<div dir="ltr">Hello BCMA Colleagues, <div><br></div><div>The Sidney Museum is hosting a film screening of two W̱SÁNEĆ productions on Monday June 17 at 10:00am. If you're in the area we hope you'll join us!</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><span id="gmail-docs-internal-guid-bbe9670e-7fff-9465-d5d1-ef21c1f342ce"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;text-align:center;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">The Sidney Museum and W̱SÁNEĆ School Board to host film screening of two W̱SÁNEĆ productions</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline">Sidney, British Columbia, June 5, 2024</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> - The Sidney Museum & Archives and the W̱SÁNEĆ School Board are hosting a film screening of two W̱SÁNEĆ productions at the Museum on Monday, June 17 at 10:00am. The museum will be showing an animated short, </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">ṮEṮÁĆES,</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> and the film </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">ĆELÁṈEN TŦE ṮEṮÁĆES</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> followed by a discussion and questions with Elders. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">ṮEṮÁĆES </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">is a four-minute animated short of the W̱SÁNEĆ Origin story produced by PENAC (David) Underwood. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">ĆELÁṈEN TŦE ṮEṮÁĆES</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">, which translates to “Birthright/heritage of/to/for our relatives of the deep” showcases the W̱SÁNEĆ worldview and relationship with their traditional territory. The film describes the displacement of W̱SÁNEĆ peoples from ṮELEṮÁĆES and their subsequent efforts to reclaim and fully restore this relationship today. The videos call upon settlers to aid W̱SÁNEĆ in these efforts by engaging in reconcili-ACTION. It was directed by SXEDTELISIYE (Renee Sampson) & Tye Swallow. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Showcased in the midst of the Museum’s ongoing featured exhibit, </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Our Living Languages: First Peoples’ Voices in BC</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">, the film draws upon traditional knowledge and the SENĆOŦEN language to explain how the W̱SÁNEĆ belong to the land and why colonial notions of land ownership do not apply to W̱SÁNEĆ’s relationship with ṮELEṮÁĆES.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">“These films represent an important learning opportunity for non-Indigenous allies”, says Michael Goodchild, Executive Director of the Sidney Museum. “We’re always looking for ways to engage in meaningful reconciliation with First Nations communities, and to have the opportunity to host these productions, produced to provide settlers with a clear path forward, is humbling.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">For W̱SÁNEĆ communities, the films represent a unique opportunity for skilled educators and knowledge-keepers to teach ṮELEṮÁĆES settlers about their history, and how the legacy of colonialism continues to shape it today.</span></p></span><div><span id="gmail-docs-internal-guid-ad9e4271-7fff-bf8b-f079-02c621a7776f"><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">These films have been created as a project by the W̱SÁNEĆ School Board, the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council, and the Southern Gulf Islands Community Resource Centre with funding from the Real Estate Foundation of BC. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">The Sidney Museum is located at 2423 Beacon Avenue, in the lower level of the Old Post Office building. The Museum is open seven days a week from 10:00am-4:00pm. Entrance is by donation. Please visit the Museum’s website for more details on the current and upcoming events and exhibitions.</span></p></span><br class="gmail-Apple-interchange-newline"></div><div><br></div><div>Many thanks, <br>Charlotte</div><span class="gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><b>Charlotte Clar</b> (she/her)<div><div><div>Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator</div><div>Sidney Museum & Archives</div></div></div><div><img width="96" height="42" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4zu3Vlx41wqMmiDdlbDO2MQRNxE3yHlxxE83i7zCbOZXsIP7J72pQQDzAZDklXH5enWZy-ltGY"><br></div><div>2423 Beacon Ave L-3</div><div>Sidney BC  V8L 1X5</div><div>250-655-6355</div><div><a href="mailto:outreach@sidneymuseum.ca" target="_blank">outreach@sidneymuseum.ca</a></div><div><a href="http://sidneymuseum.ca" target="_blank">sidneymuseum.ca</a></div><div><i style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(0,0,0)">We respectfully acknowledge the Sidney Museum & Archives has been shaped by the colonial history of Canada, and</span><span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(0,0,0)"> is located in Sidney/SET,TINES on the territory of the W̱SÁNEĆ People including the </span></i><font color="#000000" face="Arial"><i>BOḰEĆEN (Pauquachin), SȾÁ,UTW̱ (Tsawout), MÁLEXEŁ (Malahat), W̱JOȽEȽP (Tsartlip) and W̱SÍḴEM (Tseycum) First Nations.</i></font></div><div><i style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><span style="font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(0,0,0)">We understand that territory acknowledgment is just one part of Reconciliation, and the museum continues to work towards other ways that we can participate in Reconciliation alongside Indigenous communities.</span></i><br></div></div></div></div></div>