Katzie people built stone platforms submerged under water on which wapato tubers were grown. Such features lacked the fences and furrows of European farming and escaped the attention of European farmers and ethnographers. Moreover, the wetland features that were important to local communities were located in areas coveted by
settler farmers, and these places were often early drained early on, with evidence of past use covered over or destroyed. 1. Spreading oat seeds in newly created wetland to stabilize loose soils and reduce erosion. 2. Wetlands Institute participants learn to identify different sorts of wetlands.
royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 7 Winter 2018
It’s not just ethnographers and farmers who have overlooked the importance of Indigenous wetland use—many North American archaeologists have done so for quite some time. At the Wetlands Institute, Joe Akerman led a tour of Xwaaq’wum (Burgoyne Bay) and told the group about the importance of wetlands there and in general to his community and his ancestors. The depth and breadth of the relationships between Indigenous communities and wetland landscapes is an important part of Indigenous culture history. It is the responsibility of archaeologists to work with Indigenous communities to identify and protect all types of archaeological site, not just the ones that European ethnographers have previously identified.
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Archaeology has another role to play in wetland restoration: in order to design a successful wetland, planners need to know what the local environment will support. Archaeological evidence can help with this. Due to the constant presence of water and low oxygen levels, material that would otherwise have decomposed can be preserved in wetlands. For example, pollen and plant matter that would normally be lost can be identified, and ancient pollen samples can be used to determine what sort of plants used to grow in the immediate vicinity and what may succeed in the future. Other than me, all the participants in the 2018 Wetlands Institute had natural science backgrounds. My aim was to make the participants aware of the importance of wetlands to Indigenous communities and to ensure that cultural values have a place in their wetland restoration projects going forward. This experience was incredibly valuable in establishing relationships between stewards of natural and cultural heritage and in broadening our mutual awareness. 1.
Joe Akerman shares the history of Xwaaqw’um (Burgoyne Bay Provincial Park) with the team, and Robin Annischild talks about the impacts of historic drainage patterns on the area.
2. Seed pod of the Yellow Flag Iris, an invasive species that spreads rapidly and is deleterious to wetlands.
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Experience Haida Gwaii Join Our Annual Director’s Tour By Jonathan Dallison, Manager, Donor Relations
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ave you always wanted to travel to Haida Gwaii? We are thrilled to provide an exclusive, private tour that is uniquely suited to members of our museum family. From June 16 to 23, 2019, our Annual Director’s Tour will explore all the wild coastal landscapes and rich cultural treasures Haida Gwaii can offer.
Site. Private tours of artisan studios will be included, along with demonstrations of traditional weaving, carving and dancing. You will explore the rugged wilderness and encounter wildlife, and you may see anything from bears to puffins to the remains of the famous Golden Spruce to the largest beaches you have ever encountered.
You will meet chiefs, see Indigenous collections and visit ancient villages such as SGang Gwaay, a UNESCO World Heritage
You will eat a traditional Haida feast and enjoy lectures by Professor Jack Lohman CBE, chief executive officer, and Lucy Bell, head of First Nations and Repatriation.
Comfortable accommodation will be provided at Haida House in Tllaal, which specializes in providing unparalleled Haida culture and adventure packages. We hope you will join us. Only 16 places are available. If you are interested in this tour, please contact Jonathan Dallison, manager, donor relations, at 250-413-7756 today. Totem poles on Anthony Island Beach.
royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 9 Winter 2018
Detail © Marsel van Oosten
Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition Open February 15 – March 24, 2019
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xperience the wonders of nature through the lenses of award-winning photographers from around the world. Now in its 54th year, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition showcases a global selection of outstanding nature photography. Each photo is presented in a huge backlit display with a caption exploring the image’s compelling story. The images evoke a wide range of emotions but are always visually stunning and thought provoking. Wildlife Photographer of the Year is owned and produced by the Natural History Museum, London.
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The Golden Couple Marsel Van Oosten, The Netherlands Grand title winner 2018 Marsel trained in art and design, knowledge that led to a successful career as an art director in advertising. But his love of wildlife and passion for photography saw him swap life in the office for the challenges of being a nature photographer. He has since exhibited and published worldwide, and has already won many awards while also running his own nature photography tours.
As the group of Qinling golden snub-nosed monkeys jumped from tree to tree, Marsel struggled to keep up, slipping and stumbling over logs. Gradually he learned to predict their behaviour, capturing a male resting briefly on a stone seat, revealing its cloak of long hair. One of the females in the small group sat alongside. Both watched intently as an altercation took place down the valley between the lead males of two other groups in the 50-strong troop. With the Sun filtering through the canopy, the warm gold coats of this pair shone out against the fresh greens of the forest.
