An exciting and important partnership initiative is occurring in Jasper National Park. Julie-Anne Weaver, a program officer with Parks Canada, has recently completed her masters degree in anthropology at the University of Victoria and is working with regional elders on a significant project relating to the history of the people of the Upper Athabasca Valley.
The project, 鈥淐hanging Relationships: People of the Upper Athabasca Valley,鈥� is one of 18 projects that are being undertaken by Parks Canada nationally to foster reconciliation with M茅tis/Aboriginal organizations and communities. The Jasper project involves collecting and documenting oral histories from Aboriginal elders for the purpose of developing interpretive components that will present and promote their stories in the park. Project outcomes will include new site markers at homestead locations throughout the valley and an interpretive symbol in the town of Jasper. Parks鈥� Aboriginal Liaison Office is also looking at developing a publication and an educational module.
As more stories are gathered, Weaver sees great potential for raising awareness of the park鈥檚 work with descendants of Jasper鈥檚 early settlers who were coerced from their homes by the Government of Canada at the time of the park鈥檚 formation. These projects are important for the relationship building process between Jasper National Park, the Upper Athabasca Valley Elders Council and the Rocky Mountain People (Asineewucheeweneewok) of Grande Cache.
In the recent past, Jasper National Park has made important gains in strengthening relationships through efforts such as providing regional elders with park passes and special access to sites for cultural purposes; creating a permanent cultural use area within the park for ceremonies and gatherings, and celebrating the stories and traditions of these descendants during National Aboriginal Day. The Park has also hired First Nation and M茅tis interpreters for the past five years.
