Ancient Echoes hosts Father and Sun Day
By Joan Janzen
joanjanzen@yahoo.com
Ancient Echoes Interpretive Centre at Herschel, Sask. celebrated summer solstice (the longest day of the year) and Father’s Day on Sunday, June 20. They called the celebration Father and Sun Day, and everyone was invited.
Sophia Mucci, one of two summer students working at the centre, said they wanted to have a family day to celebrate Indigenous cultures and National Indigenous Peoples Day, which was on Monday, June 21.
“We were celebrating the new gallery for Saskatchewan artist Allen Sapp. We have about seven prints that were given to us, and people from the community also brought some of his art that they had,” Sophia explained. They also had some birch bark biting, which is an ancient craft that’s now being transformed into a fine art, where people use their teeth to make carvings on birch bark. Sophia also said they have moose tusting, a craft where moose hair is coloured and used to decorate clothing.
“We also had a bit of information about traditional rituals of the solstice, enjoyed a barbecue and listened to modern Indigenous artists,” she added. “It was a small event, with mostly people from the community, board members and those involved with the museum, along with their families. It was an event to let people know we’re open.”
Sophia Mucci has travelled a long distance to work at the interpretive centre. “I’m a university student from Montreal, and I came here because I’m interested in Indigenous history and paleontology,” she said. “I was looking for something in the realm of paleontology and I found it on the job website. It’s definitely different, and it’s been challenging, but I’ve learned so much. It’s not the kind of opportunity I could get in the city.”
This week Ancient Echoes is having a full moon hike and plans to do workshops for kids in the coming weeks. They’re also open for both indoor and outdoor tours that can be booked in advance. Ancient Echoes is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Ancient Echoes Interpretive Centre was pretty quiet around noon on June 20th, but there was a happy little youngster that was more than willing to pose for a photo.
Photos by Kate Winquist