The following is being distributed at the request of The Rooms Corporation:

The Rooms officially opens Pien Ashtunu: Pien Builds a Canoe, Pien Upunmun:
Pien�s Dream and Tipatshimuna: Innu stories from the Land.

Tom Rideout, Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs, along with Tom Foran, vice-chair of the board of directors for The Rooms Corporation and Ben Michel, president of the Innu Nation, officially opened the exhibit Pien Ashtunu: Pien Builds a Canoe, premiered the companion CBC documentary Pien Upunmun: Pien�s Dream and launched the Tipatshimuna: Innu stories from the Land Web site for the Virtual Museum of Canada last night. On hand for the opening were representatives from the Innu Nation, Sheshatshu Innu First Nation, Department of Canadian Heritage, CBC Newfoundland and Labrador, Department of Education and members of the Innu community who were participants of the CBC documentary and canoe building project.

The Innu exhibit includes Pien Ashtunu: Pien Builds a Canoe, a special exhibit with The Rooms� Provincial Museum Division, showcases the Innu tradition of canoe building. Pien Upunmun: Pien�s Dream is a documentary developed by CBC Newfoundland and Labrador and produced by Marie Wadden which chronicles Pien�s journey in canoe building and his hopes for the preservation of the Innu culture. A Web site documenting the Innu collections of the Provincial Museum Division and the Peenamin McKenzie School in Sheshatshu entitled Tipatshimuna: Innu stories from the Land is also showcased.

The project represents a culmination of five year�s work undertaken by the project partners to document and share information pertaining to traditional Innu culture. To mark the celebration, an Innu tent was erected on the grounds of The Rooms and Innu guests assembled for a cup of tea and a pot of caribou stew prior to the opening.

"When The Rooms opened its doors less than one week ago, it created opportunity; the opportunity to showcase many aspects relating to our beautiful province and promote the rich culture and heritage of Aboriginal Peoples in Newfoundland and Labrador," said Minister Rideout. "The broad-based partnership developed here has been monumental in planning and constructing substantial representation of the history of the Innu in our province. This project has initiated exciting new ways to deliver this knowledge and share its contents within our schools to Innu and non-Innu students."

Tom Foran, vice-chair of the board of directors for The Rooms Corporation said: "The Rooms board is committed to making The Rooms a facility that reaches well beyond the city limits. Our goal is to reflect the diverse histories of all of the peoples of this province through traveling exhibits, Web-based exhibits and special programs presented in communities throughout the province."

The Provincial Museum Division will continue to work with the project partners to build the Web site into a comprehensive data base of Innu culture material which is currently housed in other national and international museums.

The Pien Ashtunu: Pien Builds a Canoe exhibit is located on the 2rd floor of The Rooms and is accessible during The Rooms operating hours. The Tipatshimuna: Innu stories from the Land Web site is accessible at www.tipatshimuna.ca or www.innustoriesfromtheland.ca.

Media contact:
Deanne Hayward, The Rooms Corporation, (709) 757-8070, 691-5681
Danny Pond, Aboriginal Affairs, (709) 729-1758, 685-3415

2005 07 06                                  12:50 p.m.