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Kristin Catherwood, Intangible Cultural Heritage Development Officer

Last summer as a Community Engagement Animateur with SaskCulture, I began my work with intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in the province by travelling to dozens of communities to offer Discovering Local Folklore workshops. Shaunavon was a community which stood out in that we had two workshops in one day to enable as many people to attend to possible. I was impressed by the Grand Coteau Heritage and Cultural Centre (GCHCC), and especially by its Director/Curator, Wendy Thienes, as well as the Collections Manager Kelly Attrell. The two workshops produced some of the most lively and enthusiastic discussion from a group of engaged participants in the whole of my workshop tour. Thus, when Wendy asked me to come back a second time to discuss in more detail how Shaunavon could benefit from work in ICH, I happily obliged.

When I was hired at Heritage Saskatchewan in the brand new position of Intangible Cultural Heritage Development Officer (only the second of its kind in Canada), one our first priorities was to work in-depth with a pilot community. Because of my success in Shaunavon already and the relationships I had established with the staff, board and volunteers there, it was the natural choice. We got to work in January where I spent a few days taking in Shaunavon’s cultural offerings, which included: attending a curling bonspiel, sitting in on a choir practice, a drama club rehearsal, and learning how to play cribbage with seniors and high school students. This is just a sampling of the cultural activities that go on in Shaunavon every week, and don’t even begin to scratch the surface of the many activities that incorporate ICH in daily life. During that initial visit, I also led a Memory Mapping workshop with a Grade 6 class and local seniors to ground us all in place and discover what it means to us.

In my work with ICH, I always emphasize the importance of building upon what a community already has, and since Shaunavon is already doing so many great things with culture and heritage, we have a strong foundation to work from. For example, the GCHCC has been hosting monthly Coffee Chats for more than five years now, a space which brings seniors together to discuss history and heritage. It is just this spirit of community connection and willingness to try new things which made the staff and volunteers at the GCHCC stand out to me as the perfect place to start a long-term ICH project in Saskatchewan. Every time I visit Shaunavon, I try to meet with a new group in the community to explain what ICH is, since this project is meant for the whole community, not just for GCHCC where the project is headquartered. I always leave learning far more than I taught.

Now at the six month mark of this project, we have progress to show and exciting plans underway. The museum space is undergoing a revitalization, including a new exhibit space devoted to themes of ICH that will change seasonally, thus creating a living museum in which artifacts and stories intertwine to create a space of living heritage. Work is beginning on an intangible cultural heritage inventory, which will be a curated resource for local customs, traditions, and knowledge bearers. The GCHCC will begin to explore new ways to use social media to

connect to the wider community. Shaunavon has also recently joined the Cypress Hills Destination Area. Since ICH is a useful tool in developing cultural tourism, we are investigating how it can be utilized to strengthen Shaunavon’s tourism industry. Kids art camps this summer will contain an ICH component, we will continue to offer programs and workshops related to ICH, and we have plans to initiate an oral history project this fall.

Six months in, I am delighted by the progress that has been made so far, though it is a bittersweet time since we have bid farewell to Wendy Thienes, who has taken on a new position as the Program Manager for ArtsVest Saskatchewan. Wendy leaves very big shoes to fill, but she also leaves a great legacy. The GCHCC is the heart of the community, and I see this every time I visit Shaunavon. On any given day, dozens of people come through the door to check out the newest art exhibition, peruse the museum exhibits, bring in an artifact or a story, ask a question about their family’s heritage, inquire about upcoming events, or simply to say “hello” to the staff and volunteers. I look forward to continuing this project in Shaunavon throughout the rest of the year, and we are especially excited about the upcoming summer months. The next time you’re in the southwest, be sure to stop in to the Grand Coteau Heritage and Cultural Centre in Shaunavon to discover what’s new.

If you would like to explore the potential of ICH in your community, please contact us to arrange a workshop in your community.