PROFILE
Joanne Orr Vice President Collections, Research and International Programs
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am both delighted and excited to be taking up the new position of Vice President Collections, Research and International Programs at the Royal BC Museum. This is a wonderful organization with amazing collections, and I am really looking forward to working for the museum and with the many communities who are reflected in its holdings. I come from Scotland, where for the past 14 years I have worked in a development role to support a diverse range of museums, from large national institutions to tiny volunteer-run organizations in isolated island communities. I have been working internationally with UNESCO as a recognized expert in the field of intangible cultural heritage and living culture, involved with traditions, festivals, music and dance. I have more than 30 years of experience working in heritage, from running small industrial museums in rural Scotland to directing a large regional museum and art gallery in Cumbria, England.
Found only in the forests of China’s Qinling Mountains, this subspecies of golden snub-nosed monkey is now endangered – their numbers have halved over the past 40 years. They are highly selective feeders, but the trees on which they rely for bark, lichen and buds are being overharvested or cut down to make way for roads for tourism. There are now fewer than 4,000 individuals left in these mountains. Qinling Mountains, Shaanxi Province, China Technical details: Nikon D810 + Tamron 24–70mm f2.8 lens at 24mm; 1/320 sec at f8; ISO 1600; SB-910 flash
I have worked as a museum consultant on varied projects around the world, in countries such as Poland, Portugal, Vietnam, China and Rwanda. I am looking forward to starting my new position in this world-class museum and have already been made to feel very welcome by its dedicated staff. This will be the first time I have taken up a full-time position outside the UK, and Canada is wonderful place to begin this experience. The small amount of Vancouver Island I have seen is absolutely stunning, and Victoria is a vibrant, welcoming city where I am sure I will very quickly feel at home.
Hard Work and Healing First Nations Communities Move Forward with Repatriation Plans By Erik Lambertson, Corporate Communications Manager
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useums, particularly those that reflect human history, wrestle with thorny questions about ownership, authority and representation all the time. This is especially true for older museums that must consider what’s appropriate, just and ethical now, as opposed to when they were founded.
This autumn, after reviewing numerous
The Royal BC Museum has a worldclass collection of Indigenous cultural objects from ethnographic to archaeology materials, audiovisual recordings and ancestral remains. The museum has a responsibility to consult with Indigenous communities regarding the care, handling and repatriation of these belongings.
Royal BC Museum, but across the globe.
It’s a tremendous opportunity for the museum to listen carefully to Indigenous communities in BC.
among the successful applicants: Indigenous
strong submissions for its repatriation grant program, the Royal BC Museum’s Indigenous Advisory and Advocacy Committee granted funding to 21 Indigenous communities from across BC to support their work in repatriation, not just from the
The successful applicants will use the grants to support repatriation activities that range from establishing planning committees to facilitating the return of ancestral remains to home communities. A total of $586,160 will be distributed
The repatriation grant program is the first of its kind in Canada and is an important part of the ongoing collaboration between the Royal BC Museum and Indigenous communities throughout BC to address the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the direction provided by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. You can learn more about the grant and the applicants at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/ first-nations/first-nations-repatriation/grant. Repatriation grant recipients meet with staff of the Royal BC Museum and Minister Lana Popham in October.
communities, cultural societies and associations, and museum societies. 1.
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All Things Egypt Learning Update By Ashley Vandepol, Learning Program Facilitator
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n addition to hundreds of intriguing artifacts and engaging interactive displays, Egypt: The Time of Pharaohs has also offered extensive programming and a number of noteworthy events for visitors to take part in here at the Royal BC Museum. With the abundance of interest in all things ancient Egypt, the new exhibition has attracted not only throngs of visitors but also an exceptional number of wonderful volunteers. Curious about the temple models, how a pyramid is built or why Hatshepsut wears a beard? Volunteers are there to help! Not only are they an excellent source of information—they also facilitate four alternating hands-on animation stations within the exhibition. Visitors can try their hands at cracking hieroglyphic codes, discover details about the cult of beauty in ancient Egypt, learn more about the importance of location for pyramid building and even get their hands on some replica canopic jars. Apart from the stimulating activities occurring within the exhibition, the Royal BC Museum has also brought a little ancient Egypt to local communities through various outreach programs. We have hosted a number of informative and engaging speakers, among them Dr. Wafaa El Saddik, former director of the Egyptian Museum of Cairo; Dr. Dennine Dudley from the University of Victoria; and Dr. Donald Ryan, an archaeologist who excavated in the Valley of the Kings. This New Year’s Eve, our Early Shift event will offer an excellent send-off for Egypt: The Time of Pharaohs—be sure not to miss it!
