Autonomous Sinixt MOU

Feb 10

On Friday, February 4th, representatives of Autonomous Sinixt signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Rossland Museum & Discovery Centre. The Museum commits to protect and preserve cultural assets and share traditions from the Autonomous Sinixt perspective. The partnership includes the Museum becoming a "Designated Repository" for the care, storage, and possible display of Sinixt artefacts, contemporary objects such as works of art, and other materials.

During the signing ceremony, two ancestral baskets were on display. The baskets, which have been in James’ family through multiple generations - “four grannies and six grannies back” - will now be on long-term loan to the Rossland Museum. "These baskets represent the weaving of thousands of years of Sinixt presence in our təmxʷúlaʔxʷ, having been passed down to me through many generations of Sinixt matriarchs in my family," noted Taress Alexis. The baskets belong to Taress and her sister. "RMDC has demonstrated through their words and actions, a commitment to continue to forge new, more respectful relationships with our Peoples and our history. As a result, that history will stay in the community and be accessible to all."

The RMDC is incredibly excited about the next steps in this relationship and will continue to work towards “nothing about us without us” as a key tenet of our content development/presentations related to Sinixt history and culture. We continue to seek relationships with other Indigenous groups throughout the region as many of our stories and work expand outside of the Rossland area.

Watch the presentation in the video recording below:

*Content warning:* This post relates to Indian Residential Schools A reminder that the Indian Residential School Survivors Society has a 24-hour Crisis Line available: 1-866-925-4419. The Circle of Indigenous Nations Society based in Castlegar, BC is available at a toll-free phone for individuals in need of support: 1-877-904-2634
or online at: https://www.coinations.net/contact-us

*Captions have been auto-generated and any errors are unintentional.

Photos by Louis Bockner:

Feb 4th also served as an opportunity for authors Marilyn James and Taress Alexis and editor K.L. Kivi (pictured) to introduce the community to the 2nd edition of Not Extinct: Keeping the Sinixt Way. Not Extinct, published by Maa Press, invites readers to engage with stories of Sinixt təmxʷulaʔxʷ through lively oral storytelling, original artwork, written discussion, and reflection.