A new venue for learning about the local area’s Indigenous people and their history will hold its grand opening on Saturday, June 17.
The South Surrey Indigenous Learning House, an initiative the City of Surrey has worked on in collaboration with representatives from Semiahmoo, Kwantlen and Katzie First Nations, will open the Saturday before National Indigenous Peoples Day, which happens on Wednesday, June 21.
First Nations representatives had identified the need for spaces to support and profile Indigenous cultural practices and ceremony, noted Surrey’s manager of culture Ryan Gallagher, and that need was documented within the City’s parks, recreation and culture 10-year strategic plan in 2018.
“Since then, we’ve continued to listen and we’re actively looking for locations where we might be able to support some of those goals. We identified an opportunity at Elgin Heritage Park, to repurpose an existing building there,” he said.
After receiving support from the local Nations to pursue a venue at that site – next to the Historic Stewart Farm along the Nicomekl River – the project was enhanced and expedited with some provincial and federal funding, as well as a contribution from Surrey’s Friends of the Museum and Archives Society, said Gallagher.
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After a blessing ceremony at the site in the fall of 2021, renovation and construction work began, and now, the learning house features just over 3,000 square feet of space, with two unique spaces within: a designated studio to support various artistic practices and artists in residence, as well as an open-air, covered pavilion with a seating area, “to support cultural sharing, public and school programming, and other uses.”
“It’s a really unique venue,” Gallagher said.
“We’re very excited – they’ve renovated (the building) and it’s absolutely beautiful,” said Semiahmoo First Nation Chief Harley Chappell.
“We’re super excited about this partnership with (Surrey) parks.”
The project initially started as a carving centre, but as discussions and consultation happened, “We learned that we could be doing many different opportunities in that space – whether it’s a gathering space, whether it’s weaving or carving or drawing or community programming – so we changed the dynamic of the space a little bit,” Chappell said.
A young, up-and-coming Semiahmoo First Nations artist, Joan Williams, will be one of the first artists-in-residence and also, one of the people doing a demonstration (cedar weaving) on June 17.
“To me, as leadership in Semiahmoo, I say it quite often – that in this era of reconciliation that we’re in – I think it’s a real learning opportunity for the Canadian population to learn a little bit more about the Indigenous population and the lands they live upon,” Chappell said.
The grand opening will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 17, and will feature some formal remarks from City and First Nations representatives, artist demonstrations, cultural sharing, an Indigenous artisan market and various activities throughout Elgin Heritage Park and Historic Stewart Farm.
“It’s a free, family-friendly, celebratory event,” Gallagher said.
“It’s an opportunity to come out and experience some cultural sharing, to hear directly from local Indigenous leaders and elders and artists… for everybody to come together and reflect on their own reconciliation journey.”
Chappell agreed.
“This is one of the many spokes in the wheel to bring our community closer together,” he said.
“I always say reconciliation is a two-way street – it’s an opportunity for the mainstream population to learn a little bit more about our world view and perspective and obviously, arts and culture, as well as being able to walk down the path of how do we do this together?”
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tricia.weel@peacearchnews.com
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