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1. A visitor handles a replica canopic jar. 2. Nansi, a volunteer, discusses the uses of canopic jars in ancent Egypt.
royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 13 Winter 2018
Model Performance Enriching the Skedans Display By Lucy Bell, Head of the First Nations Department and Repatriation Program
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ver the decades, thousands of Royal BC Museum visitors have peered with delight and interest at the detailed model of K’uuna Llnagaay, the village also known as Skedans, Haida Gwaii, one of the mesmerizing centrepieces of the First Peoples gallery.
The additions are part of an incremental series of updates to the First Peoples gallery, changes that mirror a collaborative relationship between the museum and the Indigenous peoples in BC and that reflect First Nations as living, contemporary and dynamic cultures.
Now, thanks to detailed input from Guujaaw, Haida artist, leader and hereditary Chief Gidansda, the museum has added fresh new audiovisual and textual material to enrich the model village, providing an authoritative perspective and deeper cultural context.
Earlier this spring the museum added a new display on the gallery’s mezzanine, featuring Tsamiianbaan (Willy White), Tsimshian weaver and teacher. The display includes vibrant new text panels, video footage of Mr. White weaving a Raven’s Tail dance apron in the Royal BC Museum galleries and dance aprons from the First Nations collections at the museum (including the one woven on-site by Mr. White).
“Generations of visitors have learned about and reflected upon Indigenous cultures in the First Peoples gallery,” says Professor Jack Lohman, CEO of the Royal BC Museum. “But we recognize that many of the displays are decades old, and we welcome the opportunity to convey, with fresh perspectives and mediums, the deep history of places like Skedans, places that have enormous cultural significance for Indigenous people today.” 14
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Recent additions like the displays on weaving and Skedans will impress upon visitors an important perspective: that First Nations traditions inform present-day cultural practices and are integral to the vitality of community life.
Other upgrades, such as new lighting on the casts of petroglyphs on the upper walls of the First Peoples gallery, enhance visitors’ experiences in these iconic spaces. The Royal BC Museum will continue to modernize the First Peoples gallery with updated exhibits, new text panels and improvements to accessibility—always consulting with and listening to Indigenous communities.
Great-West Life is a proud sponsor of the First Peoples gallery rescripting project.
1. The newly refreshed Skedans model in the First Peoples gallery. 2. Guujaaw, Haida artist, leader and hereditary Chief Gidansda, with grandnephew at Skedans.
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royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 15 Winter 2018
FEATURE
The Archives Abroad Attending the BC Elders Gathering and Ktunaxa National Council Annual General Assembly By Genevieve Weber, Archivist
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his summer I had the privilege of attending the BC Elders Gathering and the Ktunaxa Nation Council Annual General Assembly as a representative of the BC Archives.
year. It is a chance for elders from around
gap, and allows the younger generations to
the province to socialize, share memories
demonstrate respect, regard, and honour
and knowledge and connect with people
for their Elders”. Along with my colleagues
from other nations. According to the group, it
Sheila Samson and Lou-ann Neel from the
The BC Elders Gathering is an annual event that takes place in a different community each
also offers an opportunity to “interface with
First Nations and Repatriation department
youth, which helps to mitigate the generation
and Hannah Morales from the Learning
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department, I attended this year’s gathering in Duncan, BC. We had an information table in one of the vendor’s halls, allowing us to benefit from the foot traffic as many of the nearly 5,000 participants shopped for jewelry and other gifts. Over three days we had almost 300 individuals stop to discuss the First Nations collections in the museum and the archives, and we were able to provide information on how to access collections and arrange research visits as well as about the repatriation program. The gathering was a joyful event, with dancing, singing and socializing at its core—not to mention the wonderful food! Traditional fare included prawns, crab, salmon, clams and fry bread. It was a wonderful way to connect with communities and researchers, both experienced and new. I am already planning for the next gathering, at which we hope
to have more space so elders can review photographs and records.
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The Ktunaxa Nation Council Annual General Assembly took place in ʔakisq̓nuk, near Windermere, BC. The assembly is a chance for all members of the Ktunaxa Nation to gather together, hear updates from the council and celebrate. Once again, I hosted a table with information and exhibits about the BC Archives, bringing items from our handling collection and reproductions of material connected the Ktunaxa. The BC Archives has been working with the Ktunaxa Nation Council (KNC) regarding the digitization of some records of significance to the Ktunaxa, and this led to an invitation to attend the assembly. I met with staff of the Traditional Knowledge and Language branch of the Ktunaxa Nation Council, including Margaret Teneese, the nation’s archivist. In the evening I was invited to attend the annual powwow. In addition to enjoying the drum circles and dancing, I was honoured to witness cultural and spiritual ceremonies. Taking part in events like these allows us as an institution to strengthen our relationships with Indigenous communities and make connections between people and our collections. I feel incredibly honoured to take part in these community events as part of my job. 1. The Ktunaxa Nation Council Annual General Assembly in ʔakisq̓ nuk, near Windermere, BC 2. Bree Nicholas at the Ktunaxa Nation Council Pow Wow in Windermere, BC.
