Months after delay and ‘long, hard, painful’ path, Innu history exhibit opens in Labrador

Months after its sudden cancellation and a dispute with Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Tony Wakeham’s government, the Innu Pakassiun exhibit opened to the public.

On Wednesday, approximately 250 people showed up for the opening of the exhibit at the Labrador Interpretation Centre in North West River, which had been cancelled by Innu Nation leadership in June.

Speaking to CBC News before the opening, Innu Nation Grand Chief Jodie Ashini told CBC News the road to get here was “Long, hard, painful. But there was beautiful moments… when developing it.”

“But waiting to open it has been a very difficult road for the Innu people,” she said Wednesday, Canada’s fifth National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Ashini said opening on that day was important because it shows Indigenous people haven’t been assimilated.

“That we are still here, we are still practicing and we still know our culture and our history. And I want to have the children have an understanding of how resilient the Innu people have been for the last 9,000 years,” she said.

Innu telling their own stories in new exhibit, Grand Chief says

The Innu Nation says they have been on the land for thousands of years, while according to the Innu, the province’s archaeology office considers their history to go back 300 years. It has led to a months-long public dispute, highlighted in September by Ashini walking out of a meeting with Premier Tony Wakeham.

Wakeham and the provincial government have committed to an independent audit of Innu records held by the archaeology office — which Ashini previously said the Innu Nation didn’t agree to.

Ashini, who was a cultural guardian for Innu Nation when the exhibit was cancelled and in August was elected as grand chief, said they will keep fighting.

“This is our stand that Canada nor the Newfoundland government could erase us with their education system and they won’t erase us with their 300-year timeline.”

Ashini said now that the exhibit is opening to the public, people are feeling heightened emotions as well as pride. She added the provincial government is “still sticking to that 300-year timeline” but the Innu people in Labrador and Quebec are united in challenging that assertion.

Florence Milley was there for the exhibit’s opening and said it was an exceptional experience, adding it made her think of her grandparents and ancestors and she could feel their presence there.

“You could feel the energy and it was a good energy,” said Milley.

She said items on display, like snowshoes, jackets and arrowheads, headwork and toys, are familiar.

“I remember playing with them in the country in Maikan-nipi with my grandparents growing up,” she said, adding she commended Ashini and her team for making the exhibit happen.

“They also brought home the spirit of the Innu — [it] is here — and you could feel every type of emotion. It was joy, hurt, pain, but closure.”

Milley also reiterated the deep roots the Innu have in the region, adding the provincial government should have been present at the opening.

“I think preserving our culture, preserving our Innu way of life, our stories, our history, our language, it will be written in stone here,” said Milley.

Ashini said developing the exhibit was a “labour of love” to showcase the culture and history of the Innu, with the development of tools and crafts.

“Our everyday life just encompasses so much respect and so much beauty, so much culture that I’m really excited to be able to show people what and who we really are,” she said.

Ashini’s favourite part of the exhibit is a baby coat made from black bear fur, as it shows how the people didn’t let anything go to waste.

“These little tiny coats were keeping these little babies warm on these long, thousands of kilometre journeys.”

Ashini said the provincial government has made statements that they are eager to sit down with Innu leadership — which she said hasn’t happened.

“I have not heard from [Wakeham]. If I don’t reach out, he does not reach out to me,” she said, adding it doesn’t surprise her.

Innu Nation says it will move forward with cancelled exhibit amid history dispute

‘I didn’t agree,’ says Innu Nation Grand Chief of N.L. government’s archaeology review

Wakeham was in Corner Brook on Wednesday, attending a ceremony to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and meeting with Qalipu First Nation.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Wakeham said that scheduling commitment kept him from the exhibit.

“It was unfortunate that you just can’t physically be everywhere at the same time. But, you know, I was glad to hear that the [exhibition] had opened up. I want to congratulate the Grand Chief on that. She did a tremendous amount of work on that,” Wakeham said.

Labrador Affairs and Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Minister Lela Evans was also absent from the opening. Wakeham defended Evans by saying she was in Nain with her family and community, including survivors of residential schools.

Innu Pakassiun will be open at the Labrador Interpretation Centre in North West River until Oct.18.

Ashini said the exhibit was supposed to relocate to The Rooms in St. John’s for the winter and then Ottawa in 2027, added there have been other institutes requesting it.

“We are hoping that it will continue to travel.”

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