Metis artisan Albert Biles

Metis artisan Albert Biles will be the artist-in-residence at the Labrador Gallery in Wild Things for the summer and fall of 2009.

Albert is renowned for his work in whale bone and antler, and almost every major gallery and collection in Newfoundland and Labrador includes some of his work. Albert will be hosting a small exhibition featuring some of his latest and most innovative pieces at a reception at Wild Things on June 25 from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Following the reception, Albert will be taking up the position of Artist-in-Residence at the Labrador Gallery in Wild Things. On select days during the summer and fall, folks will be able to meet Albert as he works on ivory, baleen, whale bone, soapstone, antler, and other natural media of Newfoundland and Labrador.

For a cultural adventure celebrating ancient art and form in the 21st century visit Albert at The Labrador Gallery in Wild Things, 124 Water Street (709) 722-3123. Better yet, meet Albert at our reception (June 25 from 3:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.) and have a glass of wine and sample some pitsik from Northern Labrador.

Hobby Horses

We are working on some updates to the new Memorial Intangible Cultural Heritage website (http://www.mun.ca/ich/home/) and we've borrowed a vintage hobby horse from Chris Brookes to photograph.

See some of the photos of the said horse on Flickr at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dalejarvis/sets/72157619739633905

Heather Patey snapped this photo of the Hobby Horse in the wild (at the NL Folk Festival in Bannerman Park) at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hpatey/2376120352/in/pool-969809@N21

What is a Hobby Horse, you ask? This from the Dictionary of Newfoundland English:
http://www.heritage.nf.ca/dictionary/

hobby horse n also hobby horse and bull. Cp OED ~ 2 'in the morris-dance, and on the stage ... a figure of a horse ... fastened about the waist of one of the performers' (1557-1821); EDD ~ 1: 'a hobby-horse is carried through the streets [of Padstow]' Co. See also HORSY-HOPS. A figure of a horse carried by mummers during Christmas festivities. [1583 (1940) Gilbert's Voyages and Enterprises ii, 396 Besides for solace of our people, and allurement of the Savages, we were provided of Musike in good variety: not omitting the least toyes, as Morris dancers, Hobby horsse, and Maylike conceits to delight the Savage people.] 1893 Christmas Greetings 19 There were hobby horses, men, women, and I don't know what else, with the most outrageous masks and costumes I have ever seen. 1895 PROWSE 402 Each company [of fools or mummers] had one or more hobby-horses, with gaping jaws to snap at people. [1917] 1969 Christmas Mumming in Nfld 175 A weird figure bearing the head of a horse, nodding and gesticulating wildly to his companions ... paraded Water Street ... the oddly garbed figures meanwhile capering in amusing fashion around the hobby-horse—as I found the centre figure was called. M 65-5 In St Philips people sometimes dress up as a hobby-horse, one in front and one in the back. The one in front puts on a horse's head and the one behind has a blanket. The head is carved out of wood and the jaws work on strings. These hobby-horses chase everyone who is not a janny and are considered to be a nuisance. They frighten children and if you let them in the house they would turn the place upside down, turning over chairs, etc. These hobby-horses were ugly creatures and they had horns on their heads to make them look like the devil. When they had horns they were called hobbyhorse-and-bull. T 265-662 Hobby horse they used to call it. There'd be two people stoop down, and they put a big blanket over them, and they'd be walking off like an animal. C 71-116 The jannies make what they call a 'hobby horse.' They have the head of a horse, cow, or moose with a piece of canvas attached to it. About six men get under the canvas. They put nails or something like that in the mouth to make a clacking noise. They put sticks or something in the head so that they can turn it and open and close the mouth. Then this fierce looking thing goes around to the different houses.

Arnold's Cove Jack Boat

Last week, I went out with Bruce Whitelaw of the Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador to the town of Arnold's Cove to look at a boat they are hoping to save. The Winnie and Eric, a jack boat with a long history with the area, has been donated to the Town. Bruce had a preliminary look at the vessel, and we are planning on heading back to Arnold's Cove to do detailed measurements, and some oral history interviews on the history of the boat.

If you know anything about the boat, email me at ich@heritagefoundation.ca

Set of Jack boat pictures on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dalejarvis/sets/72157619822996254/

More on the boat museum:
http://tinyurl.com/nbmn5u

Downtown Story Map Launches

Hear about Here: [HERE]SAY Water Street Project launches June 19th

St. John's is a landscape not only of streets and buildings, but of human experience -- this is what makes up the unique character of our city. The place is full of stories, but they’re usually kept inside the heads of those of us who live here. That is about to change.

Most city maps provide a satellite view or a graphic layout of the street grid. [HERE]SAY is something new: a story map.
It features personal stories set in specific locations in the Downtown.