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royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 17 Winter 2018
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Maya: The Great Jaguar Rises On the Move from Guatemala By Leah Best, Head of Knowledge
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n a steep grassy slope above Antigua, Guatemala, Royal BC Museum CEO Jack Lohman and Fundación La Ruta Maya Director Sofia Peredes stand together and smile for a photograph. On the hill behind them are the overgrown remnants of a coffee plantation. Down the slope and to the west lies the vibrant Spanish colonial city and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Antigua. To the east, an hour’s drive away, is Guatemala City, where earlier that morning Professor Lohman and Director Peredes—along with
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me (Royal BC Museum Head of Knowledge Leah Best) and exhibition partner Siegfried Brugger—examined artifacts for inclusion in the exhibition Maya: The Great Jaguar Rises. In the photograph, Professor Lohman and Director Peredes look down the road, the ruta Maya, towards the May 2019 opening of this collaborative international exhibition at the Royal BC Museum. This past July, Professor Lohman convened a series of meetings in Guatemala to continue to build relationships and select exhibition content for Maya: The Great Jaguar Rises. Over the course of three days, Professor Lohman met with government and museum officials, including Guatemala’s Minister for Culture Dr. José Luis Urruela and Director of the Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología Daniel Aquino Lara. Sofia Peredes, the director of major lending partner Fundación La Ruta Maya, facilitated the review of supplementary exhibition artifacts in both Guatemala City and Antigua. A visit to the Academia de Lenguas Mayas de Guatemala to discuss the language focus in the exhibition (there are 22 Maya languages spoken within the borders of Guatemala; the Indigenous languages spoken in BC, for comparison, number 35) was followed by a tour of the Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología with Director Aquino and with Canadian Embassy officials Karolina Guay and Laura Dalby. Then it was back to Victoria for Professor Lohman while I and Siegfried Brugger carried on to the western highlands of
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Guatemala to visit the Maya communities that surround Lake Atitlan. Set in a dramatic volcanic landscape, the villages of San Pedro la Laguna, Santa Catarina Palopo, San Antonio Palopo and Santiago Atitlan reflect and magnify the Maya way of life today. From the maize and calabaza plots that grip the steep hillsides above the villages to the exquisite and colourful traditional clothing worn by the majority of local men, women and children to the blending of Maya and Catholic spiritual traditions, the communities of Lake Atitlan are, without question, the inspiration behind the contemporary Maya pieces that will be featured in the exhibition. With less than six months until the opening of Maya: The Great Jaguar Rises, the exhibition is moving from final object selection to shipping logistics. Packing and transfer of the artifacts from Guatemala (Guatemala City and Antigua) to Victoria will take more than six months. Over the winter, all new exhibit architecture will be constructed by Siegfried Brugger’s team in Europe and Royal BC Museum staff will be working behind the scenes to develop public programming and promotional strategies. May 2019 will arrive sooner than you think!
Maya marks one of the most significant international engagement projects ever undertaken by the Royal BC Museum. The museum is collaborating with five Guatemalan counterparts: the Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología, the Museo Popol Vuh, Bodega del Proyecto Nacional, Tikal and the Fundación La Ruta Maya. Touring logistics, curatorial oversight, design and fabrication will be provided by MuseumsPartner of Innsbruck, Austria.
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1. Ceramic codex-style drinking cup, Late Classic period. Fundación La Ruta Maya, Guatemala. Photo by Jorge Perez de Lara.
3. Royal BC Museum CEO Professor Jack Lohman with Sofia Peredes, director of the Fundación La Ruta Maya, Antigua, Guatemala, July 2018.
2. Ceramic figure from El Peru, Late Classic period (600–650). Museo Nacional de Arqueologia y Etnologia, Guatemala. Photo by Jorge Perez de Lara.
4. Jade and limestone earrings, Classic period. Fundación La Ruta Maya, Guatemala. Photo by Jorge Perez de Lara.
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royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 19 Winter 2018
GOING DIGITAL
The Digital Totem Gallery Project By Katie Cummer, Project Manager, Digital Totem Gallery Project
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n early 2020 the Royal BC Museum will launch a new digital project showcasing the totems at the museum. These monumental carvings are representations of Indigenous families’ histories, rights and traditions. From heraldic and model poles to house posts and memorial poles, this digital gallery will celebrate the full spectrum of these varied and complex cultural belongings. It provides an in-depth video- and image-rich narrative exploring a selection of poles from different cultural groups and communities in coastal BC: the Coast Salish in the south, the Gitxsan further north and Haida in the west, among others. Insight on how to read such carvings is shared along with the intricate histories of how and why these poles were created and ended up in the museum’s care.
