Wanuskewin's 25th anniversary to be celebrated throughout 2017
- NC Raine | August 07, 2017
As one of Saskatchewan's most important cultural institutions in Saskatchewan, Wanuskewin Heritage Park celebrated their 25th Anniversary with the announcement of a couple of initiatives to further foster the education and preservation of Indigenous culture in the province.
Wanuskewin will launch into a year of celebration and commemoration of their 25th year, with several special announcements planned throughout the year.
More on Wanuskewin:
- Full slate of National Aboriginal Day activities at Wanuskewin
- Wanuskewin campaign gets boost from Deloitte
- Thundering Ahead receives $500,000 donation from CN
- Thundering Ahead receives largest donation yet
- Thundering Ahead Capital Campaign launched
- Wanuskewin to seek UNESCO world heritage designation
One of the first special announcements being a digital scrapbook to collect stories, videos, and photographs from anyone who is interested in expressing their personal histories with the park.
“Wanuskewin was built on the blood, sweat, and tears of volunteers and employees who have incredible stories,” said Andrew McDonald, Wanuskewin Sales and Marketing Manager. “Wanuskewin is truly a place that gets under your skin and fuels a passion for everyone who has been here. So, we want to hear some of those stories.”
The digital scrapbook will offer a searchable collection of stories and videos, which anybody may contribute to in order to paint a picture of Wanuskewin's history, says McDonald.
“The stories really give you a sense of what things were like fifteen, twenty, twenty-five years ago. It always means so much to me to hear how the park has developed over the last twenty-five years,” says McDonald. “We encourage everyone to be part of this year-long project.”
Since opening its doors in 1992, Wanuskewin has hosted hundreds of thousands of visitors, tourists, and school groups who visit the site to learn and experience Indigenous culture, heritage and the unique ecology of the land.
“Wanuskewin, as it was 6,000 years ago, is as it is today. It continues to gather and grow communities,” said Candace Wasacase-Lafferty, Wanuskewin Chair of the Board of Directors.
“Twenty-five years from now I'm going to bring my grandchildren here, and if I'm lucky, my great-grandchildren. That's why we are here today – to celebrate where we are, where we've been, and where we're going,” she said.
The anniversary celebrations took place amidst a Wanuskewin facility and grounds accommodating several school groups of young children – reminding everyone present the importance of the park for generations to come.
“To make a strong, vibrant country, what we have to do is harness that energy and imagination of those children to see into the future,” said Dana Soonias, Wanuskewin CEO. “What is it all going to look like in twenty-five years? That's where we're looking.”