The Aanischaaukamikw construction project is moving ahead quickly.  The office spaces will be finished and equipped by March, and the Aanischaaukamikw staff and those of our tenants and partners will move in shortly thereafter.  The last of the roofing and exterior details will be completed this spring as soon as the snow melts, and the landscaping will be done this summer.

And this fall, Aanischaaukamikw will be open to the public and will inaugurate its permanent exhibit on the history and traditions of the Crees of Eeyou Istchee (central and northern Quebec).

All of this progress is the result of an extraordinary partnership by the Crees, the private sector, and the Quebec and federal governments to support the development of Aanischaaukamikw and our efforts to protect and study our culture and language and to share these with the world.

Aanischaaukamikw is very grateful for this support and will acknowledge the contributions of all of its supporters in a donor wall to be erected in the Aanischaaukamikw building.  At this time I would like to underline our particular gratitude to the Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee) and Hydro Québec for their leadership in establishing and supporting the Aanischaaukamikw fundraising campaign.

Your vision and generosity will help us to show the world the true value and richness of our culture.

Abel Bosum, President
Aanischaaukamikw Foundation

This exquisitely decorated woman’s hood, made by someone in one of the coastal communities of the James Bay Cree around 1850, is the first purchase of a historical artefact for the permanent collection of Aanischaaukamikw. It is a testament to the skill of Cree seamstresses, to their complex and dynamic design sense, and to an evolution of local and international material and influences. The historical photo, taken inMoose Factory or Fort Albany in the 1850’s illustrates how the hoods were worn.

Museums build their exhibitions and programmes around collections and for a new institution like Aanischaaukamikw, it’s essential to assemble artefacts, films, photos, and information that will make up the collections.

This purchase was made possible by a grant from the Acquisition Fund of the Aanischaaukamikw Foundation.

Stephen Inglis

One of the most striking features of the architecture of the new building are the great wooden beams that form the structure. Visitors to the site are astonished to learn that these beams are made of millions of small pieces of the local Black Spruce, laminated and bent in the Nordic factory in Chibougoumou. The beautiful golden colour of the beams wherever they are exposed will be one of the design elements that create the personality of the building. This is one feature that relates back to the inspiration for Douglas Cardinal’s architectural design, a traditional Cree dwelling, a “sabtuan”.

When the roof beams with their distinctive curve were first delivered to the site, they were stacked on one side of the building structure in two sets. Local excitement was immediately apparent. Had the “golden arches” finally come to Ouje?

Stephen Inglis