Additionally, users can browse a gallery describing the poles in the collection, making research associated with them more accessible. The site will open the collection and information associated with it to interested digital visitors, researchers and Indigenous communities across the province and world. As part of the site’s development process, staff have engaged a number of Indigenous representatives to offer better understanding of these poles, revealing more layers and meaning. These consultations have included both community elders and carvers, who provide commentary about practising and promoting this important tradition. The collaboration will not end with the launch of the website—the site will also have a guest curation component to it, encouraging Indigenous communities to submit additional materials that provide further insight on these poles. This community input provides an important opportunity to document the rich stories and histories of these poles for future generations. 20
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A 1965 sketch by John Smyly of the Gitanyow Split Person pole, one of the many poles and illustrations featured on the upcoming Digital Totem Gallery website.
GOING DIGITAL
Native Plants on the South Coast By Liz Crocker, Learning Program Developer
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earning about native plants—plants that haven’t been moved somewhere from somewhere else by humans—is a great way to learn about the place you call home. Studying native plants in BC is also a chance to learn about Indigenous knowledge of the plants where you live. Most of us can name a few of the plants that grow in our gardens or that we can buy at the store: roses, tulips, daffodils, strawberries. But do you know names of the plants that have been growing here for thousands of years? Do you know which native flowers blossom first in spring? You should at least know which native berries are safe to eat! Indigenous ways of knowing and being include rich knowledge about plants, animals and landscapes. Learning about local First Peoples’ uses of plants and animals, seasonal changes and ecosystems will add to your study of the native plants in your neighbourhood. Explore the digital resources on the Learning Portal, then get outside! Beyond tulips and strawberries, there’s a whole world of beautiful and essential plants just outside your door. The Learning Portal is a dynamic and intuitive online resource designed to engage visitors in a variety of ways, including with spectacular audio and video content, captivating images and compelling articles. It can be visited at learning.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca. Close-up of the back of Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum) leaves, showing round bumps called sori where spores develop.
royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 21 Winter 2018
A New Era for Fossils Meet the Museum’s Newest Curator By Victoria Arbour, Curator of Paleontology
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ritish Columbia has one of the world’s richest records of life on earth, with more than 500 million years of stories to tell. That’s one reason I’m so excited to have joined the Royal BC Museum this September as the new curator of paleontology! I’m a vertebrate paleontologist specializing in dinosaurs and other animals that lived during the Mesozoic era. Most of my work has been on the armoured dinosaurs called ankylosaurs, a group of four-legged plant eaters with tail clubs. But one of my first research projects was on a very special fossil from British Columbia—a little dinosaur discovered in the mountains of northern BC. I’m really excited by the opportunities to uncover new knowledge about British Columbia’s past using the collections already here at the Royal BC Museum. From the jaw-dropping insects, plants and feathers in the brand new Leahy-Langevin Fossil Collection to seashells from an ancient ocean preserved on Vancouver Island’s coasts, there are many secrets waiting to be unlocked in the collections. There are also many fossils still waiting to be found all around British Columbia. I’ve had the incredible opportunity to
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search for dinosaurs in the remote Sustut Basin, a vast region of northern BC with rocks of the right age and type to contain dinosaur fossils. In 2017, with support from the National Geographic Society, I led an expedition to this area in order to locate the original collection site for the little dinosaur I first worked on over a decade ago. My
team was able to narrow down where the dinosaur came from, and along the way we discovered new fossils of turtles and plants from the end of the age of dinosaurs. Over the next few years I plan to continue the search for BC dinosaurs by going even further north into the Sustut Basin—and beyond!
Paleontology is a field of study where you can make a huge contribution as a citizen scientist! If you think you’ve found an unusual or rare fossil, you should contact the Royal BC Museum. Fossils are protected in British Columbia under the Land Act, so if the fossil is still in the ground, leave it where it is, take a photo
and make a note of its location using a map or GPS unit. Stay tuned for more fossil discoveries and ways to get involved with the paleontology collection at the Royal BC Museum. The view of the Sustut River from the abandoned railway grade where the team searched for fossils.
royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 23 Winter 2018
Curious Characters An Excerpt from The Collectors By Annie Mayse, Editor
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or more than 130 years, the Royal BC Museum has told the stories of British Columbia—and acquired a few of its own along the way. In The Collectors: A History of the Royal British Columbia Museum and Archives, an authoritative new account from noted BC historian Patricia Roy, fascinating and often offbeat tales of the museum and archives’ twined histories emerge from under glass and come to life once more.
In this excerpt, Roy takes us back to the museum’s first days, when curators relied on the kindness of strangers, not to mention the strangeness of strangers, to fill their cabinets.
