Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery in Saskatchewan is presenting an exhibition titled "môso-tâpiskan: Indigenous Living Heritage," curated by local artist Sadi Rose Vaxvick. The show features artifacts from the permanent collection, including a projectile point identified by an archaeologist as 8,000 years old, as well as pottery pieces dating back 2,000 years. Vaxvick consulted an Indigenous advisory committee of elders, repatriation liaisons, historians, and Métis locals, and worked with language speakers to translate all artifact notations into their original Indigenous languages.
The exhibition matters because it represents a significant step in Indigenous curation and repatriation efforts. Vaxvick drafted a repatriation policy for the gallery, and the museum has identified pieces that should be returned to their original communities, with talks already underway. By centering Indigenous voices, language, and living heritage, the show challenges traditional museum practices and models a more respectful, collaborative approach to displaying ancestral artifacts.