Press release
For immediate release
KABASA WAMPUM
Odanak, 19 June 2019 — As part of the renewal of its permanent exhibition, the Musée des Abénakis invites you to the KABASA WAMPUM project..
From 21 June to 21 September, a special event will draw the attention of the community and the general public. A multidisciplinary artist will lead the creation of a collaborative work that will take shape thanks to the participation of visitors to the Museum. This artistic creation, evocative of contemporary Abenaki culture, will inspire and fuel the creative team behind the permanent exhibition.
KABASA WAMPUM is a tribute to the sturgeon, the emblematic animal of the Abenaki people. It is a signature, a symbol of longevity and perseverance. It will be represented in a design reminiscent of the wampum that Abenaki ancestors used as a diplomatic object or bargaining chip. More than 900 people will have the chance to take part in the work, which will then be incorporated into the permanent exhibition, due to open in autumn 2020.
The artist
Wendat Abenaki artist Christine Sioui Wawanoloath was born in Wendake, but raised in Odanak, the village of her mother’s family. She is a multidisciplinary artist: illustrator, storyteller, photographer, sculptor, mosaic artist and more. She’s also a committed traveller of Abenaki culture.
The Abenaki Museum
Since 1965, the Museum has been promoting the cultural development of the Abenaki First Nation and preserving its age-old traditions. Having welcomed several thousand visitors since its opening, the Museum is a dynamic venue for educational and cultural outreach and activities.
The renewal of the permanent exhibition has been made possible thanks to financial support from the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications, as part of the call for projects to support permanent exhibitions. The Musée des Abénakis receives funding from the Government of Quebec and the Conseil des Abénakis d’Odanak.
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For further information:
Vicky Desfossés-Bégin, mediation and communications officer
Musée des Abénakis,
108, rue Waban-Aki, Odanak, JOG 1H0
450 568-2600