Early in December 1886, the museum opened its doors. Two hundred specimens in cases occupied a room [in the Legislative Buildings] approximately 16 by 20 feet, adjacent to the rooms of the Department of Education. The walls were “adorned artistically with the heads of large mountain animals and birds in various attitudes”, and several land and sea reptiles were also on display. The cabinets for minerals were yet to be filled. Although based in Victoria, the museum was expected to represent all parts of the province; its limited budget required it to rely on donations. When the Colonist 1.
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reported recent donations of a female caribou with hoof and horns attached, a “fine collection” of BC moths and other gifts, it also published [Curator John] Fannin’s request “that any article of curious character, any bird, animal or reptile native to the province, or minerals and fossils, be forwarded to the museum in order that it may quickly become possessed of a total representation of the natural history and geology of the province”. Residents of New Westminster, Kamloops, Revelstoke and Victoria had already contributed specimens. Reports of gifts—such as a mammoth’s bone,
New from the Royal BC Museum sparrows and an Audubon’s warbler—appeared frequently in the press over the next few years. A provincial police officer presented a large live marmot. Marmot flesh, the Colonist reported, tasted like pork. It did not reveal that marmot’s fate, but the comment is suggestive. To find out more about museum marmots—among other things—pick up your copy of The Collectors from your local bookseller, the Royal Museum Shop or direct from the source at rbcm.ca/books. 1. John Fannin and Albert Maynard in the museum’s taxidermy shop, ca. 1887. 2. Museum techniques have improved over the years. The life-size replicas in this display are much easier to see than the specimens preserved in jars.
The Collectors A History of the Royal British Columbia Museum and Archives by Patricia E. Roy ISBN 978-0-7726-7200-1
$39.95 “Today’s British Columbians are fortunate that the early settlers realized how much there was in the province to preserve.” – Introduction
Get your copy at rbcm.ca/books
STAFF PROFILE
New Faces The New Staff at the Museum 1.
when I worked on creating experiences for media visiting the city, I was always keen to encourage them to visit the museum for an insight into what BC is all about. I’d always hoped I would have the chance to work here and now it’s happened! It’s really been eye-opening discovering the range of roles there are here. Things like learning that the in-house Exhibitions team made the pyramid entrance for Egypt on site—how cool is that?” Lesley Golding Collections Manager, Paintings, Drawings and Prints Archives, Access and Digital Started July 16, 2018
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ver the past few months, several new staff members have joined the Royal BC Museum. We would like to introduce them!
Victoria Arbour Curator of Paleontology Collections, Knowledge and Engagement Started September 6, 2018 “My bachelor’s is from Dalhousie University and then I moved out west to do a master’s and a PhD at the University of Alberta. From there, I was a postdoctoral fellow jointly appointed at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and North Carolina State University, and most recently I was a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto and the Royal Ontario Museum. My adult life has been pretty 26
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heavily centred around paleontology, and I’ve had amazing opportunities to add to our scientific understanding of dinosaurs through new research and to communicate what we know about fossils to the public. I’m brand new to the Royal BC Museum, but I bet there are going to be some wonderful surprises lurking in the cabinets of fossils for me to discover.” Katie Dabbs Content Marketer Marketing, Sales and Business Development Started April 6, 2018 ”I arrived in Victoria six years ago and began my working life here at the Tourism Victoria Visitor Centre. One of the first places I went to learn more about my new home was the Royal BC Museum. Later,
“I have a master’s degree in public history from the University of Victoria, where I also received my diploma in cultural resource management and a certificate in collections management. I also have a bachelor of arts (with honours) in history and classics from Queen’s University. I have been working at museums, galleries and heritage sites for the past 10 years. I started my museum career working for a provincial historic site in southern Ontario called Fairfield House. Since then I’ve worked at national historic sites and UNESCO world heritage sites, archaeological research foundations and art galleries. Prior to starting at the Royal BC Museum, I was working at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria as a registrar in the collections department.” Cassie Holcomb Membership and Marketing Coordinator Marketing, Sales and Business Development Started June 28, 2018
“I have lived in Victoria for more than 20 years. I studied biology at the University of Victoria, and after that, I took my love of science to the Centre of the Universe, where I developed and delivered science programs to kids of all ages. Since then, I have been working in the non-profit sector in the areas of membership development, communications, engagement and fundraising, most recently at the Bateman Foundation. I am excited to engage with and grow the museum’s membership!” Pamela Rutley AV Assistant First Nations and Repatriation Started May 7, 2018 “I’ll be at the Royal BC Museum for a 10-month term, ending in March 2019, on loan from the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (try to say that three times really fast!). My background is in office administration and records management, and I’ve been in provincial government for 22 years.” Dave Shacket Revenue Manager Corporate Finance Started August 27, 2018 “After graduating from university I became an account executive in the consumer packaged goods industry, working for the likes of Kraft and Kellogg’s. Eventually I found I was looking for something more customer service–oriented and found myself in hotel management, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I hope to bring that same level of service excellence to the museum. I was immediately surprised by the energy and warmth of the people I work with here. It’s a sharp contrast to the perception that museums are dry, dull places. Not this one!”
