NLIS 5
September 19, 2002
(Tourism, Culture and Recreation)
 

Construction begins on traditional Innu canoe for Rooms exhibit

Julie Bettney, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, and Peter Penashue, Innu Nation President, announced today construction has started on a traditional Innu canoe which will be a part of the Innu exhibit at The Rooms. Pien and Lisette Penashue of Sheshatshiu are overseeing the work through a partnership between the Provincial Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Innu Nation.

"The Innu Nation�s contribution to the Innu exhibit is invaluable and I thank them for agreeing to build a traditional canoe," said Minister Bettney. "As part of the permanent exhibit, it will help document the Innu Nation�s role in the culture and history of Newfoundland and Labrador."

The Innu people have a strong bond to the land developed through their travel. "Over the thousands of years the Innu have occupied these lands, we travelled by canoe during ice-free months and by foot or snowshoes at other times," said Mr. Penashue. "The traditional canoe is an important symbol of our presence and of our knowledge of the land."

The provincial museum already has some excellent examples of Innu snowshoes, however it does not have a canoe. Since traditional canoes are extremely rare in museum collections in North America and Europe. The best option was to approach the Labrador Innu to draw on their expertise. Few people today have the skills to build a traditional canoe and the museum is pleased that Mr. and Mrs. Penashue have agreed to oversee this project.

The Penashues will also assist in recording the techniques and traditions associated with the construction. Through a partnership with the CBC, these skills will be videotaped for future generations of Innu, for the provincial museum to have as a chronicle of the work to support the exhibits and for the CBC to make accessible across Canada.

"We want to ensure this skill and knowledge is preserved for future generations," said Minister Bettney. "We hope through the use of the video, notes, diagrams and instruction manuals, a novice with some mechanical skills will be able to build any of these items."

Minister Bettney said this is the first step to building our Innu collection. "I look forward to embarking on other projects with the Innu Nation. The opening of The Rooms in 2004 provides us with the necessary space and environment to present the diversity of our culture and heritage to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and visitors alike."

The Innu canoe project is being supported by Provincial Airlines and Innu Mikun Airlines.

Photo #1:Pien Penashue planing white spruce for the canoe.

Photo #2:Lisette and Pien Penashue

Photo #3:In 1963, Pien Penashue assisted his step-father Pien Toma, seen here, in making a canoe for the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

Photo #4:Apprentice Allister Pone planes white spruce while Pien Penashue looks on.

Media contact:

Carmel Turpin
Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, (709) 729-0928

Peter Penashue
Innu Nation, (709) 497-8398

Antje Springmann
Manager of Partnership Development, CBC, (709) 576-5013

Greg Mercer
Vice-President of Commercial Operations, Provincial Airlines, (709) 576-1800

2002 09 19                                       2:45 p.m.


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