As of June 19th, strollers on Water Street will find [HERE]SAY signs on 26 light poles. Each sign will display a phone number and a 3-digit code. Pedestrians will be able to dial the number on their mobile phone, punch in the code, and hear a story about the very spot where they are standing. St. John’s residents have contributed more than forty personal Water Street memories.

The map may also be accessed online at www.heresay.ca

The unusual project is created by Chris Brookes and Dale Jarvis with designer Mike Mouland, and is affiliated with the Toronto-based oral history project [murmur].

The project will be officially launched at Bianca’s Lounge, 171 Water Street on June 19th between 5-7 pm.
The public is invited.

For further information contact
Dale Jarvis: storytelling@nf.sympatico.ca
or Chris Brookes: 709-576-0359

Facebook event listing at:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=109677097929&ref=nf

The Best Small-Boat Seamen in the Navy

In concert with Dr. David Parsons, Admiralty House Museum is hosting the book launch of The Best Small-Boat Seamen in the Navy, written by W. David Parsons and Ean J. Parsons and published by DRC Publishers. The book chronicles the Newfoundland Division of the Royal Naval Reserve between 1900 and 1922.

This event will be held Thursday June 11 between 5:00-7:00pm. There will be no charge for admission.

http://www.admiraltymuseum.ca/

CRANKY - Film Release

The World Premiere of the new film CRANKY is on Tuesday June 9th at 6 pm EST / 7:30 pm NL time and 7 pm PT on the CBC documentary Channel. CRANKY is part of documentary's Freeview offerings; if you have a digital box or satellite you can see documentary without having to subscribe.

CRANKY is an endearing story of three teams competing to be local champions in an open sea race like no other in North America. The Great Fogo Island Punt Race to There and Back is not a challenge for the faint of heart. Success is as much personal endurance as it is ocean-savvy strategy. But the wild card this year might be a new punt built by one of the team members especially for the race. It's a little tippy - or "cranky" as the locals call it - and just might give the boys from Change Islands the advantage. But then again - it is never just a punt that wins a race.

Shot against the dramatic and beautiful backdrop of Fogo Island and Change Islands off Newfoundland and Labrador, the film is also a poignant look at an island way of life and a seafaring culture that has changed little over the centuries.

See the trailer at www.CrankyTheFilm.ca

Doctoral Research on Coming Out Stories

A PhD student in the Memorial Folklore Department is looking for people to interview as part of her dissertation work. See below:

Hello!
My name is Sarah Moore and I am pursuing a doctoral degree in Folklore at Memorial University of Newfoundland. My thesis focuses on the stories that LGBT persons tell about their experiences in coming out and how coming out stories may change at various times in their life. I am looking to collect these stories in order to better understand narrative and the telling of coming out stories by Newfoundlanders. Are you interested in talking to me? Interviews will be audio recorded, but may be anonymous if you wish. Your help is greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,
Sarah Moore

Email: sarahmoore1@hotmail.com

Phone: 743-5889

Mi'kmaw Oral History Project Underway

The Federation of Newfoundland Indians has teamed up with Memorial University this summer to index and digitize oral history interviews on traditional land use conducted by FNI a decade ago. Two Mi'kmaw students - Christopher Crocker and Tyler Duhart - have been hired and trained by Janice Esther Tulk of the Mi'kmaq College Institute (Cape Breton University) to catalogue these interviews in a comprehensive database, making this important body of traditional knowledge searchable for future FNI, community, educational, and research purposes. Once the database is complete, Christopher and Tyler will begin digitizing some 682 90-minute cassette tapes to preserve the data contained on them for the future.

The many ways in which this material might be used in the future is not yet fully known; however, it is anticipated they will be of great interest to the Mi'kmaw community given their information on medicines and traditional remedies, best hunting and berry-picking grounds, harvesting practices for various seafood, Mi'kmaw placenames, and the location of burial and other sacred grounds. The information contained in these interviews may also be of use in genealogical studies and the compilation of family histories. But most importantly, the voices of Elders now passed away and the voices of community leaders of the future have been captured for the years to come.

Anyone interested in learning more about this initiative is invited to contact Janice Esther Tulk at janice_tulk@cbu.ca.

ICH Update for June 2009

In this month's edition of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Update, ethnomusicologist Dr. Beverley Diamond wins the prestigious Trudeau Fellowship, Diana Quinton helps communities tell their local stories, the Town of Placentia salutes one of its living treasures (and my favourite eel trapper) Mr Freeman Upshall, an 18-year-old Labrador student wins a Women's Institute scholarship with an essay on local heritage, notes on a meal of fish from the Great Northern Peninsula, and those fences keep on wrigglin'!

The monthly intangible cultural heritage newsletter of the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador can be downloaded from:

http://tinyurl.com/mkapp6