2.
Royal Museum Shop Your purchases support the Royal BC Museum. Shop in person or online at shop.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca Royal BC Museum members and IMAX season pass holders receive 10% off all purchases with membership card or online coupon code: member Shop hours 10:00 am – 5:00 pm daily Tel 250-356-0505 Find us on Facebook and Instagram!
1. New staff in the museum’s Native Plant Garden (left to right): Cassie Holcomb, Katie Dabbs, Victoria Arbour and Dave Shacket. 2. Lesley Golding sealing a painting for exhibitions.
royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 27 Winter 2018
PARTNERSHIP PROFILE
Helijet O
ne of the great things about a visit to the Royal BC Museum is that it allows all of us to do more than just take a look at the way things used to be in BC.
In addition to learning what happened, a visit to the museum can also reveal the why. From the smallest venture to the great entity that is the province of British Columbia, every success story starts with an idea—a unique inspiration that leads to reality. As supporters of the Royal BC Museum, we at Helijet know the value of watching a great idea blossom into a great success. Back in the mid 80s, we knew there had to be better, faster and more reliable way to get back and forth between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. Thus Helijet was born, just in time for Expo 86, and three decades later, the rest is history. In the years since, as BC has marked milestones like the ’94 Commonwealth Games and 2010 Olympics, we’ve expanded our passenger service options well beyond our first Victoria–Vancouver route. Today, we offer regular flights to Nanaimo and charters that head north along our scenic coast to the world-famous fishing lodges in Haida Gwaii, Bella Bella and Prince Rupert. Helijet has also been a major provider of British Columbia’s air ambulance service since the turn of the millennium. We’re proof that any great success starts with a good idea—and that has inspired us to sponsor the Pocket Gallery in Clifford Carl Hall, on the main floor of the Royal BC Museum. On a rotating basis, it showcases some of the best work of individual Royal BC Museum and Archives 28
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staffers who are busy exploring fresh ideas based on the museum and archives’ collections, research, partnerships and programs that might otherwise go unseen
by the public. The Pocket Gallery is free to all visitors. We hope you come by to explore some great ideas in the works.
What’s on
For a full listing of what’s happening at the Royal BC Museum, view our calendar online at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/calendar MUSEUM HOURS: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm daily
Wonder Sunday Bring your curiosity—and the whole family! Join us in the galleries every Sunday, from October to May, for exploration, excitement and family fun. Included with admission or membership
Fieldtrippers: Sex in the Sand Join us for a themed outdoor field trips led by museum staff and community collaborators and learn about the fascinating world of invertebrate reproduction. February 24 I 1:00–2:30 pm Island View Beach Regional Park By donation
Letter-Writing Week Write a letter at our letter-writing booth. We provide the paper, the pens, the envelopes and even the stamps. Who knows, the letter you write could one day be part of our archives! January 2–11 11:00 am – 2:00 pm Included with admission or membership
World Celebrations December 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 1:00–3:00 pm
ALL AGES
LECTURES
Early Shift: Party Like It’s 1999 (BC) On the last day of 2018, join us in the Egypt: The Time of Pharaohs exhibition at a party fit for the gods. Our annual family-oriented party will be an ancient frolic, with music, activities and games for all ages. December 31 I 6:00–8:30 pm $24 per adult, $16 per youth Kids five and under are free
Live @ Lunch Find out what’s happening at the museum and archives in these monthly talks featuring curators, staff and researchers. By donation
FAMILY PROGRAMS
Dinosaurs and Fossils January 6, 13, 20, 27 1:00–3:00 pm Geology and Geography February 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 1:00–3:00 pm
SPRING BREAK CAMPS Bizarre Beasts British Columbia supports an incredible diversity of animals, and some of them are wonderfully weird. This camp will take a look at some of the stranger ones, exploring why they are the way they are. March 18–22 and 25–29 9:00 am – 4:00 pm $280 per person Ages 7–11
ADULT PROGRAMS It’s Complicated: A Discussion Series This participatory discussion series tackles perspectives and definitions, upending assumptions to help us better understand ourselves and our community. An intriguing mix of facilitators will get the conversation started, but where it goes from there is up to you. Museums and Classrooms Are Not Neutral February 15 I 7:00–9:00 pm By donation Night Shift: Swing Fling Put some springtime swing into your step at the next Night Shift event. Don’t worry if you don’t have a partner: that is what the swing is all about...! February 16 | 8:00 pm – 12:00 am $40 per person | 19+ Two pieces of ID required for entry
Father Christmas in Old Town Visit with Father Christmas, have your photo taken and share your holiday wishes in Old Town. December 1–2, 7–9, 14–16 11:00 am – 3:00 pm Included with admission or membership Photos by donation
Exploring the Deep: BC Seamounts January 16 I 12:00–1:00 pm Ancient Migrations and Modern Genetics February 6 I 12:00–1:00 pm A Grey Whale Tale March 6 I 12:00–1:00 pm Information correct at time of printing. Subject to change. Please visit royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/calendar for the most up-to-date information. Prices do not include applicable taxes.
