Building Exhibits: First Nations Gallery: The Life of a Trapper
The First Nations Gallery includes a diorama depicting three time periods in the history of northern traders: traditional life long before contact with Europeans, the height of the fur trade era, and the modern era. Margaret Hanna, the gallery curator, decided that the best way to conduct research was to meet with northern Cree trappers and hear their first-hand accounts of life on the trap lines long ago. Dennis Moore, a colleague living in La Ronge, arranged a meeting with two longtime trappers, Mr. and Mrs. Myles and Mary Venne. Mr. Venne was chief of Lac La Ronge Indian Band in the 1970s and is now a senator of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations.
Trappers from the modern era.
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The exhibit design specified three scenes of a husband and wife talking about some aspects of life on the trap line. Rather than create some generalized persons, the design team, including Margaret, decided that the mannequins should look like real-life people. Dennis contacted Mr. and Mrs. Venne to ask if Rich Loffler, an artist with the RSM, could come to La Ronge and sculpt them. When Rich arrived at their door, they admitted that they hadn't quite understood what Dennis had said. They thought he had asked if Rich could "scalp" them! Much laughter ensued. |
Rich created likenesses of their faces in clay. Back in Regina, these sculptures were used to make fiberglass casts that became the mannequins' heads. Geltrate, a substance made from algae that sets into a rubbery state in minutes, was used to make molds of the hands of various exhibits staff. A specialized kind of plaster called dental stone was then mixed up and poured into the molds, creating a perfect cast of the hands. The heads and hands were then given to another artist who painted them to look even more convincing.
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The mannequins had to be dressed, and who better to dress the contemporary ones than Mrs. Venne herself? Margaret and Mrs. Venne went shopping for clothes at The Northern and Robertson's Trading Company, the department stores in La Ronge. Mrs. Venne also put on the mannequins' wigs and arranged the hair. |
Margaret had to rely on historical documents, photographs and paintings for the clothing styles in the scenes depicting earlier time periods. The Cree artists who made these items considered it to be a real challenge, as well as a privilege, to make clothing that hadn't been seen for a hundred years or more. In fact, some of them did their own research to ensure the authenticity of the items. Les Goforth made the beaver coat and gauntlets and the rabbit skin robe. Leona Lavallee, who is an accomplished fashion designer and seamstress, created the capote (a hooded wool coat made from a Hudson's Bay blanket) for the husband in the fur trade era, and a wool skirt and calico blouse for his wife. Mary Lee, who had earlier helped with the bison hide tipi, made an elk hide strap style dress for the pre-contact scene. |
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John and Mary Ann McKay, trappers living in La Ronge, had an easier time with the wooden sled for the fur trade scene and the dog pack for the pre-contact scene because they had made these numerous times during their many years on the trap line. They were, however, careful to ensure that no nails or commercially tanned leather were used in the construction of either.
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The exhibit comes to life when you hear the husband and wife talking. Each couple's conversation includes humour, hope, and concern for the future. Mrs. Betty Spence, an Elder with the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College, Mr. Ahab Spence, an authority on Cree language, and Mr. Ray Lavalle, an Elder at Piapot Cree Nation, provided the narration, adding their own personal touches. Clearly the trapping exhibit was a fascinating and fun venture, truly a team effort between RSM staff and the First Nations communities in both northern and southern Saskatchewan. |
For further information contact the Exhibits Unit