Caring for the Collections Everyone Can Help By Angelica Pass, Development Officer
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he Royal BC Museum recently received a donation of 18,000 fossil specimens from the McAbee Fossil Beds near Cache Creek. The Leahy-Langevin Collection (named after the donor and his research partner) is an internationally significant addition to our collection, encompassing thousands of fossils of plants, animals and insects from the Eocene epoch (52 million years ago). All of these specimens had to be carefully packed in tissue and special containers to keep them safe. New shelving units were purchased to store the massive collection, and some fossils received conservation treatment to ensure their long-term stability. The Leahy-Langevin Collection requires far more study, and we look forward to sharing what we learn with our communities in the future. The new equipment and conservation work required for the protection of the LeahyLangevin Collection is why we have the Caring for Collections Fund. The Caring for Collections Fund provides financial assistance to the Royal BC Museum for collections preservation and long-term care. Our collection contains more than seven million artifacts and specimens, and over 27 kilometres of archival records! Now that’s a lot of history. As we pursue our mission to contribute to society through our expertise and knowledge, we need resources to support a 21st century museum and archives. Won’t you consider contributing to the care of the collections? Every little bit helps. If you would like to make a donation to the Caring for Collections Fund, please contact Angelica Pass, development officer, at 250387-7222 or apass@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca. 30
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Fossil specimens from the Leahy-Langevin collection.
DONOR PROFILE
Barbara Fields Pays It Forward By Jonathan Dallison, Manager, Donor Relations
Donor Form
YES, I want to help the Royal BC Museum’s Caring for Collections fund with my tax deductible gift of: $_____________________________________________
MONTHLY GIVING I prefer the convenience of giving monthly using my credit 15th of each card. Please take a payment on the 1st or month in the amount of $_____________________________________________ (Payments can be discontinued at any time by calling 250-387-7222.)
LEGACY GIVING I am interested in receiving information on leaving a gift in my will to help strengthen the future of the Royal BC Museum.
YOUR INFORMATION Name: Address: City: Province:
“Life is about learning,” says Barbara Fields over a perfect cup of tea. “There is so much at the museum to enrich us all, and that is why I am supporting it with a bequest in my will.” “I think back to my school group visits when I was a girl and how incredibly privileged I felt. Unless you lived through the Great Depression, you just could not understand. Those museum experiences were incredible to have, and I was fortunate to see them repeated for my children and grandchildren.” “When we have benefited like that, I think we have to ask ourselves what we can each give back—especially once our families have grown and gone. It is not exactly an obligation,” she smiles, “But I feel it is a moral thing to help the museum play a central role for everyone. It is rewarding, too.”
Postal Code:
Telephone:
Email:
PAYMENT DETAILS Credit Card:
Visa
MasterCard
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Card Number:
Expiry Date (Month/Year):
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Name on Card: Signature: Cheque (please make payable to the Royal BC Museum Foundation) Please return the completed form and donation to the Fundraising and Development Department via our box office, or mail to Royal BC Museum, 675 Belleville Street, Victoria, BC, V8W 9W2.
Would you like to join Barbara by leaving a gift in your will? An important way to pass along your values to the next generation is by supporting the causes in which you believe. To learn more about making a bequest to the museum, please contact Jonathan Dallison, manager, donor relations, at 250-387-3283 today.
You can also donate by phone at 250-387-7222 or online at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/support. The Royal BC Museum Foundation is a non-profit organization under the legal authority of the Societies Act (RSBC 1996, C. 433). The personal information collected on this form is subject to the Personal Information Protection Act (SBC 2003, C. 63). The personal information collected will be used by the Royal BC Museum Foundation to maintain our donor list, issue tax receipts and publicly recognize your donation. Personal information collected will be shared with the Royal BC Museum to provide you with up to date information on current events/exhibitions. If you wish to access or correct your personal information, or would like to make an inquiry about the Royal BC Museum’s privacy policies and procedures, you can contact our Information and Privacy Officer by mail, email at privacy@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca or by telephone at 250-356-0698. Charitable #: 118933241RR0001
This year, give the gift of a Royal BC Museum membership. Members receive unlimited access to all feature exhibitions, including Egypt: The Time of Pharaohs Closes December 31, 2018 Wildlife Photographer of the Year February 15 – March 24, 2019 Maya: The Great Jaguar Rises May 17 – December 31, 2019 PM42265026
Give at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/join.